The most disturbing work of fiction that you have ever read

[StephenKingman]

I think King does that a hell of a lot, it is extremely frustrating, I can think of at least three epic, amazing stories that he has ended in similar ways. I know he thinks that the story is the most important thing, and the ending is only there because a written novel has to end at some point, but it is a very poor excuse and reason for him not to pay the stories the endings they deserve.

 

I like a lot of the detail of Derry, it is pretty excessive and a extremely detailed, which I don't know if it serves the flow of the story brilliantly, it's nice to know a little about a setting and it really brings Derry to life, but sometimes it goes into a seriously huge amount of detail, like the backstory to The Black Spot, I found myself having to take a breath when I finished I loved such detail as the Kitchener Ironworks tangent though.

 

Yes, personally i found the endings to Under the Dome, IT and Pet Cemetary very disappointing, as i did with a number of his short stories, too. He just needs to have a set ending in place before he writes the novel as a few of his books are disjointed and smack of 'making it up as he goes along', which isnt very logical. Having said that he is more than capable of fantastic, rug-under-your-feet endings that are jaw dropping. When i read The Stand, the whole way through i was so engaged and gripped by this brilliant story that, near the end, i was thinking to myself that this cant possibly have a satisfying ending, it is too much to ask, so when i did read the ending and it was abso-bloody-lutely FANTASTIC with a capital F, i was pleasantly surprised; not only does the book match the hype, it surpasses it too and when i read the last page and closed the book, i knew i would never read a better bookn in my life.

 

As for the town of Derry, i could write detailed blueprints at this stage!! When he was banging on and on about dams and pipes i found myself flicking forward to see how long he would be at it, and when i realised another 10 pages to go, the heart sunk! Less irrelevance and more spine chilling moments please, Mr. King. You dont need to worry about a back up career in the construction industry, your books have made you millions

[:HerculeHastings:]

Hm, I think the most disgusting book I've ever read is A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice. I think there've been worse books, but this one sticks in my memory cuz I picked it up not knowing it was going to incorporate, well, mature themes. I was only about eleven then.

[Ilona]

I think you got me wrong, I absolutely adore IT and have read it no less than four times through. It is a fantastic and beautiful story, that part has never sat well with me though because it is so distant and unreal from the rest of the interactions with the children.

Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were replying to my comment on Palahniuk's Haunted. Yeah, I really loved IT as well - the structure of the story was extremely well done. The book was great all throughout except for that one scene.

[rune]

Ive never found a book disturbing, but I did find China Mieville's works so different that at times I cant even image what he's writing

Some of his books go right over my head, but some i love

[annieframe]

It has to be The Exorcist. Not because of the hyped up horror, but the possibilites it presented.

[Pablo]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before, but I'd have to go with 'Filth' by Irvine Welsh.

 

I can assure you that it lives up to it's name, and although it wouldn't really be appropriate for me to describe the scenes between the covers, suffice it to say that violence, depravity and a particularly wince-inducing scene of animal cruelty make this a book that I find it difficult to recommend.

[Guest albie]

Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse was superb. It was about the aftermath of the atomic bombing in hiroshima. It was fiction, but based on the journals of a real man, and i'm sure the author's own experiences of the time.

Edited March 12, 2010 by BookJumper
Removed website.

[Ooshie]

I didn't realise "Black Rain" was from a book, I will need to try and get hold of it. I saw the film about thirty years ago, and when I think about it now can still feel how disturbed it made me at the time.

[arewenearlythere]

A creepy book is 'A Prayer for the Dying' by Stewart O'Nan. The story is told from a second person perspective. You go insane with the character as he does things to keep the quarantine in force.

[Eck]

I Found Requiem for a dream by Hubert Selby disturbing on several levels. The mothers Amphetamine addiction and subsequent mental break down is very harrowing.

[nicholbb]

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1)

 

God that was hard work but fantastic. Was just in a daze for ages after finishing, didn't start another book for about a week.

[corina]

"American Psycho" Bret Easton Elis

"We need to talk about Kevin" Lionel Shriver

 

and recently "The Slap" Christos Tsiolkas. I feel really bad for society after reading that one.Disturbing on many levels.

[Denise]

"American Psycho" Bret Easton Elis

"We need to talk about Kevin" Lionel Shriver

 

Must say American Psycho was kinda disturbing but I did think in ways it was kinda funny.The book sure was better than the film thats for sure.The Kevin one def was disturbing esp the relationship between mother & son.

[Mole]

Probably "filth" by Irvine Walsh, a hard read on a number of levels. The main character is so revolting you feel sorry for his Tape worm when he commits suicide. If you red that spoiler and it made no sense, trust me it will if you read that book.

 

Hes a copper, but a complete moral degenerate.

[frenkas]

These are books that I found delightfuly disturbing:

"The House" and "The Bighead" by Edward Lee

"The Girl Next Door" by Jack Ketchum

"Weed Species" by Jack Ketchum

"Hogg by Samuel" R. Delany

 

The Cannibal Within by Mirabello, Spare Key by Hamilton, Piecemeal June by Krall

Edited April 28, 2010 by Michelle
consecutive posts merged

[FlewtheCuckoosNest]

The first Horror book I ever read that kept me up for nights on end were the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. Spooky.

[ragean]

I've always said that if I can get halfway through a book, I'll finish it. "Dreamcatcher" by Stephen King was the worst! I had to make myself finish it. In the middle of the book, I could have slept and not miss anything. King is one of my regular authors, but this one was not that great, in my opinion.

 

Another was "Tick Tock" by Dean Koontz...horrible!

 

Two of my favorite authors...very sad!

[oceansoul]

The Green Mile is probably the most disturbing book that I've read. In the sense that it stayed with me afterwards, as well as having me in floods of tears whilst I read it. I don't think I'll ever read that book again. I've never read anything with violence or horror that really affected me. I read mostly horror novels, so that may be why.

[KindleWorm]

Interesting thread... I have to say the word disturbing fits the bill on a series of books by Dean Koontz that I read recently - his Frankenstein set (five books in total I believe - I heroically made it to number four)

 

The premise is quite chilling in itself - Victor Frankenstein is not dead after all and Koontz picks up where Mary Shelley left off and brings Dr Frankenstein into the 21st Century. His desire to create has not diminished in the intervening years and he literally farms humanoids that have modified personalities. His replicants are already planted (undetected) in society with a desire to kill all humans as soon as the command is given. Cue a dramatic "take over the world" theme.

 

For me the idea of farming humans with distorted personalities is disturbing enough and some of the characters (for want of a better word) are definitely macabre. But for me the most disturbing aspect of this series was the appalling quality of the writing. It got worse with each book until it was quite clear Koontz had run out of steam, storyline and direction. I suspect if the man wasn't already a popular author these books would not have made it to publication. Steer clear of these books or you will be disturbed on a number of different levels!

[Weave]

'The Library Policeman' by Stephen King (from 'Four past Midnight'), that story really disturbed me.

[Library rat]

"The black Dahlia" I thought was pretty disturbing, and contributed to the fact that I never really got the Ellroy vibe after this one try.

 

When I was a kid, Clive Barker's "Books of blood" were quite shocking in their description of urban violence and horror.

[sod]

Stupid white men - Michael Moore, is a very disturbing read

[Mistress Chloe]

I read 1984 as a pre-teen, and it set the course of my life for the next 7-8 years. I tried to use doublethink to condition myself away from what I didn't want to be.

 

We Need to Talk About Kevin also sprang to mind, in fact it was mentioned in the second post too. Terrifying book, not just in the horrific events that take place in it, but in its depiction of a cold, loveless relationship between a boy and his mother from the minute he's born, and the ambiguity as to whose fault it was. Is he just a sociopath, or could her post-natal depression and irrational insecurities and distrust of him, even as a baby, have caused him to grow up incapable of love?

[vinay87]

1984 by George Orwell. No other book has managed to scare me.

[rand00]

'The Lord of Flies' is just great and very disturbing.