The most disturbing work of fiction that you have ever read

[Severnlad]

Beyond Belief - Emlyn Williams

The Story of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

[ChrisJ]

Green Mile was a very moving story. But for disturbing fiction Richard Laymon has to have some of the most disturbing stories. Only read a couple of his and no wonder none of his books have turned into films. They would have to bring out a new rating for them 30+ or something.

[Ruth]

I'd probably have to say American Psycho. However, it is also one of my all time favourite books, so I have no idea what that says about me!

[Icecream]

I was going to answer nineteen eighty four but with the amount of surveillance etc I think "fiction" may not be quite the correct term for that book any more.

 

I have heard 1984 referred to as Tony Blair's Britain.

[beef]

I have heard 1984 referred to as Tony Blair's Britain.

heh, yeah. 1984 is rapidly heading towards "instruction manual"

[poppy]

Lord of the Flies. We had to read it at school and watch the film. A lot of scary stuff you can disregard as pure fiction but Lord of the Flies had that undercurrent of reality.

[~Andrea~]

Lord of the Flies. We had to read it at school and watch the film. A lot of scary stuff you can disregard as pure fiction but Lord of the Flies had that undercurrent of reality.

 

Ooh that's true, it says a lot about human nature. I remember reading it as a teenager, and being right in the thick of adolescent society I thought at the time, 'yea, that's about right'

[Weave]

'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, I kept thinking about the women who could not have children or 'unwomen' as they are called were sent to the colonies to die a slow death, all I kept thinking was, 'I am going to end up in those colonies'

'The Dark' by James Herbert, the whole idea of it just scared me and the only chapter or prologue was pretty graphic, I am open minded to a point, so I found it a bit harsh.

 

'IT' by Stephen King, there is a reason why I am scared of clowns and that book confirmed it!

[tbain]

The Story of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

 

I could well imagine that one being an extremely disturbing read. No particular book stands out for me apart from reading A Clockwork Orange years ago.

[Ceinwenn]

Without a doubt the scariest book I've ever read is The Broken Window, by Jeffery Deaver. Very scary because it is so possible in this information technology reliant world we live in.

It's about a man killing people & getting information about them to get close to them to kill them by hacking into databases which are formed from "loyalty cards" - like Nectar or Tesco Club cards & from the information gathered by credit card companies, etc.

[Ruth]

Lord of the Flies. We had to read it at school and watch the film. A lot of scary stuff you can disregard as pure fiction but Lord of the Flies had that undercurrent of reality.

 

Fabulous book - and I agree, very disturbing.

[Ruth]

'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, I kept thinking about the women who could not have children or 'unwomen' as they are called were sent to the colonies to die a slow death, all I kept thinking was, 'I am going to end up in those colonies'

 

 

'IT' by Stephen King, there is a reason why I am scared of clowns and that book confirmed it!

 

I'd end up in one of those colonies with you! I have The Handmaid's Tale on my pile to be read, and I have heard lots of good things about it.

 

We share a fear of clowns - I get freaked out by them. We're in good company though - Johnny Depp is scared of them too!

[Talisman]

The most disturbing book I ever read was called Aztec and I think by Gary Jennings ? I got about one quarter in and had to stop reading as it was just so sickening, especially the bit about what they did to a young girl who they found was not a virgin. It was just awful, and beyond description. Far too horrific to detail here, I feel ill even now just thinking about it.

[Simonsays]

American Psycho - Bret easton Ellis. One of the only books I've ever had to abandon reading!

 

ps - apart fromJordan's autobiography:lol:

Edited August 27, 2008 by Michelle
merged

[Smint]

ps - apart fromJordan's autobiography:lol:

 

I'm amazed you're actually admitting you STARTED it!

 

I found The Handmaid's Tale disturbing too, as well as Oryx and Crake and, in a completely different way, Perfume by Patrick Suskind

[pontalba]

I'd end up in one of those colonies with you! I have The Handmaid's Tale on my pile to be read, and I have heard lots of good things about it.

 

We share a fear of clowns - I get freaked out by them. We're in good company though - Johnny Depp is scared of them too!

I very recently reread The Handmaid's Tale and liked it a lot. I hated it 30 years ago, but I was in my 20's then and I couldn't get past certain parts. But I've a tougher hide now.

 

LOL I would sooo be in one of those colonies, if they didn't hang me first!

[Weave]

Ruth, pontalba, if we end up in those colonies, at least we will know each other, I take comfort in that:friends0:

[angelofboox]

The Handmaid's Tale was good, I'm not sure I found it particularly disturbing. We did it for our AS-Level coursework (dystopian societies, Handmaid's Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four).

 

I can't really think of any books at the moment, although I know my mother was disturbed by A Child Called 'It' - the first Dave Pelzer book.

[million2b]

Well for me would be "The Revelation" by Bentley Little. A really creepy story which didn't exactly had the happily ever after ending. And worse still I couldn't put down that book at it was loaded with cliff hangers.

[Stephanie2008]

The Handmaid's Tale was good, I'm not sure I found it particularly disturbing. We did it for our AS-Level coursework (dystopian societies, Handmaid's Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four).

 

I can't really think of any books at the moment, although I know my mother was disturbed by A Child Called 'It' - the first Dave Pelzer book.

 

I also did A Handmaid's Tale as part of my A Level course and loved the book. I thought it was much better than 1984 which I couldn't get into at all.

 

A Child Called It, and the subsequent books, are on my list for reading (just stole them off my grandparents).

[Alej]

Hmm, Most disturbing read must have been 'The Collector' By John Fowles. I remember feeling dirty by the end of the book, and the feeling of it wouldn't leave me for some days.

Another one that really stuck me was 'Disgrace' By J.M. Coatzee, both of these books left a cloud over my head. Still though, both of them are some of my favorites, as well as 1984.

A friend of mine just lent me The Collected Works of Marquis de Sade; not by request mind you. But i haven't had the nerve to begin reading any of it. I'm not sure how much moral depravity i want to submit myself to.

[~Andrea~]

Oh yes I found the Collector disturbing too. Very claustrophobic and left me feeling a little depressed.

I don't think I'd read the Marquis de Sade books either.

[molly]

For me I think the most disturbing books was Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It stayed on my mind for days after I read it.

[KW]

The Heart is Deceitful Above All Else by JT Leroy - but I couldn't put it down, regardless of how disturbing it was.

[SueK]

Pig Island by Mo Hayder. I found this quite a disturbing book and wouldn't want to particularly read any more of her stuff. Parts of it made my feel queasy.