The 10 Most Disturbing Books Of All Time
In my younger days if I heard a book or movie was disturbing or hard to handle I generally took that as a challenge. Most books generally turned out to not be too bad, but occasionally I’d come across something that would leave me with a sick feeling in my stomach for weeks. I’ve largely outgrown this “genre” of late, but here are my picks for the ten most disturbing books of all time. Any one of these books is capable of leaving you feeling a little depressed at the least, and permanently scarred at the worst. I’d say enjoy, but that doesn’t really seem appropriate …
10. Blindness
Blindness is a book with a truly horrifying scenario at it’s heart: what if everyone in the world were to lose their sight to disease in a short period of time? The answer is actually somewhat predictable, but that doesn’t lessen the bleakness as society collapses quickly in this novel by Portugese author José Saramago. The story follows a group of characters who are among the first diagnosed and sent to be quarantined. Many think the book is an allegory dealing with spiritual blindness, but to me the book is all the more devastating when taken literally. An easily communicable virus that causes the recipient to lose their sight would be the end of things, and it wouldn’t be an easy end.
9. Requiem For A Dream
Anti drug crusaders should stop airing goofy commercials that nobody takes seriously and start pushing to have Requiem For A Dream made required reading for every high schooler in the country. Kids would probably still do drugs, but I imagine they’d be thinking twice after reading Requiem. Most people are more familiar with the movie, which was a pretty faithful translation of the book that deals with four characters who all see their lives ruined by various addictions. I read an essay at some point that argued that the real protagonist isn’t any of the main characters, instead the protagonist is Addiction, and let’s just say for Addiction things go pretty swimmingly. For the human beings it’s just one long depressing ride that ends up making you want to curl up in a corner and sob. Not exactly good beach reading.
8. Naked Lunch
Naked Lunc is another ode to drug addiction. While it’s not as flat out depressing as Requiem For A Dream, it’s a hell of a lot more strange. The story is told in a series of dream like vignettes that never allow the reader to really get their bearings and includes acts of child murder, auto-erotic asphyxiation, lots of drug use, cop killing, and orgies. The book was banned in many sections of the United States when it came out in 1959, and it’s not hard to see why. This book is easily one of the most bizarre I’ve ever read.
7. We Need to Talk About Kevin
We Need to Talk About Kevin concerns a fictionalized school massacre told through the perspective of his mother, who is writing letters to her husband trying to come to terms with the monstrosity that she birthed. The book goes into detail about Kevin displaying signs of psychosis from a young age leading up to his murder of seven classmates, a cafeteria worker, and an alegebra teacher. Kevin’s mother at least partially blames herself, as she was never all that enthusiastic about being a parent, led alone being a parent to a deeply disturbed individual. This book might sound like a bad TV movie, but it’s actually pretty well written and extremely depressing. It stays with you after you read it.
6. The Road
Bleak. If you had to sum up The Road in one word it would definitely be bleak.
Cormac McCarthy’s novel deals with a father and son dealing with a cataclysmic event (probably a meteor strike) that has left the world barren and gray. I read this book shortly after my wife and I had our first child, making the story of a father who is unable to provide much comfort to his small son in a post apocalyptic world all the more devastating. The pair travel through the book, with the father hoping things will improve the further south they get. Plants will not grow in this world, and food is scarce. Cannibals are everywhere. As powerful a book as this might be I still generally don’t recommend it to people, as it is pretty much guaranteed to leave you morose and feeling like you’ve been repeatedly hit in the stomach.
5. American Psycho
American Psycho really leaves you wondering a little bit about Bret Easton Ellis’ sanity. Many people are probably familiar with the movie starring Christian Bale, but the movie pales in comparison to the book when it comes to levels of depraved insanity. The book follows investment banker, and serial killer, Patrick Bateman over a few years of his life. As the book moves on his killings becomes more and more sadistic, leading to quite a few scenes that will never, ever completely leave your mind, including a particularly repugnant sequence involving a starved rat, some cheese, and a tube. You are guaranteed to feel a little filthy, at the least, after reading this book.
4. Johnny Got His Gun
One of the most effective anti-war novels of all time, Johnny Got His Gun is also one of the most disturbing. The book was published in 1938 and deals with a WWI soldier who has had his legs, arms, and face blown off by an artillery shell. However, his mind is completely undamaged, leaving him a prisoner in his own body, unable to communicate with the outside world. The book was later made into a film and immortalized in the Metallica song “One”.
3. The 120 Days of Sodom
The 120 Days of Sodom was a work by Marquis de Sade, who had to have at least one work on this list. The book deals with four wealthy men who want to have the ultimate orgy. To accomplish this they seal themselves away with a bunch of young men and women. The sex quickly turns sadistic and matters quickly turns to humiliation, pain, and killing. Pretty much every debased and bizarre sexual fetish is explored in detail in the book, with much of the work crossing lines that even today would be declared obscene in many parts of the US. It is amazing to me that the book was written in 1785. The 120 Days of Sodom was turned into a film called Sado, widely considered to be one of the most unpleasant and disturbing films of all time.
2. The Turner Diaries
The Turner Diaries is a racist, antisemitic novel written by William Luther Pierce, the crazy ass former leader of the white Nationalist organization “National Alliance”. It depicts a racist’s wet dream consisting of a violent revolution in the United States that leads to the overthrow of the US government and the extermination of all non-whites and Jewish people. To Pierce, Hitler’s problem was clearly that he didn’t go far enough. The rest of the plot is too crazy to even go into (let’s just say it’s about as well written and realistic as you’d expect a book like this to be), but the book gets bumped up a few notches on our list due to the fact that Timothy McVeigh was a big promoter of the book, and may have used a scene in the book as inspiration for the Oklahoma City bombing.
And the not at all scary thing is that this is still being sold at gun shows all over the US. Sleep tight!
1. The Girl Next Door
Jack Ketchum is often mentioned when the topic of “most extreme horror writer” is breached, and it’s not hard to see why when you read The Girl Next Door. The book details the abuse of a teenage girl by her aunt, who enlists neighborhood children to help torture the girl over the course of a summer. The kids gradually go along with the insane aunt, who moves from abuse to outright torture and eventually murder. This is a very twisted tale that leaves you feeling ill, until you find out the story is based on the real life murder of Sylvia Likens, who was left with her aunt by her parents, and then really was tortured to death by her aunt and neighborhood children. Then you feel really sick.
But then, to add insult to injury, you learn that her aunt (Gertrude Baniszewski) was convicted of murder, but was released on parole after serving 18 years, saying at her parole hearing “I’m not sure what role I had in it … because I was on drugs. I never really knew her … I take full responsibility for whatever happened to Sylvia.”
What happened to Sylvia was that she was raped with a Coke bottle while having “I’m a prostitute and proud of it” burned into her stomach with a boiling hot sewing needle before being bludgeoned to death, following months of other torture. This wasn’t enough to deny Baniszewski parole though. She lived the last five years of her life a free woman, dying of lung cancer at the age of 60.
Once you read the book and then learn all of the above you pretty much lose all faith in humanity. The horrid nature of Ketchum’s book combined with the real life events it was based on easily makes The Girl Next Door, for us at least, the most disturbing book of all time.
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On May 12th 2009, Terra King wrote:
I’m surprised that Lord of the flies didn’t make the list.
I just finished The Road. I enjoyed it, it was disturbing. I thought it was a nuclear explosion. Could of been either.
Good article.
On May 13th 2009, dgaicun wrote:
“The 120 Days of Sodom was turned into a film called Sado…”
Salo.
On May 13th 2009, Kyle O'Connor wrote:
No offense, but saying that if the world went blind it would be the end of things is pretty over the top.
We would adapt — millions of highly functional blind people have.
On May 13th 2009, muttterhals wrote:
Great list, although I was surprised that Frisk was missing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisk_(novel)
I read the entire thing one Sunday when I was in bed with a hangover.
On May 13th 2009, JP wrote:
Those blind people operate within a society based on sight. How many of those highly functional blind people fly aircraft, or drive semis full of produce, or perform surgery?
On May 13th 2009, Jeep wrote:
You left out one of the few books to truely leave me feeling distrubed. The Drive-In by Joe Lansdale. It is a sci-fi tale of people trapped at a drive-in and they resort to canabalism often including children. I highly suggest you give it a read, dispite the cringe factor it is a very very fun, read and you will want to pick up the 2 sequels to it as well.
On May 13th 2009, therealpixie wrote:
John Dollar, 1989, by Marianne Wiggins (Salman Rushdie’s second wife) is about eight school girls marooned on an island, who slowly cannibalize their teacher. I read it when it first came out, and it still creeps me out when I think about it.
On May 13th 2009, kevin wrote:
“Myra Breckinridge” is missing from this list. Chapter 9 – “the Raping of Rusty” – i wish i could unread it. (the book is brilliant, though).
On May 13th 2009, Glenn Broadway wrote:
I was quite disturbed by Wasp Factory by Ian Banks when I first read it (although 120 Days Of Sodom was about as freaky as I have ever experienced). Is it wrong that I want to go and read at least two of the books on this list now?!
On May 13th 2009, Steve wrote:
“On May 13th 2009, Kyle O’Connor wrote:
No offense, but saying that if the world went blind it would be the end of things is pretty over the top.
We would adapt — millions of highly functional blind people have.”
Yea, but they aren’t just instantly able to adapt. They learn to adapt with the help of people that CAN see. If the entire world just went blind, it would definitely be over.
On May 13th 2009, Cheezzy wrote:
omg, I gotta read some of these books o.o
On May 13th 2009, sqr wrote:
I’m shocked that Hogg by Delany isn’t on there.
On May 13th 2009, bumcakes wrote:
People would do a lot more drugs if Requiem for a Dream was required reading because it is the most self-indulgent piece of shit ever. It really has no depth. It just plays into the scary thoughts white people have when they think about what drug addiction is.
On May 13th 2009, Colby Forbes wrote:
Kyle, if the whole world suddenly went blind, there wouldnt be enough time to adapt. The premise isnt over the top at all, but very realistic.
On May 13th 2009, EthicalBob wrote:
Eek.. I’ve read all but 3 of these/
Couple o notes;
- The Turner Diaries is horribly racist, and wrong on so many levels; but not as poorly written many would lead you to believe. Its a scary look into how racialists think…
- The Road: McCarthy is quoted as saying that while he never had a specific catastrophe in mind, he leaned more towards a volcanic event for the reason for the apocalypse in the book.
On May 13th 2009, Me Yike El wrote:
Where’s Samuel R. Delany’s Hogg? That book is WAY more disturbing than many of these.
On May 13th 2009, el lobito wrote:
Another good candidate for this list would be almost anything by Jerzy Kosinski. Cockpit, in particular, is an good example. Kosinski is better known as the author of “Being There” (not so disturbing). His first book was The Painted Bird, based on his experiences as child wandering eastern europe alone during WWII.
On May 13th 2009, TC wrote:
Geek Love
On May 13th 2009, Mark wrote:
What a treat to see so many literate people commenting on such great books. Honestly – I worked in bookselling for 20 years, and to find a handful of people who know even a few of these titles is rare. It speaks, I think, to the quality of this site.
Hogg by Samuel Delany
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
Frisk by Dennis Cooper
These are all brilliant books. I would add the late great J.G. Ballard’s Atrocity Exhibition to this list. Ballard, Cooper, Sade, Banks, and Burroughs all wrote numerous disturbing books – all worth reading, IMO.
One final addition would be Excerpts from a Family Medical Dictionary by San Francisco author Rebecca Brown. This is about her father’s death from cancer and is not just disturbing, but visceral. I don’t recall another book more emotionally raw and cleanly executed.
Great topic!
On May 13th 2009, Gala wrote:
And nobody mentioned the book from nobel prize winner Ivo Andric , The bridge on the Drina.
There you have very “pretty” scene of turkish impaling…. almost puked. Don’t know if it’s translated.
On May 13th 2009, Hogg wrote:
sqr is right. hogg makes de sade should be on the list. and, um, maybe Trance-Formation of America by Cathy O’Brien.
On May 13th 2009, Hogg wrote:
sqr is right. hogg should be on the list. and, um, maybe Trance-Formation of America by Cathy O’Brien.
On May 13th 2009, voodoogoddess wrote:
Anybody ever read “The Piano Teacher” by Elfriede Jelinek? It was a controversial Nobel Prize winner and when I read it I found out why. Graphic violence and sex and weirdness all around.
On May 14th 2009, panik wrote:
“I worked in bookselling for 20 years, and to find a handful of people who know even a few of these titles is rare”
I love how shop assistant’s in book shops have such a pompous attitutde.
Makes up for their low wage i guess ;)
On May 14th 2009, Jaxas wrote:
bumcakes wrote:
“…. It just plays into the scary thoughts white people have when they think about what drug addiction is.”
Wow you’re quite the racist aren’t you bumchum!
On May 14th 2009, Katie wrote:
Good list, but just wanted to let you and readers know that Gertrude Baniszewski wasn’t Sylivia Likens aunt, but was just some random neighbor her parents left her with. She was hoping to make a few bucks, so told Sylvia’s parents she and her sister could stay with her for something like 20 bucks a week while the parents were away (they were in a travelling carnival). Anyway…story’s still completely sick.
On May 14th 2009, adgy wrote:
This list and the comments in it are fantastic! I’m adding each one I haven’t read yet to my list!
Thank you.
On May 14th 2009, stephanie wrote:
I am surprised that the autobiography ‘When Rabbit Howls’ by Trudi Chase wasn’t on your list.
On May 14th 2009, FrankiiDoodle wrote:
Red Riding: 1977
Possibly the most traumatising book I’ve ever read. It’s about this little girl who gets kidnapped from a town in Yorkshire and is told by a journalist who follows her story. Not only is the post mortem report deeply disturbing what with the wings and the roses but the corruption of the police (which I believe was based on the actual corruption at the time) is just awful. 1980 is pretty bad as well being about the Yorkshire Ripper with lovely descriptions of all 13 of the murders.
On May 14th 2009, pleasant moon wrote:
Never Let Me Go
clones bred to provide extra body parts…
On May 14th 2009, Dan wrote:
Nice of you to say that the book The Turner Diaries is sold at every gun show like everyone at a gun show will want a copy and believes in what the book says. I also would like to see from what source you got that statistic.
On May 14th 2009, k wrote:
10 most disturbing books of all time for the semi-literate.
On May 14th 2009, thunderchunky wrote:
Great list, i am afraid to read 120 Days.. as I have seen Salo, an absolutely disgusting movie.
I would also recommend “Filth” by Irving Welsh — as you read it you think it can’t get any worse, but it does.
On May 14th 2009, Rob wrote:
Battle Royale was somewhat disturbing. As far as movies go, Cannibal Holocaust is pretty gruesome.
On May 14th 2009, Danielle wrote:
I think a Child Called ‘It’ (yes, horrifically cliche book, everyone’s read it, but…) is more disturbing simply for the fact that it’s true.
otherwise, these all sound terribly interesting, and I’ll probably end up reading them sometime soon
On May 14th 2009, katrina wrote:
nice list. i think “hell house” by richard matheson would fit it nicely or anything by h.p. lovecraft. they are fiction, but equally disturbing.
On May 14th 2009, Maddy wrote:
How about Haunted, by Chuck Palahniuk? That book freaked me out.
On May 14th 2009, InferaNO wrote:
The most disturbing book i’ve ever read is Lets Go Play At The Adams. Haven’t read any of these (yet) so can someone let me know how it messures up against them?
On May 14th 2009, Kat wrote:
I found the list really interesting (and am now going to order a couple to read). I think the list should be split in two: one for fiction, the other for fact based or non-fiction. I personally think any book on this type of list that is based on a true story has to be more horrific just for that reason alone…then again, I haven’t read them all…yet….hehehe (is it bad that I’m rubbing my hands together in glee at the thought of reading the one I haven’t?) I’m sick, I admit it.
On May 14th 2009, Jack wrote:
Palahniuk’s Haunted should be on this list – The chapter entitled ‘Guts’ made over 70 people faint when he read it at book signings.
On May 15th 2009, Tom wrote:
I’m sure there are a lot more books out there that could also be considered but I second (or third) the recommendation of Haunted by Palahniuk. I’d also add Bataille’s The Story of the Eye. And anything by Peter Sotos, his writing is incredibly visceral and he loves wallowing in the the depraved. Were it not for his beloved subject matter, I’m sure Sotos would be a well-respected writer by mainstream critics.
On May 15th 2009, Eric wrote:
I would recommend The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels by Stephen King (Rage / The Long Walk / Roadwork / The Running Man)
On May 15th 2009, Bill wrote:
Good list, Blindness definitely stuck with me after I finished it.
However, it was not nearly as disturbing as Out by Natsuo Kirino. I have another book of hers called Grotesque but I haven’t been able to muster the stomach to read it yet
On May 15th 2009, imm wrote:
What about Sybil ? Most disturbingly, the story is true…
On May 15th 2009, _monkey wrote:
I would also suggest adding Chuck Palahniuk’s “Haunted”. Over sixty people have fainted at public readings of the short story “Guts” from the book.
On May 15th 2009, Burt wrote:
I actually think that Last Exit to Brooklyn is the more disturbing Selby novel, rather than Requiem.
On May 15th 2009, CapnCaveman wrote:
“The Collector” should definitely be included here, especially since it is credited with “inspiring” more serial killers in history than any other book besides the Holy Bible. It also influenced other works, such as Silence of the Lambs.
On May 15th 2009, CapnCaveman wrote:
“The Collector” should definitely be included here, especially since it is credited with “inspiring” more serial killers in history than any other book besides the Holy Bible. It also influenced other works, such as Silence of the Lambs. How much more disturbing can a book be than that?
On May 15th 2009, Hollygoyle wrote:
I agree about Irvine Welsh’s “Filth.” Makes you want to take a bath in and gargle with Clorox.
Stephen King’s “Gerald’s Game” and “Misery” are both very hard to read. Very well written, but painful.
Was hoping to see Poppy Z. Brite’s “Exquisite Corpse” on the list…
On May 15th 2009, Dalle wrote:
There’s made a movie based on “The Girl Next Door”: “An American Crime”. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0802948/
On May 15th 2009, Dik wrote:
I would also add Haunted, though I think its format makes it a somewhat difficult read at some points.
American Psycho is probably the most disturbing thing I have read until this point in my life. I recently read Lunar Park also by Ellis — he describes the time in his life when he was writing this book. That alone is disturbing — he says he wrote most of this book during times when he was taking xanax to sleep, he would wake up possessed and write this book. As messed up as it must sound, the book is about his father.
On May 15th 2009, Anonymous wrote:
Generally a good list, but now I have to vent the same frustrations I always vent when people tell me that Requiem for a Dream is a story about the evils of drug addiction. No no no! If you pay a bit more attention, you will realise that the various substances used throughout the tale are not actually presented as the root of the problem – instead, the characters’ respective spiral into hopelessness is a direct result of their OWN inadequacies as human beings. Drugs are merely the trigger that cause these weak characters to begin the descent into destruction. Requiem for a Dream is NOT a cautionary tale about drugs – it is a cautionary tale about the human condition.
On May 15th 2009, Gersch wrote:
I don’t know if this has been said, but if you’re talking Hubert Selby Jr, his follow up book The Room is faaar more horrifying . It’s messy.
On May 15th 2009, Scotchplay wrote:
Very good list. There are a couple of books I think should be listed as possible honorable mentions.
Sanctuary by William Faulkner – A story of bootlegging, brothels, murder, and a rape scene that you find out later is more disturbing than you initially thought
Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates – A mentally challenged psychopath decides he wants to turn a person into his love doll
On May 15th 2009, Steve L wrote:
I’ve read “The Girl Next Door”. Absolutley belongs on this list. Horrid, nasty shit in that book.
On May 15th 2009, Maria gacel wrote:
What about Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club? Its one of the weirdest, funniest, and yet most disgusting books I have ever read.
On May 15th 2009, jennifer wrote:
My vote for the most disturbing book I’ve read would have to be The Story of O.
On May 15th 2009, Sir Gnome wrote:
“Blood Meridian” is a way better Cormac McCarthy choice than “The Road.” Totally insane.
On May 15th 2009, Preston wrote:
So glad that there’s no Palahniuk on this list. There’s extremism done well, and extremism done like it was written by a 5 year old.
On May 15th 2009, checkmike wrote:
I think “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote would be a pretty good addition. It is based on the interviews Capote had with 2 men who killed a Kansas “in cold blood” while trying to rob them. Also, if this were to include short stories, I would recommend “The Lottery”
On May 15th 2009, Bruce Bailey wrote:
“Child of God” is McCarthy’s most disturbing to me. Any of the stories by Thomas Ligotti deserve a mention. Only writer ever to make me look over my shoulder after reading. American Psycho and Haunted are not disturbing at all. They are actually really tame by most standards.
On May 15th 2009, João Santos wrote:
One sugestion: Le Chants de Maldoror, by Comte de Lautreamont.
On May 15th 2009, Yadarfyn wrote:
Oooooh I’m reading Naked Lunch at the moment. Once you get past the first two or three chapters, there is literally sodomy on every page. It’s crazy.
I’d add “The End of Alice” by AM Homes to the list, just because of the graphic paedophilia. But then again, I haven’t read most of the others on the list. But dammit, I will :-P
On May 15th 2009, AvidReader wrote:
Apt Pupil was particularly distressing as well. Nothing has disturbed me quite like the cat scene.
On May 15th 2009, John Johnson wrote:
The Girl Next Door was turned into a film called, An American Crime (2007). It stars Ellen Page
On May 15th 2009, looseylohan wrote:
Clive Barker’s excellent Books of Blood contained a short story entitled “Dread”. I take pride in my strength of stomach, but I had to put the book down halfway through the story. “Pig Blood Blues” is also another recommended nasty.
On May 15th 2009, ak wrote:
No love for Baby Jesus Butt Plug?
On May 15th 2009, Ella wrote:
As a psychologist, I read a lot of true-crime serial killer books,
But The book that disturbed me the most was Lord of the Flies. I think it really stuck with me because it was required reading for 9th graders in my high school. At the time, I had pneumonia and was being tutored at home by my mom since I was too sick to go to school. The teacher insisted that she read a chapter to me every day despite my 104 degree fever and the accompanying hallucinations. After two nights of waking up screaming with nightmares I put my foot down and never finished the book. Although not as disturbing as some on the list…. It should not be required reading for 14 year olds.
On May 16th 2009, shelby hohl wrote:
I would say “Story of the Eye” by Georges Bataille and “Sacrament” by Clive Barker are at the top for me.
On May 16th 2009, Jesse wrote:
The most disturbing book I’ve read is one by Matthew Stokoe called “Cows.” This book features a young man who lives with his mother he calls “The Hagbeast” and works his first job at a slaughterhouse. That’s just the beginning of where it gets crazy. It’s like “The Wasp Factory” times 10.
On May 16th 2009, Charonman wrote:
Glad someone mentioned Poppy’s EXQUISITE CORPSE. Another one is HOUSE OF LEAVES, if you want a great mindf**k
On May 16th 2009, slicklock wrote:
I went to a very progressive school. “The Turner Diaries” had recently been published, and was on the 10th grade reading list. I even remember reading “Lolita” that year. There was also book called “Go Ask Alice”, that one and “The Turner Diarires” have stayed with me the most.
On May 17th 2009, saudade wrote:
interesting list, thanks!
and, yeah, Hogg by Delany should be on it. at the top.
On May 17th 2009, Catvfg wrote:
Great list, I’d also recommend “When Rabbit Howls” by Truddi Chase-(brilliant and moving autobiography by a woman with multiple personalities who was severely abused from childhood) and “Deviant” by Harold Schechter (a biography of Ed Gein, the American serial killer, inspiration for Robert Blochs Psycho and Hitchcock’s movie based on Bloch’s Psycho, as well as Texas Chainsaw Massacre).
On May 17th 2009, misanthropy incarnated wrote:
“Requiem for a dream” – The Fox News of movies.Works on the same fool-proof premise: Cater ignorance to the ignorant. I avoid all movie-related lists because of that pathetic shock-flick – seeing it getting praise from otherwise competent-seeming people makes me feel pretty blue. I guess I might have to avoid book-related lists as well…”thanks”
On May 17th 2009, Taryn wrote:
Regarding the book 120 Days of Sodom, the film based off the book was called “Salo,” not “Sado.”
Here is the IMDB page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073650/
On May 17th 2009, lizz rockford wrote:
Dude, “The End of Alice” by AM Holmes deserves a spot at the top of that list.
On May 17th 2009, logs wrote:
Haunted by Chuck P. At one of his reading, 450 people fainted.
On May 18th 2009, cj wrote:
Haunted…4 million people fainted. The number keeps growing!!
On May 18th 2009, Ivan wrote:
Great list. I think the commentator who suggested having two separate lists – fiction and non-fiction – was right. Non-fiction adds a level of horror that fiction cannot easily reach because you know it really happened.
Allegedly factual, “The Franklin Cover-Up” by John DeCamp is an absolutely mind-ripping revelation of an alleged international network/market for abducted and bred child slaves who are sold to prominent folks who want to indulge ultra-twisted rape/murder/whatever fantasies. Some people think Hunter Thompson was murdered to silence an expose he was planning about the same network.
FC-U includes comprehensive graphic details that will almost certainly ruin your day and make you have an immediate serious talk with your kids and immediately enroll them in martial arts classes. You will lose faith in everything good, and pictures on milk cartons will forevermore generate unpleasant thoughts. You will never again cast a neutral glance on an unknown adult walking hand-in-hand with a child.
I haven’t read “Trance-Formation of America” yet but I understand it deals with similar or overlapping material and is probably up there with FC-U, maybe even better. Franklin Cover-Up’s author seems possibly slightly more credible than T-FoA’s because he’s an ‘investigator’ not a victim like T-FoA’s author O’Brien (though that is an open question because he has some sketchy resume items too).
“The Ultimate Evil” by Maury Terry, a non-fiction account of the Son of Sam murders, is also quite radical in the same vein.
On May 18th 2009, BikerPuppy wrote:
A friend of mine read the Turner Diaries, and then asked me to read it so he’d have someone to talk about it with. After I finished it, I made another friend read it so there’d be more of us to discuss. Incredibly disturbing. And very well written. Funny story about that. I got it from the Los Angeles public library (yes, I know I’m on the list now), as had the first friend. I told the third person to get it from there. Guy one and I are both white. They told third person (he’s Chinese) that they don’t lend that book out. They were adamant. Weird. Anyway, very, very disturbing book.
On May 18th 2009, MergedLoki wrote:
haunted
by the author of choke, fight club, etc.
(chuck P.. can’t remember how to spell the last name).
it’s a very disturbing novel.
good read. just disturbing.
On May 18th 2009, DAn wrote:
2 HUGE misses: Trainspotting (theres a scene where he has sex with a pregnant woman while imagining the unborn baby giving him a blow job) and Last exit to Brooklyn, another Hubert Shelby book.
On May 19th 2009, David wrote:
The Cannibal Within By Mark Mirabello
On May 20th 2009, Hadassah wrote:
Happy Birthday, Jesus by Ronald Ruiz should’ve made that list. Also The End of Alice by A.M. Holmes.
On May 20th 2009, Stranded wrote:
All my holidays and celebrations have been ruined by Santa Steps Out by Robert Devereaux…. You will never think of Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy the same….. VERY disturbing, and kinda exciting…..
On May 21st 2009, David wrote:
There’s some very interesting things mentioned in this article and the comments. It is interesting but many of these seem to revolve around individual people doing horrible things or things coining out of the blue to affect the world. Personally i find that far less disturbing than tales revealing the horror in society and ‘the system’. It is relatively easy to understand how one person can go mad and commit an atrocity – but the forces that drive the evils of civilization, society and government are much harder to understand (for me anyway), and hence much more disturbing and harder to deal with. Personally, i think Kafka’s The Trial is by far the scariest book i have ever read, and i have read a lot of horror of one kind or another. The Trial still gives me an uncomfortable feeling inside whenever i think of it. But beyond even that, the scariest books of all have to be the non-fiction ones . . .
On May 21st 2009, Matt wrote:
How about Stephen King’s 1979 novel, The Long Walk? You don’t have to be overtly graphic for it to be a stomach wrencher.
On May 21st 2009, joshuabrucel wrote:
How about “the painted bird” by Jerzy Kosinski.
On May 21st 2009, AL wrote:
I go to gun shows all the time and have NEVER seen the Turner Diaries at one. Why do you people make such nonsense up? You ignorant hatred of guns and gun owners is beyond me.
Besides the made up facts, the list was interesting. I’ve read some, but not all on the list.
On May 21st 2009, amber wrote:
just reading the descriptions of the books themselves makes my stomach turn…(shivers).
Im a waaaaay too curious person, glad someone else did the dirty work (lol)! Thanks for sharing!
On May 22nd 2009, LN wrote:
With regard to “Blindness,” I have to mention that its premise is very similar to another book, “Day of the Triffids” by John Wyndham, which I think is possibly an earlier work.
On May 22nd 2009, LL wrote:
Two notes about American Psycho:
Ellis wrote the graphic violence last — in interviews he comments that it wasn’t part of the early drafting (though always intended) — because he found it otherworldly and disturbing.
The other thing is that the book is firstly a broadside at an ’80s culture we all now recognise as ridiculous and hubristic. While the other themes of fantastical torture and anonymity disturb or shock (I put the book down half a dozen times) I found the overall effect rewarding, and to a sufficiently ironic mind extremely satirical.
On May 22nd 2009, Ang wrote:
I had to chuckle that someone put GEEK LOVE on the list, as I happen to be in the middle of reading it right now. As disturbing as the experiments and characters are, it also provides a different perspective of familial love.
And yet the most depressing book I’ve read is PARADISE ALLEY. What a cast of unhappy characters living in hopelessness!
On May 23rd 2009, joelf wrote:
I would have to add Chuck Pahluniak’s “Haunted”.
On May 23rd 2009, Aaron King wrote:
Are hope and love disturbing? The Road wasn’t disturbing… it was beautiful.
On May 24th 2009, Sarah wrote:
Don’t forget By Reason of Insanity by Shane Stevens!
It would have fit nicely as #2, because it begins with a nonfictional account of Caryl Chessman, and launches into a fictional story.
His fictional son is abused and tortured by his mother, until he finally cracks and stuffs her in an oven. He eventually escapes from a mental institution on goes on a nation wide killing spree, and I’m not gonna give away the ending.
On May 24th 2009, LI_Mom wrote:
I’ve never read it BUT if it’s anything like the movie “Leaving Las Vegas” by John O’Brien should be included on the list.
I totally agree about “The Road” the images & bleakness described in that book stays with you forever. Great book.
On May 25th 2009, Kathy Volz wrote:
I read “Johnny Got His Gun” when I took a class in community college. It was very disturbing to think of being completely aware, but not being able to do anything or communicate with anyone. Being shut into your own world all of the time is a lonely concept.
I never read “The Girl Next Door”, but their was a movie based on it (I remember they said it was based on a true story), and it was VERY disturbing what was done to the girl.
On May 25th 2009, Mikhail wrote:
what about some Laymon novels- the travelling vampire show was pretty messed up, although i havent quite read all these novels to measure the shock level, its still rather disturbing.
On May 26th 2009, Germaine wrote:
Fantastic list…. I read the Girl next door and watched the movie as well…. it breaks my heart that women such as her aunt exist… this is truly one of the most compelling books to date….. very disturbing…. I would recommend people to read it…
On May 26th 2009, Heisenborg wrote:
What no Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess?? And 1984 by Orwell is extremely disturbing.
On May 27th 2009, Propagatrix wrote:
InferaNO, I second the recommendation of “Let’s Go Play at the Adams’.” Highly disturbing, yet absolutely fascinating.
On May 27th 2009, Zach wrote:
I also would add “House of Leaves” by Danielewski
On May 27th 2009, Brian wrote:
I’d have to 2nd (or 3rd) “The End of Alice” from A M Homes, and would also put “Pussy, King of the Pirates” by Kathy Acker.
Not sure I’d leave Requiem for a Dream on the list. Didn’t think it was that disturbing.
On May 28th 2009, gehosa wrote:
“The redundancy of courage” by Timothy Mo
“Tideland” by Mitch Cullin
“Never let me go” (has been mentionedalready ..)
On June 9th 2009, uhhhclem wrote:
The Road’s not more disturbing than Blood Meridian. Among other things, it’s not fundamentally based on a true story.
Octavia Butler wrote two of the more disturbing books I ever read: Parable of the Sower, an unflinchingly terrible view of an apocalypse that still seems well within reach, and Mind of My Mind, which lays bare how horrifying it would actually be to be able to read others’ minds.
James Ellroy’s early books, especially Killer On The Road.
Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me and Pop. 1280.
And there’s the creepiest sentence in all modern literature: “You see, she had absolutely nowhere else to go.” Lolita hasn’t gotten any less disturbing in the last fifty years.
On June 11th 2009, Mark wrote:
[“I worked in bookselling for 20 years, and to find a handful of people who know even a few of these titles is rare”
I love how shop assistant’s in book shops have such a pompous attitutde.
Makes up for their low wage i guess ;)]
Sad but true. Having sold zillions of books to zillions of people over two decades, my statement remains the same. Most book-reading people do not read challenging books. The vast majority do not want to be disturbed by their reading. When The Satanic Verses was banned, briefly, in Canada, its sales went through the roof. You just go and find one person who can recall the story – and this was only a “controversial” book – not a disturbing one.
As for being a pompous assistant in a book shop, I have also managed two bookstores, the buyer for one notorious shop for 10 years, had my own fiction and nonfiction books published by several presses in Canada and the US, and I’m also the editor of a fiction reprint series. I have read enough books as well as edited enough books, in enough situations, to have a say on this silly list.
Lambaste your local bookseller at your own peril, is my advice, lest your butcher intentionally sell you tainted meat. With the big box stores now in firm control of the retail book market – dictating as they now do, which books get published, and with which marketing – you should kiss the ground if you ever meet an informed bookseller again.
They are a dying breed. I no longer sell books, so pfffft.
On June 12th 2009, alicia wrote:
The Girl next door was made in to a movie of the same name. It follows the book quite faithfully. I watched it and just felt a pit grow in my stomache.
On June 13th 2009, chris wrote:
no Haunted? so many great chuck paliniuk story’s that are extremely messed up. i think cooking and eating a piece of someone’s ass while they were passed out and then the person waking up, eating some, and then realizing it is pretty fucked up. Also all the stories are supposedly true from different people chuck has met as he has travelled from different help groups. it’s an amazing book
On June 16th 2009, CBK wrote:
Having read all but one of these books, I would add that American Psycho is one of the funniest novels I’ve ever read, and certainly one of the most disgusting. The rat and the tube remains the most disturbing scene I’ve ever come across.
As for de Sade, I found Philosophy in the Bedroom to be more disturbing than 120 Days, although both could easily top this list. The mutilation of the mother by the daughter near the end is sick beyond words, but de Sade is a beautiful writer.
On June 17th 2009, Bob wrote:
“Flowers in the Attic” by V.C. Andrews. Very surprised no one has mentioned it.
I’ve only read some of The Road(in passing in the book store, and was haunted by it. Wonder what the movie will be like.
Johnny Got His Gun was tough read but memorable
Children of Men was a better futuristic doom story than blindness.
I love the suggestions of the bloggers. Thanks to you all. Got some summer reading to catch up on!
I’ll start with Trainspotting…..
On June 18th 2009, Jake wrote:
The Girl Next Door was translated to film recently. I haven’t read the novel but, I did see the movie. It stars Ellen Page as Sylvia. And pretty much made me feel the way you described the way book does.
On June 19th 2009, Tessa Campbell wrote:
This is a very good list. I had read “American Psycho” when I was about 20 years old, having read Ellis’s two previous books; “Less Than Zero” and “Rules of Attraction” (both disturbing in their own right). Interestingly, these three books are connected by recurring characters, ie Patrick Bateman’s brother in one of the characters in “Rules of Attraction”. Reading “American Psycho” I actually experienced physical nausea, it was that messed up.
To the suggestion about “Flowers in The Attic”; although it is, indeed, disturbing it’s saved from true awfulness by it’s redemptive end.
I’ll never, ever read “The girl next door” as I’d closely read the HORRIFICALLY tragic story of Sylvia Likens a few years ago and it haunts me to this day. I was so affected I’d had half a mind to try and contact the woman who’d subjected her to such agony (I’d learned she had been released and was living in Ohio or somewhere) and, I don’t know, demand some kind of admission of sorrow, guilt, something.
I also think that Mistry’s “A Fine Balance” should also be added as, while it is a beautiful book, it literally shudders in tragedy.
On June 19th 2009, jamie. wrote:
the girl next door-
the woman wasnt her aunt. she was just a woman who had kids and offered to take them in for money.
On June 21st 2009, Boink wrote:
Another vote here for the wasp factory, which really should have been there.
Nobody has mentioned Trainspotting which I found more real and disturbing than naked lunch.
I’ve personally found any J.G. Ballard weird strange, surreal etc. etc., but never really disturbing, (although I haven’t read Crash).
What about some of those psychological lsd inspired 70’s books where the whole book is somebody messing up somebody else’s mind under drugs. (Trying to remember examples) The Magus? some of Hermann Hess?
On June 30th 2009, Ibrahim wrote:
Why are you giving publicity to the Turner Diaries? Maybe you should get your blood and the blood of your family spilled to wise up as tp what these people do.
On June 30th 2009, D. Brown wrote:
” Anti drug crusaders should stop airing goofy commercials that nobody takes seriously and start pushing to have Requiem For A Dream made required reading for every high schooler in the country.”
More people die and more lives are destroyed by the draconian drug laws than by all the illegal drugs thrown together.
Our prisons are brimming with people who’s only crime was using a drug much less harmful than beer.
Sorry if I upset anyone…..Have a nice glass of wine and smoke a cigarette….
On June 30th 2009, Grimmer wrote:
For a truly disturbing read, and a very well written book I recommend
“The Shoe-Maker” by Flora Rheta Schreiber
You might regret it.
On July 2nd 2009, Liz Perash wrote:
I had to read “The Road” in class a year ago, and we came to the conclusion that the catastrophe was caused by a nuclear bomb of some sort. That would explin why there is always ash in the air, why nothing will grow, and, if the father and son were fleeing from big city areas such as NY, PA, or DC, why they would go south.
I would described the book as f***ed up, personally :) Still a good read, but it makes you want to crawl under a rock afterwrds
On July 5th 2009, Sarah wrote:
Somehow I think that the authors are having some kind of personal problems for writing such disturbing books.
On July 7th 2009, Danny wrote:
I’m blind, but if all the sighted people in the world went blind over a short period, I’d be dead. Now I can walk to the store, but what about when they run out of food? Will I grow my own? Where will I get seeds, tools? If I get a serious cut, will a blind doctor sew me up? Will blind workers keep the heat coming to my house, repair my roof, manufacture medicines and deliver them to the pharmacy? The writer who points out that millions of blind people have adapted hasn’t thought it through. (And my nephew, who is sighted, read this article to me.)
On July 9th 2009, Austyn Jane wrote:
I’m fifteen and have read every one of the books on this list (besides 120 Days of Sodom, and I’ve seen the movie) and I’m gonna say that the books on the list are a warm-up act compared to others….for instance, The Road has NOTHING on Blood Meridian. Let’s Go Play At the Adams’ was one of the more alarming things I’ve read. Philosophy in the Bedroom was, when you read between the lines of the graphic and often bizarre sex, beautiful and full of a certain fortitude. Still disgusting though. The talk of anuses got grating after awhile and the end scene caused me empathy pains. Geek Love does not belong on this list…a fantastic read, but if you find it disturbing in the conventional way, and not in the “oh-my-god-normality-is-all-relative” way you obviously didn’t read hard enough. Blindness belongs on this list simply because of it’s brilliance and plausibility. A book that was hands-down the most disturbing thing I’ve ever read and that I haven’t been able to find back in North America is Intangible by Arturo Vicenté. Little girls delivering innocent naive rape dialogue to their babydolls, sensual euthanasia-type cannibalism in a nursing home, a mother having orgasms while breastfeeding her daughter….among other things I have blocked from my mind. I think the blatant horror of it came from the absolute vulnerabily of these monstrous characters. You were forced to empathize with them and that was the hardest part to accept while reading, that you might actually be like those people. The most disgusting thing I’ve ever read…..I don’t know. Anything involving rape turns my stomach. Oh….Guts from Haunted by Palahniuk made me physically sick. I guess it qualifies. But yeah. Your list is okay, but extremely incomplete.
On July 19th 2009, Candomble wrote:
Jane Austen, I am a spanish avid reader, and never heard of Ingangible, or of Arturo Vicenté. Any links, clues, anything that can help in finding about it! Thanks!
On July 24th 2009, Francesco wrote:
Great list but you should have included “The Song of Kali” by Dan Simmons. It’s so distrubing that I don’t even want to describe it! After reading this book, you will never ever want to visit India.
On July 30th 2009, Aim-O wrote:
I would have to agree with anyone who said “The End of Alice” by A.M. Holmes. Downright sick, but very enjoyable. I finished very quickly, and dreamed about it later that night. Any book that can give me nightmares is disturbing in my mind! Great list, I have a bunch of books to add to my “must pick up” list!!! Thanks!
On July 31st 2009, Dave wrote:
Both Cows, and High Life by the insanely brilliant Matthew Stokoe belong on this list. If you haven’t checked him out do yourself a favor and read his work.
On August 1st 2009, Austyn Jane wrote:
Candomble -
I found Intangible when I was fourteen last year in Portugal. I found it in an independent bookstore in a small town called Aasvero in the East we found accidentally while passing through the countryside. The bookstore was the Portuguese phrase that would mean ‘to find exaltation’, but I don’t remember what that would be. You can look it up and search for it, but don’t expect to find it; it was a cash-run non-commercial thing and all the books were secondhand. The book had actually been written by Vicente in English and then translated which I found interesting, but at least it was easy to translate. Anyway, the book was absolutely captivating and beautifully lyrical….at the same time, I’m telling you straight up that I do not recommend this to anyone. It’s haunted me for the past year, and not in a good way. It shook me to my core. I didn’t even keep it, I left it in Europe.
On August 17th 2009, Lucii wrote:
I love it when people bitch about books that aren’t on the list.
Seriously, do you really think that the author could’ve read every book in the universe? Maybe, just maybe, he hasn’t read them. Didn’t that ever cross your mind?
Out of all the books that the author has read, these are his top ten personal picks.
I plan on reading these books.
On September 9th 2009, Gorb wrote:
It’s not a novel, but the short story Red by Richard Christian Matheson was pretty disturbing.
On September 9th 2009, megan wrote:
The girl next door was made into a movie called An American Crime with Ellen Page as Sylvia Likens. Very disturbing movie.
On September 16th 2009, CURT wrote:
RUNNING WITH “DISTURBING” HEADLINER HERE, MAY ALSO WANT TO TRY:
LORD OF THE BARNYARD
THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED
On September 22nd 2009, Bronwyn Blackwell wrote:
No way. Mop Men is the most disturbing book of all time. I even met one of them at the Oakland airport where the guy proceeded to tell me the stuff that didn’t make it into the book. You’ll never look at hotel bathroom phones the same way again. In fact, you’ll be looking for missed spots on the shower ceiling. Took me two years to recover…BLEH!!!
On September 29th 2009, gannster wrote:
“The 10 Most Disturbing Books Of All Time”
I am extremely relieved to learn that all the disturbing books have been written. I can now avoid these 10 ten titles and not worry about reading any disturbing books.
Sorry, but there just something irritating about all these lists that make it in stumbleupon. “most/best/least superlative of all time” Has the author of this blog even read all the English books that have been written up to this point in time? Lets not even consider other languages yet.
yes I know I’m raving and ranting. but honestly, the title suggests william wants us to believe he is an expert in disturbing books but in no way does he support it.
damn blogtard.
On September 30th 2009, pussywillow wrote:
defintiely needs some Gaétan Soucy
On October 4th 2009, Jay wrote:
I think on this list should also be “Black Rain.” It is composed of real life diaries of people surviving the aftermath of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These are what real people wrote as the events were occurring. One of the most disturbing novels I’ve ever read. It is well written which occasionally makes you forget that it all actually happened: but then you step back and realize how messed up it all was. At one point a surgeon cuts open his own leg to extract the maggots that have bred in the rotting tissue of a radiation-exposed thigh. Another time a person is walking down train-tracks and sees a man face down in a pool of water, intestines sucked out of his ass from the explosion. Not only that, the intestines were bloated to several times their original size because they soaked up large amounts of the water the man died in.
Depressing and disturbing: “Black Rain” shows the REAL consequences of atomic war-fare.
On October 5th 2009, KristoferB wrote:
While ‘120 days’ was a bit disturbing, it was more shock factor than anything. If you want to really delve into deSades psyche then you must read Justine.. much more twisted and sadistic than 120 days…. one that actually fits much better on this list than 120 days…
On October 5th 2009, Maven wrote:
I’m sure the blind people of the world would be happy to know that you equate their condition with “the end of things”.
On October 5th 2009, Napkins wrote:
How about, The Holy Bible.
On October 5th 2009, Anonymous Bosch wrote:
I’m surprised that no one mentioned “Good Night Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown. The scene with the comb and the brush and the bowl full of mush haunts me to this day.
On October 5th 2009, ArtDecoDalek wrote:
Actually, “The Girl Next Door” was made into a movie called “The Girl Next Door”. “An American Crime” is not based on that book, it is based directly on the Sylvia Likens case, mostly from transcripts of the trials.
On October 5th 2009, Oddstray wrote:
>On May 23rd 2009, Aaron King wrote:
>
>Are hope and love disturbing? The Road wasn’t >disturbing… it was beautiful.
It’s difficult to understand that so far only two of us saw the hope that underlies ‘The Road’!!! I thought it was brilliantly written, to make me feel utterly hopeless and consistently hopeful all at the same time!
On October 5th 2009, Anonymouse wrote:
@Maven
It’s not just the fact that someone is blind. It’s the fact that _everyone_ goes blind all at once. Obviously, it’s not the literally “end of things”. That’s called hyperbole.
On October 6th 2009, Anna R wrote:
Blindness is a book with a truly horrifying scenario at it’s heart….
Make that “…a truly horrifying scenario at its heart,” please.
Thanks much!
On October 6th 2009, Jus'Sayin wrote:
Why waste time reading about the dark-side when you can spend your engery helping the down-trodden — besides you will sleep better (in this case, ignorance is defintely bliss).
On October 6th 2009, Linux And Friends wrote:
I agree with Jus’Sayin (comment above). Why read these books if you find them disturbing ? I have only read a few horror books from Steven King. And reading even those made me sleep less at night.
Of course, some people find reading horror stories a great stress release.
To each his poison I guess.
On October 6th 2009, Tomás wrote:
I think that this list is too focused in the Anglosaxon literary world
On October 6th 2009, Harry wrote:
McCarthy’s Child of God is probably the most disturbing book I’ve ever read. Haunted is another great read as well people should check it out for sure.
On October 6th 2009, Puck wrote:
“The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things” by J.T. LeRoy was one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read that hasn’t had a mention on this list or in the comments. There was a lot of interesting scandal with the author as well. Add near any book by Poppy Z. Brite too.
On October 6th 2009, Mike B wrote:
Haven’t read any of these. Might try one out if I can ever empty my current nightstand stack. Most disturbing book I’ve read is Topping From Below. This is a great mystery novel.
On October 6th 2009, alex wrote:
great list. can’t wait to read some of these. guts by chuck palahnuik was very unsettling. if anyone is looking for an disturbing song that never leaves your mind, listen to dance with the devil by immortal technique…most messed up, twisted thing ive ever listened to. night by elie weisel is a very sick book too. even more so because it happened to millions of people.
On October 6th 2009, alex wrote:
and how did i forget the jungle by upton sinclair? it almost made me never eat meat again
On October 6th 2009, Rob wrote:
When Rabbit Howls. The most disturbing book of all time. A true story written by a DID multiple personality who was so broken that all they could do is teach her personalities to work together.
On October 6th 2009, Razzle wrote:
Um why leave off the bible????
eternal torture for the inability to believe in a being’s love that there’s no evidence for?
That’s the scariest thing I can imagine
On October 6th 2009, Andrea wrote:
Interesting list – thanks for compiling
On October 6th 2009, Darkmage wrote:
I’m surprised there’s no Clive Barker on here. That man is sick!
I think I will have to get a copy of American Psycho. I love the film and have never met a book too horrible for me to read. One of the main things I like about the films is how he escalates as his sanity slips and I would like to see how far he goes in the book.
On October 6th 2009, Landfish wrote:
I am glad other people added to the list – I read the comments specifically to find more ideas and options. I agree that “A Child Called IT” was the most disturbing to me – I also read it when I was still very young because I would read everything in sight and I found it in my mom’s car (probably she put it there so I wouldn’t read it). I couldn’t believe at that time that there were people capable of doing such things- especially to their own children. It left a horrid, gray, empty feeling in me when I thought of it. “Lord of the Flies” was disturbing but abstracted enough for me to enjoy the juiciness of the metaphors without being overly horrified. I am afraid to read “House of Leaves” though I have flipped through it – I love the creative visuals with the text – but I am worried it will be too psychological for me. Things like that remind me of a family member who probably lives in a similar universe. Also, “The Bell Jar” – very good. Thanks for all the additional input, guys. YAY BOOKS!
On October 6th 2009, anonymous wrote:
Firefly by Piers Anthony
there are graphic scenes regarding child abuse…let me clarify that for you: the scene in question involves a child (under 10) having sex with an adult male (30’s). This scene is not written from the perspective of a horrible thing having happened. And it is not just “graphic,” it is explicit down to every last detail of the encounter and horrifyingly enough, it is written from the viewpoint of eroticism.
On October 6th 2009, Adrien wrote:
Quite an interesting list, though I was expecting The Bible to pop up as number 1.
On October 6th 2009, Kaila wrote:
I’ve read The Road and felt really twisted for not thinking it belongs on the list. I can see how the premise is disturbing, but I found the story sweet and inspiring.
On October 6th 2009, chris wrote:
OK, I’m sorry but if you’re going to put a Cormac McCarthy book on this list, it has to be Blood Meridian. That book makes The Road look like a Disney movie!
On October 6th 2009, web wrote:
I know its not as disturbing as these, but I read the novel Flowers for Algernon when I was about 13 and found it REALLY disturbing.
On October 6th 2009, robot_dan wrote:
I would also include:
Don DeLilo – White Noise
Aldous Huxley – Brave New World
On October 6th 2009, Dmitry Mazin wrote:
SaLo is an amazing movie and Pasolini was a genius.
On October 6th 2009, Tony Ash wrote:
Bible??
On October 7th 2009, Web design wrote:
MIA:
A Clockwork Orange
1984
Brave New World
The Lost (Jack Ketchum again).
Last Exit To Brooklyn (Selby again)
The Story of the Eye (Georges Bataille)
Blood (Hans Ewers, really a collection of short stories with horrific themes)
The Trial (Kafka)
I could go on, but space is limited.
Its surprising how many of these books were written in the latter half of the 20th century and after.
On October 7th 2009, Leah wrote:
@Anonymous Bosch – <3
I can't believe that "Guts" made 14,000 people faint. The kind of thing that Palahniuk described happens to kids all the time! That's why there is now a law against those types of pool drains.
On October 9th 2009, sabrina wrote:
what about 100 years of solitude.
i am still disturbed.
On October 9th 2009, dope(d) angel wrote:
NAaaaaaice List… missing out on ‘Lord of the Flies’ though… seriously disturbing stuff and that too depicted by kids….
On October 12th 2009, Nark wrote:
I think no country for old man is one of the most disturbing books too and is by the master Cormac McCarthy too
On October 17th 2009, Dan wrote:
It’s a good list and I’ve read all but 2 of them.
Yes disturbing – but often not so novel – just graphic.
My number one book for most disturbing is “The Magnolia Tree” by Steve Bell
Very interesting way it is written and some absolutely stomach churning moments. The reason i like this the best is that not only is it disturbing but the story is very clever.
On October 19th 2009, TV wrote:
Wow, are you kidding me? How many fucking retards are suggesting books when they haven’t even read a single one from this list? Why do people even like this shit anyways? Fucking disturbed dumb shits.
On November 5th 2009, The Saunterer wrote:
Good list.
The Road is being made into a movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/
On November 6th 2009, Melly wrote:
I’ve been disturbed by many books and found some exciting or gross or repugnant, but still great stories or works of literature. The book that made me a chronic case of the skeevies was “The Shoe-Maker” by Flora Rheta Schreiber. It is the only book that I ever intentionally destroyed. I didn’t want it in my house. Seriously chilling and just wrong – and true. After so much crazy crap I’ve read, why that one got so under my skin, I can’t even say.
On November 8th 2009, S. Weasel wrote:
I knew Johnny Got His Gun would be on the flippin’ list. I just knew it. Brrrrr.
On November 30th 2009, Nick wrote:
Give “The House of Leaves” by Mark Z Danielewski a read. Disturbing is not the word. Not much of a gore factor. No rape or sodomy or anything like that, unless you count ‘mind f**ks’ as rape. One of the only books to ever make me question my own thought process and just how much perception effects reality
On December 10th 2009, Tandi wrote:
I just finished reading “The Road”. While there were a few parts that kind of made your stomach knot up the ending was actually somewhat optimistic. I enjoyed reading the book…okay maybe enjoy isn’t the best word to use but I appreciated the book. Fantastic list. I’ve read a few books by Sade and can’t wait to read “120 days of Sodom”. I’m slowly making my way through this entire list because they all seem to pique my interest.
On December 25th 2009, Erin wrote:
House Of Leaves is great – the typography is interesting and it left me quite paranoid for a long time.
The Road is one of the most beautiful novels I’ve read – the whole global situation is disturbing, and there was a scene involving prisoners in a basement I will never forget. But the relationship between man and boy is beautiful. I really recommend it and hope the movie does it justice when it comes out in the UK.
On January 9th 2010, me wrote:
I read jerzy kosinski’s “The Painted Bird” 15 years ago, and to this day it haunts me…
On January 10th 2010, djloid wrote:
I am surprised Irvine Welsh’s “Marabou Stork Nightmares” didn’t make the list. That is a completely messed up story. Check it out.
On January 22nd 2010, Vanessa wrote:
i love everyones comments! is it so sick of me to say that i am totally excited to read each and everyone of these books? i love horror and as i grow older, i have the desire to read something much more traumatizing and sadistic than the last. i like to take my mind to a place so terrifying im afraid to move, sleep, be vunerable…or to even think my next thought. one day i want to write something that disturbs each of YOU.
On January 24th 2010, Brian Lindenmuth wrote:
There was a novel that came out just after 9/11 called Senseless by Stona Fitch that should have a place on this list. At the very least anyone here who hasn’t heard of it should check it out.
On January 30th 2010, Jeff Kolman wrote:
Not a bad list, not at all… I would have ommited ‘Naked Lunch’ & ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’, & perhaps ‘The Road’. Emotionaly moving as they are, I certainly didn’t feel very “disturbed”.
For a truly disturbing read try these: ‘Smonk’ by Tom Franklin, ‘Cows’ & ‘High Life’ by Matthew Stokoe… In fact, for shear depravity, Stokoe tops every book mentioned in the list, & he does it well, like an actual adult… Use the restroom, or wear a diaper, because reading ‘Cows’ or ‘High Life’ will make you shit.
On January 31st 2010, Becky wrote:
I think The Lost Daughter by Daralyse Lyons should be on the list. The book opens when a 4 year old shoots her 11 year old sister. From there it goes on to deal with adultery, teen pregnancy, cutting, rape… it is a beautifully written but deeply disturbing look at the inner workings of the female psyche. It’s beautiful, terrifying, and real. READ IT!!!
On February 5th 2010, Philhfc wrote:
I read Mein Kampf and The SCUM Manifesto back to back and was struck by how similar their attitudes were, Hitler and Solanas.
I found some of Freuds case studies to be quite disturbing, and also, reading about serial killer Albert Fish, surely one of the vilest men ever. I’ve read lots about killers but Fish really freaked me out.
For Fiction i thought Ellis’ The Informers was disturbing – There’s at least one scene in the book that is as shocking as anything in American Psycho.
On Undefended Flesh – The Memoir of an Obedient Girl by Shana Shine is worth checking out too. It’s about a young Hungarian woman who moves to London and ends up becoming a submissive.. The last page is SCARY!
I would also recommend Journey To The End of The Night by Louis Ferdinand Celine, his misanthropic rants are priceless.
On February 6th 2010, Rose wrote:
“Apeshit” by Carlton Mellick III should have made this list.
It’s the most f*cked up book ever written and is actually kind of funny.
On February 6th 2010, Kevin wrote:
“One final addition would be Excerpts from a Family Medical Dictionary by San Francisco author Rebecca Brown. This is about her father’s death from cancer and is not just disturbing, but visceral. I don’t recall another book more emotionally raw and cleanly executed.”
It was her mother who had cancer.
On February 6th 2010, Bart wrote:
Piers Anthony is a well known pedophile…
kind of makes all his happy little sexy children books more than a little creepy.
On February 8th 2010, steve c. wrote:
any of irvine welshs books would make this list but “if you liked school you will love work” is probably the most sadistic work ive ever read which deals with forced rape, boiling heads, and the eating of pets. but suprisingly one of the funniest books ive ever read
On February 10th 2010, Your average Dustin wrote:
So I’m 17 years old, and just yesterday I started reading your reviews for these books and movies.
I’ve never really read anything insanely disturbing, but I’m definitely a big reader.
I’ve decided that I am going to read your whole list, 10-1. And do my own reviews on each one thru videos on my youtube channel. This might sound sick, but I’m kind of curious if by the end of this ordeal i will be suicidal or changed. Cheers!
On February 10th 2010, Philhfc wrote:
The Ticket That Exploded and The Soft Machine both by William Burroughs. Extremely warped and perverse, but also very interesting stuff.
On March 8th 2010, Caleb Countryman wrote:
Great list, but I just finished a book called “Child of God” by Cormac McCarthy (the author who wrote “The Road” great book, in spite of its title this book has nothing to do with religion.
On March 9th 2010, CobraB wrote:
Yeah, Haunted should be in consideration for this list, at least the first story in it. I got nauseous reading that part. And a couple other parts, whew!!
On March 10th 2010, joao wrote:
what about fight club?
or some os bukowski works?
those where quite disturbing books
On March 12th 2010, Madison Adams wrote:
Living Dead Girl is the most disturbing book ever..it involves a pedophile naming each girl he kidnaps Alice. He rapes his Alice daily and tortures her. Read it! It is by Elizabeth Scott.
On March 20th 2010, adam wrote:
‘under the roofs of paris’ by henry miller – truely fucked. child incest, glorification of rape, the list goes on. really fucked book
On March 23rd 2010, heather wrote:
When I was a teenager “where are you going, where have you been” a short story by Joyce Carol Oates both scared me and turned me on. I have never forgotten it and remember reading it over and over. No obvious gross detail but definately gets in your head especially if your younger. I’m 28 now and still remember it. There was a movie based on it called smooth talk.
On April 9th 2010, squeehunter wrote:
DURR WHERES THE BIBLE!>!?
On April 9th 2010, fistikuffs wrote:
Cool list but the meaning of “disturbing” in this context is confusing. I’ve only read American Psycho and the Naked Lunch. I didn’t enjoy the Naked Lunch but American Psycho is amazing, extremely funny, very dark and totally disturbing. My additions would be:
Lord of the Flies
1984
Marabou Stork Nightmares (Irvine Welsh)
In truth most Irvine Welsh books have some disturbing stuff going however I found Marabou a very tough read
On April 10th 2010, Jerry Kimbro wrote:
The most repellent book I ever read was “the Beginning was the End” by Oscar Kiss Maerth. You have probably never heard of it – as it was not a fiction book. It was a pseudo science book that stated the theory the Humans have evolved from cannabalistic brain eating apes.
The author’s repugnance for humanity shows through the book and there are disgusting and racist photos to show his vile theory. this thoery explained in graphic detail, is repugnant beyond words and by books end, you dispair for humanity and feel horror at our flesh eating ways and and our mutant brain eating ancestors.
Its out of print now- but was very popular in Europe in the 60s and 70s.
It inspired the 80s group Devo who read it and took a humorous slant that mankind is de-evolving.
On April 10th 2010, Burls wrote:
The Devil of Nanking!!!!
Its a must read.
On April 14th 2010, steve Michel wrote:
The Delany book is a good choice; also that Celine novel.
The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart. The main character decides to let his life be ruled by the roll of dice, and he has some very nasty dice.
On April 14th 2010, Me wrote:
The movie is “Salo”
On April 15th 2010, Demos wrote:
It is interesting that the book that is the top of this list is the one based on a real event. The capacity of humans to inflict unimaginable violence on each other never ceases to take my breath away-in a bad way.
I haven’t gone through all the comments yet and may be repeating another entry, but for my money, one of the most disturbing books ever written is Romeo Dallaire’s ‘Shake Hands With The Devil’, in which he describes his experiences as the UN commanding officer in Rwanda during the genocide. Some of the things in this book make you feel like you have been punched in the head repeatedly.
On April 24th 2010, danielle wrote:
The Taste of a Man by Slavenka Drakulic. I guess it’s a romance novel like the title suggests….. once you get past the cannibalism.
On May 8th 2010, Prof.Chaos wrote:
Ok, house of leaves is not on this list and that is just wrong. That is, by far, the most disturbing book I have ever read. i read it when I was 20 and was afraid of the dark for 2 weeks. It is not a gory or really disturbing story per se. It is just written in a way that will seriously fuck with your head in a major way. Also some of Chuck Palahniuk’s work is more disturbing than this too.
On May 10th 2010, Jenna wrote:
Broken Child by Marcia Cameron, Truly disturbing and haunting book. Worse child abuse book I have ever read. I read it when I was younger and it still haunts me to this day.
When Rabbit Howls is good too, but this is way over the top. Take a “Child called it” and times it by ten
On May 26th 2010, Jesus Christ wrote:
“Nice of you to say that the book The Turner Diaries is sold at every gun show like everyone at a gun show will want a copy and believes in what the book says. I also would like to see from what source you got that statistic.”
There are almost always a few booths set up with Nazi paraphernalia at gun show events. That doesn’t mean that everyone that has an interest in guns would have an interest in what is said in the book.
On June 13th 2010, Our Lady of Carmel wrote:
What about the ”The Tin Drum” by Nobel Laurate Gunther Grass?
On June 22nd 2010, Piper wrote:
Love the list – wouldn’t change a thing!
My favorites: “Survivor Type” and “The Jaunt” from Stephen King’s short story compilation, Skeleton Crew. And I agree with Matt, “The Long Walk” (King as Bachman?) rocked too.
PEACE!
On July 6th 2010, Botox London wrote:
American psycho was a good read..definately deserves to be on this list. however I did not think much of the film – did not quite do it justice.
On July 7th 2010, Dan wrote:
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. I’m a huge fan of mind-fuck books and movies, and HoL is by far the best of them all. I’ve read it a half dozen times and it still hasn’t stopped disturbing me. There is just something so inherently unnatural in the story, and the way it is told and the way the novel is framed makes that unnatural thing seem so real you forget the story is just a story rather than the living thing it becomes.
On July 14th 2010, aus112 wrote:
I would have said The Devil Rides Out might made the list. Alister Crowley even helped write the damn thing!
On July 16th 2010, Pry wrote:
“Yeval” by C. W. Schultz is the most disturbing book of all-time. I’ve read most of the books on this list, and “Yeval” definately should be in the top 3 at least!
On July 19th 2010, murakamishhhhh wrote:
There are like innumerous disturbing novels…. way too many… but, if we’re skipping true literature (with the likes of Faulkner, Burroughs, Virginia Woolf etc…), John Burnside’s ‘The Dumb House’ is a visceral, depressing read that will leave you feeling really fucked up… and probably hating the writer to have conjured such an abominable tale… truly gross…
and also, chuck palahniuk’s ‘Haunted’ needs to be on the list…
On July 22nd 2010, kplu wrote:
In the book the main character actually refers back to “Limited Nuclear Exchange” and said that he watched the city burn with the wife and ate popcorn. Maybe you should read these books.
On July 24th 2010, km wrote:
the book “the end of alice”
On August 27th 2010, Bob wrote:
Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist was a very bleak but vivid vampire story. It was scary just reading it, but I couldn’t put it down.
On August 27th 2010, C.T. wrote:
I can’t believe nothing by Stephen King made this list. “The Stand” would probably be my top contender, although it’s probably considered more provocative than disturbing.
“The Road” almost sounds like a cross of “Castaway” and “On The Beach”. The latter, BTW, is simultaneously the most terrifying and heartbreaking novel I have ever read, the thought of half the world’s population simply waiting for its inevitable extinction, courtesy of fallout from a nuclear war that last year exterminated the other half! Now THAT’S a book that belongs here.
I think “Sodom” got a one-man update of sorts with “Kiss The Girls”. Trust me, the excellent movie was nowhere near as sexually explicit as the book. I could not put it down as long as I knew there was a chance that the kidnapper-rapist-torturer-murderer who billed himself as ‘Casanova, the world’s greatest lover’ could escape. Another contender to make this a Top 13 list.
“Naked Lunch”, 50 years from now, might only be remembered as the book that gave name to one of the coolest bands of the 70’s, even if the title came from a sex toy. Rock on, Steely Dan.
That’s all I can say for now. These books seem to encourage checking reviews, and definitely enforce the age-old maxim:
NEVER judge a book by its COVER!
C.T.
On August 30th 2010, stephanie wrote:
How could you leave off Lolita? really?
On August 31st 2010, BARRY SCHNEEBELI wrote:
MY SEQUEL TO ‘LET’S GO PLAY AT THE ADAMS” IS ONLINE AT
BARRYSCHNEEBELI.
COM. ANY WAY YOU CAN HELP ME GET READERS?