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I'm reading Under The Skin by Michel Faber at the moment. Nasty.
I had to get all of the middle bits out of some tomatoes at the weekend and was nearly sick.
brett easton ellis american psycho, thats some sick sh1t
as was john nivens first book from memory
The true story of Fred and Rose West.
Unbelievable what they did to girls, including their children. And you wouldn't believe who Rose slept with. Gruesome.
No wonder he topped himself. He knew he would never get out.
The Hunger Games. I got quite a disturbing insight into the way the author's mind works while reading it.
Jamie Oliver cookbook(any of them) !
I found 1984 stomach-turning in a strange way - obv it's not blood and guts but it's written at such a psychological pitch that it made me feel queasy.
Remember feeling glad that I'd read it when I was older. I think it's a powerful book to be taking on as a teenager, which is I guess when a lot of people read it.
The Hunger Games. I got quite a disturbing insight into the way the author’s mind works while reading it.
At least you're well prepared for the post Brexit wastelands; which sector are you?
+1 for American Psycho <shudders>
The Road,I felt sick at the hopelessness.
Very well written,just really grim.
+1 for American Psycho and The Road. Both difficult to read at times.
The Wasp Factory
American Psycho was too clearly manufactured
Mo Hayder - The Treatment.
It was very hard reading.
Not just The Road lots of Cormac McCarthy books have gruesome passages. I think it's Blood Meridian that features a character who sucks people's eyes out. It sounds like cheap sensationalism but it's in context and he's such a skilled writer it doesn't come out that way.
Blood Meridian is the best book I never want to read again.
The Collector is pretty dark.
Maribou Stork Nightmares by Irvine Welsh. I know his stuff is always grizzly and dark in places but that was too much.
Good shout on Mo Hayder, her books are quite disturbing (in a good way).
brett easton ellis american psycho, thats some sick sh1t
I only got about half way through American Psycho a couple of years ago before I sort of "lost interest"...
It's on the "to read" pile, but it keeps getting "overlooked" in favour of more pleasant looking reads (i.e. anything).
The wasp factory
Crime and punishment- the description of the crime in the title was pretty disturbing
Chuck Palahniuk's - Haunted
A collection of loosely interconnected short stories, with the opening (I think) story offering one of three wonderfully graphic self-gratification scenes - one in particular involving a swimming pool, powerful suction, and an unravelling of the most cringe worthy nature.
EDIT: OMG, I just read that that particular scene is based on a true story. Holy yikes.
Readers Wives
Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano. It's an autobiographical account of life as a member of Camorra, one of the largest crime syndicates in Italy. The author has been on the run since the book was published and has been given a permanent police escort by the Italian state after being threatened by several godfathers
All the Little Guns Went Bang Bang Bang, by Neil Mackay.
Pretty tough read. Set in Northern Ireland in the 80s. Two kids growing up amidst the troubles attempting to assert control over their chaotic lives via an escalating series of violent acts.
+1 for American Psycho <shudders>
Those bits where he bangs on about how much he likes Huey Lewis and the News are pretty hard to stomach.
The Killing Fields, very disturbing, a difficult read.
Beyond Belief by Emlyn Williams.
The story of Brady and Hindley.
Was warned not to read it, but as a know it all teenager reckoned I knew better.
Proper nightmares.
Chuck Palahniuk’s – Haunted
Chuck does a good stomach turn. Awesome taste slimjim78!
Last one for me was Mischling by Affinity Konar. It’s from the point of view of 2 twins in Auschwitz. First hand descriptions of Mengele’s work. But beautifully written.
Beyond Belief by Emlyn Williams.
The story of Brady and Hindley.
Was warned not to read it, but as a know it all teenager reckoned I knew better.
Proper nightmares.
I grew up not too far from all that but I was a bit too young to take it all in. I've been looking for a good book about it all so I've just ordered this. Thanks for the tip - and the warning!
The road. You know the bit.
The true story of Fred and Rose West.
Agreed but If you think that was bad you should try 'Final Truth', an autobiography by serial killer Don 'Peewee' Gaskins.
If you can find a copy.
The end of Kafka's The Trial is deeply dark.
The Road for me too. The imagery it created in my head was so strong. The film was actually quite good but not as grim as I thought the book was.
Also In Cold Blood, Truman Capote.
Covenants with Death, it's a photographic record of the horrors of WW1 with a "sealed" section which is just horrific.
The Room by Hulbert Shelby Jr
I didn't think The Wasp Factory was as bad as the reviews suggested it would be. Surface Detail was probably worse (and it's such a different book I've only just realised it's the same author!). I think nasty fiction is easier to handle than nasty reality.
Couple of the Jo Nesbo novels have thrilled/freaked med out in equal measures. Snowman and another one where a metal star was found in the throats of victims.
He also writes kids books 😀
*shameless plug
The Bond by Simon McCartney his ordeal climbing in Alaska.
He’s a good pal of mine*
The Wasp Factory
+345 for American Psycho. Got about 3/4 through and just asked myself "why am I reading this?"
It's the only book I've ever read I was repulsed by to the point of not finishing.
I did wonder what the point of it was, so I read a synopsis to save me the effort.
Surface Detail was probably worse (and it’s such a different book I’ve only just realised it’s the same author!).
Never read The Wasp Factory, but I have read Surface Detail, and all his other SF books, and I’m struggling to think of anything in that book that might cause that sort of reaction.
I can imagine JG Ballard’s book ‘Crash’ being a challenging read for some folks, and, while I’ve never got around to reading his book ‘The Atrocity Exhibition’, just the title and knowing what ‘Crash’ is about might prove off-putting to some readers.
I don’t think I’ve ever read anything bad enough to turn my stomach, though.
Intrusion by Ken Macleod, has a moment that unsettled me so much that I just put it down and stopped reading it for a couple of weeks. I think partly because usually his novels are a big warm hug, for me, and partly because it's an absolute masterclass in taking you by surprise, then makes it worse by not actually describing what happens. I reckon he spent years watching his mate Iain Banks being grotesque and went "Nah, watch this"
Irony- Wasp Factory never bothered me at all, even what happened to eric.
I gave up on Surface Detail about a third of the way through. Nothing to do with shock value, I just found it boring.
American Psycho. Got about 3/4 through and just asked myself “why am I reading this?”
It’s the only book I’ve ever read I was repulsed by to the point of not finishing
Loved American Psycho - as far as I remember, very much a reflection of it's time. I tried to read another of his - "Glamorama" and ended up throwing it across the room it was so bad.
Don't wish to be seen as an edgelord or anything but American Psycho was funny and too contrived to shock (read it on release, so I'm not thinking about the movie)
But yeah, The Road, think about on a weekly basis.
Most of Stewart Home's books such as C**t and Slow Death
Simon Strong's A259 Multiplex Bomb "Outrage" has some pretty hairy stuff in it.
Bits of Wetlands by Charlotte Roche are quite icky.
I enjoyed American Psycho a lot. The part where Patrick beats the tramp to death stuck with me the most I think (really powerful in the musical version with Matt Smith from Dr Who too). And for some reason the part where he eats dry oatmeal.
Don’t wish to be seen as an edgelord or anything but American Psycho was funny
You won't, it was. 😉
The collector
I've not read it but serial killers Leonard lake and Charles Ng loved it so much they killed entire families in homage to it
Another vote for blood meridian, imagery of Indians raping dying men who they'd just scalped and vultures pecking at dead children
The tattooist of Auschwitz. Still unbelievable to me that this happened in the lifetime of my parents. Harrowing.
If we're including non-fiction - The Knights of Bushido.
Amazing what depths a human being is capable of.
'Crash' by JG Ballard. Was reading a lot of his earlier short stories and post apocalyptic fiction at the time (the Drowned Worlds stuff etc) as a young teen (13, 14 or so) and thought "oh, look, another JG Ballard book".
It was quite the eye-opener.
The Bond by Simon McCartney his ordeal climbing in Alaska.
Yeah, that was quite hard reading. Also another climbing book called Jagged Red Line by Nick Williams. I'm not sure either 'turned my stomach' exactly, but there's a sort of almost unbearable, visceral sadness that's quite common in mountaineering literature.
I've never really understood the attraction of reading true-life atrocity stuff or the fictional equivalents.
The bit in Aquarium by Victor Suvorov, (the autobiography of a Russian spy) where he describes Oleg Pekovsky being slowly fed feet first into a crematorium furnace. I used to see Suvorov about where I worked and it always made me feel a bit queasy................
Brexit: What The Hell Happens Now? by Ian Dunt
Every awful thing outlined as a "might happen" has actually happened...
The bit in Aquarium by Victor Suvorov, (the autobiography of a Russian spy) where he describes Oleg Pekovsky being slowly fed feet first into a crematorium furnace. I used to see Suvorov about where I worked and it always made me feel a bit queasy…………….
Can't remember the book but I read about Chang Kai Shek feeding his "victims" into the furnaces of steam engines. Once they heard a loud crack they knew the heads had exploded. Gruesome.
Penkovsky's fate was apparently filmed and the film was shown to KGB recruits as a warning...
Urban Grimshaw was pretty tough reading when you realise it's a true story, not so much from a gore pov but the lack of hope for these kids.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Urban-Grimshaw-Shed-Crew-Bernard/dp/0340837357
And the description of one scene in one of the Hannibal Lector books where a guy got thrown out of a building window was pretty grim.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
and
The road for me, too. It's excellent though.
@badlywireddog .. oh thanks I’ll look for the Williams book ! Simon is the most mild-mannered 60 something you’re ever likely to meet
Sean Hutson the Assassin.....page 147 in particular
Just remembered another - Atrocity Week. About rich westerners hunting tribesmen in Southern Africa from helicopters.
I skipped about four pages of American Psycho, I think it was the part with the drill. But it was a bit forced: The Wasp Factory was more mentally troubling.
+1's for Maribou stork nightmares and Haunted (I gave up after the pool story, too much!)
No mention of Filth? After that I decided I wasn't going to read any more of IW's books, it was grim!
Bury my heart at wounded knee +1000
It was the first book that politicised me. My dad didn’t want me to read it when I first found it in his collection, I snuck it out at 14. Bastds.
Due a re read tbh.
Couple of the Jo Nesbo novels have thrilled/freaked med out in equal measures. Snowman and another one where a metal star was found in the throats of victims.
Leopold's apple, and it's in the mouth (well, in the head really, not much of a spoiler given the opening chapter).
He does come up with some imaginative ways to kill people, but I don't remember finding them particularly hard to read. I seem to remember he write's like a 15 certificate film, there's all the build up but cut's to another shot just as it get's horrific and leaves it to your imagination.
e.g. the first chapter of leopolds apple, you don't know what's going on, just like the victim. It's not even massively scary, just the feeling of being trapped. Then it happens, and there's just a bit of confusion, no sense of pain etc. It's not until a few chapters later that you find out how she died.
Ohhhh, spoiler and /spoiler in square brackets works in the new forum!
All that's in the first few pages so not really a spoiler though.
Never let me go.
Re-reading Birdsong at the moment and some parts of that turn my stomach (mainly because they are based broadly around things that actually happened*).
*And I don't mean the saucy bits with Isabelle in France before the war, I mean the descriptions of men slowly dying after gas attacks etc in the trenches.
No mention of Filth?
Another very funny book.
I’ve only read the Fred West wiki page, that was more than enough for me 😣
High Life: Matthew Stokoe
"Soaked in such graphic detail that the pages smell, Matthew Stokoe's High Life is the sickest revision of the California crime novel, ever"
I like a bit of noir but..
This is a great ‘books to avoid’ thread. Probably get flamed by some but J G Ballard books I’ve attempted have all been very boring. I like the ideas, but the execution is lacking. J G Dullard. I agree with The Road, a very well written novel that stays with you long after reading.
I’ve only read the Fred West wiki page, that was more than enough for me 😣
Programme about Fred Westabout to start on ITV.
I think the only book that I’ve found challenging is ‘A Feast Unknown’, by Philip Jose Farmer; while it didn’t actually revolt me, it gets pretty nasty in places.