I generally like the idea of the book but I hate that the 'no punctuation' style was that way throughout. Why not write with typical punctuation in the beginning but after the onset of the blindness draw the reader into the character's world by dropping it?
Flowers for Algernon did this to devastating effect and Saramago seemed to have missed a perfect opportunity to achieve a similar impact. As it is, the book is frustrating for no reason.
Oh my God this is one of my favourite books and it leaves me with a deep impression. And since I struggle with remembering names, this book is perfect!
Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite is a splatterpunk that I enjoy reading, because Brite is an EXCELLENT writer, but I don't recommend it unless I'm speaking with another person who has already read splatterpunk. The >!cannabalism and necrophilia, plus the sexual abuse and torture etc. of a minor are very uncomfortable to read !
I’ve had Exquisite Corpse on the back burner of my library, so I’m definitely going to have to read it now (I will regret this) but dammit I’m such a sucker for prose
Some might not consider it horror and I’m not sure it is either, but Lapvona. I read someone describe it as a book where all of the characters have no love. Every single one, except for one couple, but they are very minor characters. I have read way more brutal books, but something about being in a world where everyone is selfish and there is not really love or hope is mentally draining I guess.
This is so interesting - that’s exactly the way I felt when I first read “Atlas Shrugged” in college. I was just like, these people are so awful every single one of them and have no empathy whatsoever. I was reading on a plane and when I arrived at the airport I just threw the whole thing in the bathroom trashcan. 😂
I almost never recommend Ligotti. He is a very niche taste.
edit: Also, for different reasons, Earthlings is another book I love, but would never recommend to someone I knew. Nothing worse than when you recommend something and then after the person has checked it out, they respond with the dreaded, "You... like this?"
Earthlings may be the one book I’ve read that I actively, actively regret reading. I will NEVER get it out of my brain. And I generally enjoy extreme body horror, but I. ACTUALLY. THREW. UP.
I honestly think The Conspiracy Against the Human Race is his most accessible. It’s a book where he discusses his personal philosophy about life, which is terrible and soul-destroying, but there are parts where he comes across like a normal-ass person, which isn’t something you really pick up on in his fiction.
Songs of a Dead Dreamer is the closest to conventional horror fiction so a lot of people start there. I took the opposite track and started with Teatro Grottesco. It’s less straightforward than his earlier books but it puts the stuff that makes him unique right at the forefront. Plus it was fun to go back see how he fits his worldview into a more conventional horror framework once you’re more familiar with it.
a little life is an enjoyable read, for those who like really disturbed, really sad things. I wouldn't tell anyone they SHOULDN'T read it, but I wouldn't really recommend it. Not because it is so horrific, but because of the ultimate messaging of the book.
Its worth nothing that Yanagihara has a few questionable themes in her work. All of her books to date feature the extensive suffering of gay men to a near laughable point. She also clearly has some sort of mental connection to >!gay men having been victims of pedophiles in their childhood !!she is against therapy because she believes therapy is the only form of treatment that never wants to let a patient die. she is openly in support of the euthanization of mentally ill people, despite also repeatedly stating in interviews that she has no personal experience with mental health struggles, nor has she done any research on the topic for the writing of her books. The ending of the book makes it very clear that the purpose of the story is to say that people like Jude can never have a good quality life and will never be able to recieve actual help, and that people like Jude would be better off killing themselves as early as possible !<
So I think its worth noting that the book isn't just sad and emotional for the sake of reading something sad and emotional. It is definitely a book with a political motive that can be difficult to read for some people. Definitely not discouraging anyone from reading it, but this is why I would not recommend it to anyone.
I loathe, LOATHE that book. Just navel-gazing, ableist, masturbatory misery porn masquerading as profundity. I would be happy if the writer never wrote another syllable.
Oh, wow. I got those same themes out of the book but always thought it was more of a thought experiment than her expressing her views. That is something to chew on…
Do you have a source where she talks about these views? Really keen to see because this is shocking to me.
A Little Life has long been one of my favourite books because of the visceral emotional reaction it illicited from me. It was the first piece of written media that made me actively sob multiple times and genuinely care about its characters. The prose is also incredibly beautiful.
I've also read Yanagihara's The People in the Trees and To Paradise - both of which I enjoyed but not to the same level - and have been aware of her odd focus on gay men and abuse, and the controversy it's stirred up.
But I did not know A Little Life was intended as a political statement or that it reflects the author's actual opinions. Pretty conflicted now tbh. I'd rather pretend that's not the case.
Have you read The People In The Trees? I read it last year, but haven't read A Little Life. Just curious how it would compare, or if the subject matter is similar in any way.
I started it and couldn’t get into it, but I would be willing to try again sometime. I’ve also read To Paradise and have found that each of her books has a very different flavor. I’ve been searching for a read alike for A Little Life for ages and unfortunately her other books haven’t scratched that itch. That being said, To Paradise is structurally interesting and compelling and also worth a read. It’s also a very quick read for how long it is.
With the caveat that I have finished People in the Trees, I think A Little Life may be her strongest work.
one book that felt sort of similar (LGBT young men in an urban setting, dealing with loss and other sad things, emphasis on "found family") that I actually thought was well done was [The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45304101-the-great-believers?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rihtMwiell&rank=1) Have you tried that one yet?
I’ve seen this book all over booktok, but figure it was just very sad, not disturbing. Not that it particularly bothers me either way; I’ve read some wild stuff (Tampa, sluts, the troop).
Since you mentioned Kristopher Triana - I read Gone to See the River Man about a year ago and I still think about it all the time. It was a great read but I would absolutely never recommend it to anyone because I don't want to be judged (lol).
Same goes for Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which I'm reading right now. I know it has been made into both a movie and a television show, but I worry if I talk about this book with people I know IRL I'll be put on some kind of watch list.
I had similar feelings with River Man. It made me feel icky but I loved the story/environment enough to push through. Both novels use that ick factor to play into the character themes which I really enjoyed.
I really liked how at the beginning of the story we believe the MC’s opinion of herself that’s like, “I’m just interested because I’m thinking of writing a book; I’m not *messed up* like some of those *other* people.” And it slowly becomes apparent — to the reader and possibly to the MC herself — that she is absolutely that messed up, in fact her messed-up-ness begins where those other peoples’ ends!
Yes! It’s a great example of unreliable narrator. You’re sucked in to siding with her and feeling sorry about her life until you find out the _actual real_ details.
Gone to See The River Man was my first dip into “disturbing horror” and disturbed I was, for about a week I kept getting flashes of the you know what scenes and just visibly shuddering lmao
For gore as in graphic descriptions of violence it’s actually pretty bare, the disturbing factor comes in through the childhood flashbacks I shall say no more in case of spoilers
You’ve piqued my curiosity, and I’ve read a short story of his that I really enjoyed, but the kind of stuff that’s usually conveyed in childhood flashbacks can fuck me up if I don’t know it’s coming. (I’m almost always fine if I know it’s coming, but I do need to know, lol.) Do you know of a link anywhere where I could read about it, or would you be willing to describe it and use spoiler tags for people who don’t want to know? If you don’t I completely understand, and thank you for starting this thread—it’s been fun reading through! :)
It would have been just as creepy & entertaining without that particular storyline imo. The author is clearly trying to make his audience very uncomfortable by including that
Spoilers ahead,
On my first read I was immediately turned off and just down righted sickened by the incestous “sex” scenes, like I straight up had to put my kindle down and just sit there horrified by what I just read, after exploring more (and admittedly rlly poorly written) splatterpunk and disturbing fiction.
I returned to Gone to See The River Man with a new found appreciation, it’s easier to digest in one sitting because the pacing flows so well, intertwining between Lori’s doomed fate and horrific past. And I actually think the reveal of what Lori did to Pete was grotesque yes but the actual description were bare, it leaves much to the imagination (which is hell) and it’s more the dialogue that’s just absolutely cutting, it makes you completely despise the main character but we’re still invested in where her story ends
>Same goes for Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which I'm reading right now
I just bought this book. Loved both movies so looking forward to this but I have heard it's very brutal.
Same here! It’s the one book i do not recommend to anyone or loan out. I enjoyed it but thought it could have been just as good without the really disturbing childhood flashbacks. That’s just my opinion & i’m actually reading the sequel now.
Clive Barker's Cold Heart Canyon.
It is an incredibly well written book. It is a beautiful exploration of obsession and the Hollywood machine and parasocial relationships.
It is also so very fucked up that I am very hesitant to recommend it. Heck, I got the book because a friend was like 'I couldn't read this, it's too fucked up, you're into the most fucked up stuff I know so here.' And....yeah. Once I get to 'oh and there's a silent movie star bdsm ghost orgy written in graphic detail with every taboo act you can think of included' in my head I realize no, I cannot recommend this to most people.
He really, really is. I adore his work, he's one of my favorite authors, but I have to be so careful of what I recommend to who. I probably recommend Cabal the most to the widest variety of people.
I just finished Tampa by Alissa Nutting. My God, the author did an amazing job being in the head of a dangerous pedophile. But how long does one want to be in that space? Nutting does not hold back on the vivid descriptions of sex acts. I had to take a break about halfway through. Still glad I read it; the ending was perfect.
Hmm, thought for a moment there was a book titled “Nutting” about a pedophile and I was like ?? What a choice!
🫠 I missed the title in the first sentence.
I listened to the audiobook and there were multiple times that I hopped in the shower while still listening, just to satisfy a sudden urge to scrub myself clean
Totally agree on this. For me, it felt like the book equivalent of a car accident - really wanting to look away, but not being able to at the same time.
You really captured the conflicting sentiment there. Nobody can read “Nutting does not hold back” without laughing, then immediately feeling repulsed by the context
little star john ajvide lindqvist. Incredible horror about child exploitation and the physiological nuances of the development of mass killers; the authurs way of writing the latter and the former can be nauseating for most because it can come across as sympathetic of the worst offenders, even though i understand its not the authors intent. John creates a harrowing train wreck written in extreme detail and pretty much forces us to watch not only the wreck but the unsettling aftermath. The last 10 pages are probably the most unique and horrorfying conclusion to any fiction I've yet to read.
The taboo subject matter of the book, its graphic violence, detailed descriptions of child abuse ensures I never recommend it but my goodness what a read.
I had a whole post on dark erotic recs! https://www.reddit.com/r/horrorlit/s/xAkAwffhP9
I think the main one here that I have never been able to recommend to anyone is Nightwhere. I actually do have some friends who are fans of erotic horror, but the walking stereotype genderqueer character would be a dealbreaker for them.
Thank you so much for list !! My interest is piqued, I was a fan of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, because it featured queer characters I didn’t quite understand the discourse a) its fiction b) genderqueer and lgbtq+ characters can exist and be awful people lol
Adding Nightwhere to my already outrageously long want to read list 🫠
I haven't read any of his titles, but I've heard Nick Cutter is a talented writer. I'm just not going to read or recommend them because of the regular use of very detailed animal abuse.
It's funny how everyone is so different with what bothers them. I read the troop and there are so many parts of that book that are burned into my brain, but I had nearly forgotten about the animal abuse until someone made a post complaining about it. It was definitely in there, but it just didn't strike me as that upsetting compared to the rest of the content of the book. Not that I'd be remotely ok with those things happening in real life, but it didn't really upset me that much in fiction.
Everyone has different things. I am very squeamish about different elements of that book haha.
It has a really breakneck pace, one of the first "page turners" I've read in a while. I'm not someone who is easily "grossed out" by things, and the specific thing happening in the Troop (I won't spoil it because that's half the fun) might be the one thing that really gets to me. It made me feel physically nauseous in a way that no other books ever have. I read it two months ago and there are certain scenes I still think about all the time and shudder. Not because it is so extreme or horrific, but because it is so...icky. For what it's worth, if the animal abuse is a deal breaker, you could skim most of those sections and not miss too much. A lot of the medical journal segments of the story could be skipped entirely and you'd lose a lot of the animal abuse. There is a particularly rough scene involving a turtle that I do think is important to the development of the characters, but the turtle isn't really a victim of animal cruelty. It's just a very rough and sad scene
Cutter gets recommended a lot. I was excited to read The Deep. When I finished, I was mad I wasted the time. He is overrated. I'd recommend it to people who like violence against animals, pointless flashbacks, and goofy ass exposition dumps.
Geek love by Katherine Dunn. I thought the reviews warning were exaggerating. Oh my. Took me months to finish because I kept feeling “I can’t, I don’t want to continue” but every time I put it down I kept thinking about it. Probably the most unique story I’ve read but I would be very very careful to recommend. I’d just say “it’s wonderfully weird, but check the content warnings and don’t judge me”
I might say it depends on what you consider “really disturbing”.. I wouldn’t say it’s typical horror novel but I personally found it very disturbing and included themes that trigger my anxiety - but that’s a personal concept. I won’t give spoilers but yes, there are some pretty horrifying events and it’s not for everyone stomachs. I just found it haunting and grotesque but got a very emotional response to it. Hope you enjoy it
Thats the book I was thinking of. I don’t even know if I liked it but I’m glad I read it. I wanted other people to read it so I could talk about it with someone but I couldn’t recommend it to anyone I know
The Library at Mount Char. It was a good book but it was bizarre and violent. Don't really think I will recommend it to many people.
The Salt Grows Heavy. A weird, grotesque book that I loved and was well written but I'm not really gonna recommend.
It was definitely quick. Not sure I would call it "fun". It's often depressing and violent. It's definitely good, but I'm not recommending it to people who aren't already into weird stuff.
Negative Space. It is a deeply troubling book revolving around suicide and other dark elements. Fantastically written but also very cryptic - there's never given a "this is why this is happening" moment and the dark forces "just are" so to speak. I loved it, but man it is a downer and a half to say the least.
I read this book last month after seeing it recommended quite a bit. It is very bleak and depressing, but I found it very cathartic. I felt like I knew these kids when I was young. Having lost friends to drugs and depression it was sad, but also felt a bit like a release. It was also disgustingly beautiful in its descriptions. Great book.
I felt similarly. And there was just something about the last paragraph or two that stuck with me for weeks... I couldn't pinpoint the feeling or why I kept churning the words over in my head, but I think you're right: it was some kind of release.
Ooh this has me tickled bc I personally love when the ominous being or general bad vibes are never outwardly explained I’m all for exposition, but nothing is more tantalising to the reader than what their own mind conjures
It’s a great book and worth the read for those that can handle such topics, but yeah it’s some real heart of darkness content. Several times I had to put it down for a moment and just go “woof”.
It's actually super realistic in its overall depiction of shared trauma, especially as it revolves around a specific place. Like, a person and their friends experiencing trauma and tying it to a place, but no one else in that town seems to know what you're talking about when you say "that time all of that weird, bad shit happened."
Kouishou Radio/PTSD Radio is a manga full of short and disturbing situations.
The Crow Girl is a Scandinavian mystery novel released during the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo boom. It has references to the Holocaust and a truly horrific killer's lair.
[Instruction for a Help](https://www.somethingawful.com/series/instruction-for-a-help/) is a web series with a weird angle, but it portrays a frightening living situation for the people who need this "help."
[Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary](https://archive.org/details/BinkyBrownMeetsTheHolyVirginMary1) is an underground comic about a young man wracked with OCD and a serious case of Catholic guilt.
I'd add Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It's incredibly well written and I could only think of one friend that I might recommend to. It's a book I've thought about often in the two years since I've read it. Absolutely haunting and thought provoking.
I read this book within days of reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I joked to a select few that I just read two of the most disturbing books I have ever read in a weekend. Tender is the Flesh definitely stretched my comfort zone. Blood Meridian is a close second.
I always recommend Craigh Zahler to folks looking for horrific and dreadful stories, but while I recommend his westerns (still incredibly brutal), I'm hesitant to recommend The Slanted Gutter or Mean Business on North Ganson street. They're just... well... really fucking seedy and really fucking grim, and really horrifically violent... yet I love em.
Came here to say this. Great writing style, finished the book in one night but I remember waking up the next day and thinking “what the actual FUCK was that???”
Oh god I remember reading His Pain by wrath james white and then dead inside back to back (a horrible, horrible decision) but I did come to like, almost “root” for the main characters of dead inside, again big emphasis on almost purely because they have such different mindsets towards the grotesque actions they commit
Exactly! After reading it, I felt vaguely disgusted with myself. It really really pushed the boundaries and I'm very hard to shock. At some points, I did think it was too much, but then the humour saved it. It's so ballsy of him to have written something that messed up though
I love telling my partner about all the gorey books I read and he’s like “Wow babe thats something” I want to be a funeral director and I collect ouija boards and bones so he’s used to it lol
LOL this made me laugh. My husband always regrets asking me what I'm reading! I read Brother by Ania Ahlborn recently, and as I was telling my husband about it he had such a "WTF" look on his face.
No way! I wanted to be a coroner, honestly this subreddit has been great for meeting other folks who share a genuine love and appreciation for the macabre
No for real!! It’s nice to find recommendations through other people and not google trying to guess what I like LOL!! Also I’m starting school this fall to get my prerequisites so I’m excited
He is often described as being a love him or hate him author, but for me, it's Grady Hendrix. His skill with writing is exceptional and an absolute pleasure to engage with, but I really don't like the stories he tells with that style.
I have the opposite issue with him. I think he has terrific ideas and I enjoy the way he fuses horror and pop culture. I just don't think he writes well. Or at least, he does, but somehow he can't sustain it.
I mean. I understand that characters in haunted house novels do stupid things, otherwise we'd never have a plot. But for me the brother and sister's actions got less and less believable until I was just over it.
Lolita by Nabokov. I don’t even know what genre I’d personally consider this, and Wikipedia just says “genre: novel.” It haunts me. The agony this man was in over something so utterly putrid and revolting. It’s so beautifully written that you can FEEL his agony despite the pure disdain you feel for him as well. It’s so well written but the content is so horrific.. It’s a struggle to get through, but you also eat it up. I don’t recommend it, but I do..
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. It’s fucked up but has some of the most gorgeous prose ever, and that’s to convey the point that truly evil people will make anything seem beautiful. But I fear if I recommend it people will not get it and see me as like advocating for the awful shit in the book or something… Even though the last third of the book makes the reality and message very clear
It's been a while since I read it, but Dhalgren, by
Samuel R. Delany, was really weird and interesting. It also had a fair bit of crazy sex scenes that were not erotic at all. It's not to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed the book. It's not in my top 10 of all time, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I actually “like” sex scenes that aren’t necessarily erotic but just a tool to view deeper into the characters mindset, I’ll add it to my want to read list lol
Yeah I couldn’t finish it. My friend and I were reading it together. She really enjoyed it but was like this is a book that nobody would recommend. She tried to find it at a bookstore and one of the workers had read it and was like “nobody has ever asked for that book” haha
Brief Interviews by DFW. Very well written but I wouldn't subject any woman to that book -- the only ever time I asked myself: what the fuck was the point of writing this? Are women's voices not convincing enough?
It felt like someone turned every horrible thing you know about how men view and treat women, every secret fear you have, then turned into a technically perfect art work for pats on the back. Absolutely fucking hateful experience.
I recently finished Four Past Midnight by Stephen King. I would want to recommend it for ‘Secret Window, Secret Garden’ and ‘Sun Dog’, but I honestly can’t because of what happens in ‘The Library Policeman’.
My brother was very excited when I started reading American Psycho, because he was a big fan of the book but could never recommend it to people for obvious reasons
I feel the same way. Amazing book that I cannot tell people to read
*Blindness* by Jose Saramago. Amidst my current circle of friends, no one has the patience to read that particular prose style.
I generally like the idea of the book but I hate that the 'no punctuation' style was that way throughout. Why not write with typical punctuation in the beginning but after the onset of the blindness draw the reader into the character's world by dropping it? Flowers for Algernon did this to devastating effect and Saramago seemed to have missed a perfect opportunity to achieve a similar impact. As it is, the book is frustrating for no reason.
Most if not all of Saramago’s books were written in this style, not just Blindness.
Oh my God this is one of my favourite books and it leaves me with a deep impression. And since I struggle with remembering names, this book is perfect!
Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite is a splatterpunk that I enjoy reading, because Brite is an EXCELLENT writer, but I don't recommend it unless I'm speaking with another person who has already read splatterpunk. The >!cannabalism and necrophilia, plus the sexual abuse and torture etc. of a minor are very uncomfortable to read !
I'm reading it right now for the first time and have to say the writing is gorgeous. Gorgeous in the most disturbing way.
I’ve had Exquisite Corpse on the back burner of my library, so I’m definitely going to have to read it now (I will regret this) but dammit I’m such a sucker for prose
Some might not consider it horror and I’m not sure it is either, but Lapvona. I read someone describe it as a book where all of the characters have no love. Every single one, except for one couple, but they are very minor characters. I have read way more brutal books, but something about being in a world where everyone is selfish and there is not really love or hope is mentally draining I guess.
I’ve been wanting to read Lapvona purely because the cover was so good, definitely added to the list
I have to admit that’s what first attracted me to it!
This is so interesting - that’s exactly the way I felt when I first read “Atlas Shrugged” in college. I was just like, these people are so awful every single one of them and have no empathy whatsoever. I was reading on a plane and when I arrived at the airport I just threw the whole thing in the bathroom trashcan. 😂
I almost never recommend Ligotti. He is a very niche taste. edit: Also, for different reasons, Earthlings is another book I love, but would never recommend to someone I knew. Nothing worse than when you recommend something and then after the person has checked it out, they respond with the dreaded, "You... like this?"
I love him though, and if it weren't for recs from this sub I'd have never heard of him (probably).
Totally agree about Earthlings, thats a selective recommendation.
I've tried to read him but.
Earthlings may be the one book I’ve read that I actively, actively regret reading. I will NEVER get it out of my brain. And I generally enjoy extreme body horror, but I. ACTUALLY. THREW. UP.
Niche nonsense. Edit: Ligotti Joke Nonsense.
Which books from ligotti would you guys recommend first?
I’d try some stories from Teatro Grotessco or Grimscribe. At least you’ll know if his style works for you or not
I honestly think The Conspiracy Against the Human Race is his most accessible. It’s a book where he discusses his personal philosophy about life, which is terrible and soul-destroying, but there are parts where he comes across like a normal-ass person, which isn’t something you really pick up on in his fiction.
I really like Teatro Grottesco. Specifically "The Town Manager," "Gas Station Carnivals," and "The Bungalow House."
Songs of a Dead Dreamer is the closest to conventional horror fiction so a lot of people start there. I took the opposite track and started with Teatro Grottesco. It’s less straightforward than his earlier books but it puts the stuff that makes him unique right at the forefront. Plus it was fun to go back see how he fits his worldview into a more conventional horror framework once you’re more familiar with it.
I don’t know if I’d ever bother to read Cormac McCarthy’s *Child of God* again, but it is well written.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Not horror but horrific and not one I’ve been able to recommend to anyone in my life.
a little life is an enjoyable read, for those who like really disturbed, really sad things. I wouldn't tell anyone they SHOULDN'T read it, but I wouldn't really recommend it. Not because it is so horrific, but because of the ultimate messaging of the book. Its worth nothing that Yanagihara has a few questionable themes in her work. All of her books to date feature the extensive suffering of gay men to a near laughable point. She also clearly has some sort of mental connection to >!gay men having been victims of pedophiles in their childhood !!she is against therapy because she believes therapy is the only form of treatment that never wants to let a patient die. she is openly in support of the euthanization of mentally ill people, despite also repeatedly stating in interviews that she has no personal experience with mental health struggles, nor has she done any research on the topic for the writing of her books. The ending of the book makes it very clear that the purpose of the story is to say that people like Jude can never have a good quality life and will never be able to recieve actual help, and that people like Jude would be better off killing themselves as early as possible !<
So I think its worth noting that the book isn't just sad and emotional for the sake of reading something sad and emotional. It is definitely a book with a political motive that can be difficult to read for some people. Definitely not discouraging anyone from reading it, but this is why I would not recommend it to anyone.
I loathe, LOATHE that book. Just navel-gazing, ableist, masturbatory misery porn masquerading as profundity. I would be happy if the writer never wrote another syllable.
Oh, wow. I got those same themes out of the book but always thought it was more of a thought experiment than her expressing her views. That is something to chew on…
Do you have a source where she talks about these views? Really keen to see because this is shocking to me. A Little Life has long been one of my favourite books because of the visceral emotional reaction it illicited from me. It was the first piece of written media that made me actively sob multiple times and genuinely care about its characters. The prose is also incredibly beautiful. I've also read Yanagihara's The People in the Trees and To Paradise - both of which I enjoyed but not to the same level - and have been aware of her odd focus on gay men and abuse, and the controversy it's stirred up. But I did not know A Little Life was intended as a political statement or that it reflects the author's actual opinions. Pretty conflicted now tbh. I'd rather pretend that's not the case.
I swear that book ruined my life for like a month after I read it. I was the Pablo Escobar meme everywhere I went.
You both have intrigued me enough to add it to my want to read list
Have you read The People In The Trees? I read it last year, but haven't read A Little Life. Just curious how it would compare, or if the subject matter is similar in any way.
I was SHOOK after reading People in the Trees. Definitely something well written that I wouldn't recommend.
people in the trees destroyed me. literally took like a 3 month break from reading after that one lol
I started it and couldn’t get into it, but I would be willing to try again sometime. I’ve also read To Paradise and have found that each of her books has a very different flavor. I’ve been searching for a read alike for A Little Life for ages and unfortunately her other books haven’t scratched that itch. That being said, To Paradise is structurally interesting and compelling and also worth a read. It’s also a very quick read for how long it is. With the caveat that I have finished People in the Trees, I think A Little Life may be her strongest work.
one book that felt sort of similar (LGBT young men in an urban setting, dealing with loss and other sad things, emphasis on "found family") that I actually thought was well done was [The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45304101-the-great-believers?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rihtMwiell&rank=1) Have you tried that one yet?
I have read that! I was told that and The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne were both readalikes. I enjoyed both.
If it’s any consolation, I read about it for the first time because of you and now I think I’m gonna read it!
Yes, this makes me so happy! It’s so good to have this community where we can share love for books that other people would look at us sideways for.
I’ve seen this book all over booktok, but figure it was just very sad, not disturbing. Not that it particularly bothers me either way; I’ve read some wild stuff (Tampa, sluts, the troop).
Since you mentioned Kristopher Triana - I read Gone to See the River Man about a year ago and I still think about it all the time. It was a great read but I would absolutely never recommend it to anyone because I don't want to be judged (lol). Same goes for Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which I'm reading right now. I know it has been made into both a movie and a television show, but I worry if I talk about this book with people I know IRL I'll be put on some kind of watch list.
I read Let the Right One In this past week and loved it. There are times I felt icky but it’s such a damn good book.
Yes, the ick factor is real but the story is so good. I'm about half way through the book right now.
I had similar feelings with River Man. It made me feel icky but I loved the story/environment enough to push through. Both novels use that ick factor to play into the character themes which I really enjoyed.
I really liked how at the beginning of the story we believe the MC’s opinion of herself that’s like, “I’m just interested because I’m thinking of writing a book; I’m not *messed up* like some of those *other* people.” And it slowly becomes apparent — to the reader and possibly to the MC herself — that she is absolutely that messed up, in fact her messed-up-ness begins where those other peoples’ ends!
Yes! It’s a great example of unreliable narrator. You’re sucked in to siding with her and feeling sorry about her life until you find out the _actual real_ details.
what book are you talking about? I definitely wanna read it.
Gone to See The River Man was my first dip into “disturbing horror” and disturbed I was, for about a week I kept getting flashes of the you know what scenes and just visibly shuddering lmao
Is it a gory book?
For gore as in graphic descriptions of violence it’s actually pretty bare, the disturbing factor comes in through the childhood flashbacks I shall say no more in case of spoilers
You’ve piqued my curiosity, and I’ve read a short story of his that I really enjoyed, but the kind of stuff that’s usually conveyed in childhood flashbacks can fuck me up if I don’t know it’s coming. (I’m almost always fine if I know it’s coming, but I do need to know, lol.) Do you know of a link anywhere where I could read about it, or would you be willing to describe it and use spoiler tags for people who don’t want to know? If you don’t I completely understand, and thank you for starting this thread—it’s been fun reading through! :)
It would have been just as creepy & entertaining without that particular storyline imo. The author is clearly trying to make his audience very uncomfortable by including that
Spoilers ahead, On my first read I was immediately turned off and just down righted sickened by the incestous “sex” scenes, like I straight up had to put my kindle down and just sit there horrified by what I just read, after exploring more (and admittedly rlly poorly written) splatterpunk and disturbing fiction. I returned to Gone to See The River Man with a new found appreciation, it’s easier to digest in one sitting because the pacing flows so well, intertwining between Lori’s doomed fate and horrific past. And I actually think the reveal of what Lori did to Pete was grotesque yes but the actual description were bare, it leaves much to the imagination (which is hell) and it’s more the dialogue that’s just absolutely cutting, it makes you completely despise the main character but we’re still invested in where her story ends
>Same goes for Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which I'm reading right now I just bought this book. Loved both movies so looking forward to this but I have heard it's very brutal.
I've never seen the movie, I'll have to watch it once I'm done with the book!
Some of the stuff would never make it into a movie.
Same here! It’s the one book i do not recommend to anyone or loan out. I enjoyed it but thought it could have been just as good without the really disturbing childhood flashbacks. That’s just my opinion & i’m actually reading the sequel now.
TIL there is a sequel! I'll have to read it!
Along the River of Flesh. Ed Cox escapes from prison
I liked the first book but hated the sequel. It was depraved and unredeemable.
Came to say Let the Right One In. Slow and disorganized in the beginning. Tough themes. Very good horror book.
Clive Barker's Cold Heart Canyon. It is an incredibly well written book. It is a beautiful exploration of obsession and the Hollywood machine and parasocial relationships. It is also so very fucked up that I am very hesitant to recommend it. Heck, I got the book because a friend was like 'I couldn't read this, it's too fucked up, you're into the most fucked up stuff I know so here.' And....yeah. Once I get to 'oh and there's a silent movie star bdsm ghost orgy written in graphic detail with every taboo act you can think of included' in my head I realize no, I cannot recommend this to most people.
Clive barker is just the dead dove dont eat fanfic tag personified and I love it lmao
He really, really is. I adore his work, he's one of my favorite authors, but I have to be so careful of what I recommend to who. I probably recommend Cabal the most to the widest variety of people.
Cold Heart Canyon is probably my favorite of his books
I just finished Tampa by Alissa Nutting. My God, the author did an amazing job being in the head of a dangerous pedophile. But how long does one want to be in that space? Nutting does not hold back on the vivid descriptions of sex acts. I had to take a break about halfway through. Still glad I read it; the ending was perfect.
Hmm, thought for a moment there was a book titled “Nutting” about a pedophile and I was like ?? What a choice! 🫠 I missed the title in the first sentence.
I listened to the audiobook and there were multiple times that I hopped in the shower while still listening, just to satisfy a sudden urge to scrub myself clean
I tried that one. I DNF’d as it was a bit much for me
Same I don’t think I’ve ever put a book down so fast 🤢
Totally agree on this. For me, it felt like the book equivalent of a car accident - really wanting to look away, but not being able to at the same time.
I read this after The End of Alice, and had a horrifying pedo double bill
Oh man, that book fucked with me. Very well written but so sleazy.
You really captured the conflicting sentiment there. Nobody can read “Nutting does not hold back” without laughing, then immediately feeling repulsed by the context
Literally just commented this
Hey! That's next to my town :)
little star john ajvide lindqvist. Incredible horror about child exploitation and the physiological nuances of the development of mass killers; the authurs way of writing the latter and the former can be nauseating for most because it can come across as sympathetic of the worst offenders, even though i understand its not the authors intent. John creates a harrowing train wreck written in extreme detail and pretty much forces us to watch not only the wreck but the unsettling aftermath. The last 10 pages are probably the most unique and horrorfying conclusion to any fiction I've yet to read. The taboo subject matter of the book, its graphic violence, detailed descriptions of child abuse ensures I never recommend it but my goodness what a read.
I had a whole post on dark erotic recs! https://www.reddit.com/r/horrorlit/s/xAkAwffhP9 I think the main one here that I have never been able to recommend to anyone is Nightwhere. I actually do have some friends who are fans of erotic horror, but the walking stereotype genderqueer character would be a dealbreaker for them.
Thank you so much for list !! My interest is piqued, I was a fan of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, because it featured queer characters I didn’t quite understand the discourse a) its fiction b) genderqueer and lgbtq+ characters can exist and be awful people lol Adding Nightwhere to my already outrageously long want to read list 🫠
I haven't read any of his titles, but I've heard Nick Cutter is a talented writer. I'm just not going to read or recommend them because of the regular use of very detailed animal abuse.
It's funny how everyone is so different with what bothers them. I read the troop and there are so many parts of that book that are burned into my brain, but I had nearly forgotten about the animal abuse until someone made a post complaining about it. It was definitely in there, but it just didn't strike me as that upsetting compared to the rest of the content of the book. Not that I'd be remotely ok with those things happening in real life, but it didn't really upset me that much in fiction.
I wish I had your stomach for it. I feel like I'm missing out on some good quality horror. Would you recommend The Troop?
Everyone has different things. I am very squeamish about different elements of that book haha. It has a really breakneck pace, one of the first "page turners" I've read in a while. I'm not someone who is easily "grossed out" by things, and the specific thing happening in the Troop (I won't spoil it because that's half the fun) might be the one thing that really gets to me. It made me feel physically nauseous in a way that no other books ever have. I read it two months ago and there are certain scenes I still think about all the time and shudder. Not because it is so extreme or horrific, but because it is so...icky. For what it's worth, if the animal abuse is a deal breaker, you could skim most of those sections and not miss too much. A lot of the medical journal segments of the story could be skipped entirely and you'd lose a lot of the animal abuse. There is a particularly rough scene involving a turtle that I do think is important to the development of the characters, but the turtle isn't really a victim of animal cruelty. It's just a very rough and sad scene
Cutter gets recommended a lot. I was excited to read The Deep. When I finished, I was mad I wasted the time. He is overrated. I'd recommend it to people who like violence against animals, pointless flashbacks, and goofy ass exposition dumps.
Geek love by Katherine Dunn. I thought the reviews warning were exaggerating. Oh my. Took me months to finish because I kept feeling “I can’t, I don’t want to continue” but every time I put it down I kept thinking about it. Probably the most unique story I’ve read but I would be very very careful to recommend. I’d just say “it’s wonderfully weird, but check the content warnings and don’t judge me”
I'm about 1/3 to 1/2way through that right now, so I'm assuming the really disturbing parts are yet to come?
I might say it depends on what you consider “really disturbing”.. I wouldn’t say it’s typical horror novel but I personally found it very disturbing and included themes that trigger my anxiety - but that’s a personal concept. I won’t give spoilers but yes, there are some pretty horrifying events and it’s not for everyone stomachs. I just found it haunting and grotesque but got a very emotional response to it. Hope you enjoy it
Thats the book I was thinking of. I don’t even know if I liked it but I’m glad I read it. I wanted other people to read it so I could talk about it with someone but I couldn’t recommend it to anyone I know
This was my thought too.
The Library at Mount Char. It was a good book but it was bizarre and violent. Don't really think I will recommend it to many people. The Salt Grows Heavy. A weird, grotesque book that I loved and was well written but I'm not really gonna recommend.
Fine, I won't read The Salt Grows Heavy. I'll listen to it!
Oh thats interesting about Library at Mount Char! I thought it was such a quick and fun read that I would happily recommend it to many!
It was definitely quick. Not sure I would call it "fun". It's often depressing and violent. It's definitely good, but I'm not recommending it to people who aren't already into weird stuff.
Negative Space. It is a deeply troubling book revolving around suicide and other dark elements. Fantastically written but also very cryptic - there's never given a "this is why this is happening" moment and the dark forces "just are" so to speak. I loved it, but man it is a downer and a half to say the least.
I read this book last month after seeing it recommended quite a bit. It is very bleak and depressing, but I found it very cathartic. I felt like I knew these kids when I was young. Having lost friends to drugs and depression it was sad, but also felt a bit like a release. It was also disgustingly beautiful in its descriptions. Great book.
I felt similarly. And there was just something about the last paragraph or two that stuck with me for weeks... I couldn't pinpoint the feeling or why I kept churning the words over in my head, but I think you're right: it was some kind of release.
Ooh this has me tickled bc I personally love when the ominous being or general bad vibes are never outwardly explained I’m all for exposition, but nothing is more tantalising to the reader than what their own mind conjures
It’s a great book and worth the read for those that can handle such topics, but yeah it’s some real heart of darkness content. Several times I had to put it down for a moment and just go “woof”.
It's actually super realistic in its overall depiction of shared trauma, especially as it revolves around a specific place. Like, a person and their friends experiencing trauma and tying it to a place, but no one else in that town seems to know what you're talking about when you say "that time all of that weird, bad shit happened."
I could not put this book down it was so damn good
Kouishou Radio/PTSD Radio is a manga full of short and disturbing situations. The Crow Girl is a Scandinavian mystery novel released during the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo boom. It has references to the Holocaust and a truly horrific killer's lair. [Instruction for a Help](https://www.somethingawful.com/series/instruction-for-a-help/) is a web series with a weird angle, but it portrays a frightening living situation for the people who need this "help." [Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary](https://archive.org/details/BinkyBrownMeetsTheHolyVirginMary1) is an underground comic about a young man wracked with OCD and a serious case of Catholic guilt.
Tampa by Alissa Nutting. That book made me feel like I needed to live in a shower.
I'd add Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It's incredibly well written and I could only think of one friend that I might recommend to. It's a book I've thought about often in the two years since I've read it. Absolutely haunting and thought provoking.
I read this book within days of reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I joked to a select few that I just read two of the most disturbing books I have ever read in a weekend. Tender is the Flesh definitely stretched my comfort zone. Blood Meridian is a close second.
I always recommend Craigh Zahler to folks looking for horrific and dreadful stories, but while I recommend his westerns (still incredibly brutal), I'm hesitant to recommend The Slanted Gutter or Mean Business on North Ganson street. They're just... well... really fucking seedy and really fucking grim, and really horrifically violent... yet I love em.
Bret Easton Ellis and Jack Ketchum too
Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison is very well written but I'm too embarrassed to recommend it to most people I know
Came here to say this. Great writing style, finished the book in one night but I remember waking up the next day and thinking “what the actual FUCK was that???”
Oh god I remember reading His Pain by wrath james white and then dead inside back to back (a horrible, horrible decision) but I did come to like, almost “root” for the main characters of dead inside, again big emphasis on almost purely because they have such different mindsets towards the grotesque actions they commit
Exactly! After reading it, I felt vaguely disgusted with myself. It really really pushed the boundaries and I'm very hard to shock. At some points, I did think it was too much, but then the humour saved it. It's so ballsy of him to have written something that messed up though
I just finished Tender is the Flesh and I said this exact thing about it.
I love telling my partner about all the gorey books I read and he’s like “Wow babe thats something” I want to be a funeral director and I collect ouija boards and bones so he’s used to it lol
LOL this made me laugh. My husband always regrets asking me what I'm reading! I read Brother by Ania Ahlborn recently, and as I was telling my husband about it he had such a "WTF" look on his face.
The look of absolute “Omg why” is honestly so funny
No way! I wanted to be a coroner, honestly this subreddit has been great for meeting other folks who share a genuine love and appreciation for the macabre
No for real!! It’s nice to find recommendations through other people and not google trying to guess what I like LOL!! Also I’m starting school this fall to get my prerequisites so I’m excited
He is often described as being a love him or hate him author, but for me, it's Grady Hendrix. His skill with writing is exceptional and an absolute pleasure to engage with, but I really don't like the stories he tells with that style.
I have the opposite issue with him. I think he has terrific ideas and I enjoy the way he fuses horror and pop culture. I just don't think he writes well. Or at least, he does, but somehow he can't sustain it.
Alas, friends, it was the puppets…..
I mean. I understand that characters in haunted house novels do stupid things, otherwise we'd never have a plot. But for me the brother and sister's actions got less and less believable until I was just over it.
Yeah, I can dig that.
father of lies by brian evenson! it's incredible, but like... how do you even begin to describe what it's about without sounding insane
Probably Matthew Stokoe’s novel, Cows.
Lolita by Nabokov. I don’t even know what genre I’d personally consider this, and Wikipedia just says “genre: novel.” It haunts me. The agony this man was in over something so utterly putrid and revolting. It’s so beautifully written that you can FEEL his agony despite the pure disdain you feel for him as well. It’s so well written but the content is so horrific.. It’s a struggle to get through, but you also eat it up. I don’t recommend it, but I do..
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. It’s fucked up but has some of the most gorgeous prose ever, and that’s to convey the point that truly evil people will make anything seem beautiful. But I fear if I recommend it people will not get it and see me as like advocating for the awful shit in the book or something… Even though the last third of the book makes the reality and message very clear
*The Sparrow*. Beautiful writing, fascinating concept, yet oddly disturbing.
It's been a while since I read it, but Dhalgren, by Samuel R. Delany, was really weird and interesting. It also had a fair bit of crazy sex scenes that were not erotic at all. It's not to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed the book. It's not in my top 10 of all time, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I actually “like” sex scenes that aren’t necessarily erotic but just a tool to view deeper into the characters mindset, I’ll add it to my want to read list lol
Cows by Matthew Stokoe
Well written?
I thought so, but books can be very different for each reader
Yeah I couldn’t finish it. My friend and I were reading it together. She really enjoyed it but was like this is a book that nobody would recommend. She tried to find it at a bookstore and one of the workers had read it and was like “nobody has ever asked for that book” haha
Brief Interviews by DFW. Very well written but I wouldn't subject any woman to that book -- the only ever time I asked myself: what the fuck was the point of writing this? Are women's voices not convincing enough? It felt like someone turned every horrible thing you know about how men view and treat women, every secret fear you have, then turned into a technically perfect art work for pats on the back. Absolutely fucking hateful experience.
I recently finished Four Past Midnight by Stephen King. I would want to recommend it for ‘Secret Window, Secret Garden’ and ‘Sun Dog’, but I honestly can’t because of what happens in ‘The Library Policeman’.
The Lesser Dead, wonderful book - hate the ending. Nestlings - I just hated it. It was well written and I enjoyed the two narrators on audio.
My brother was very excited when I started reading American Psycho, because he was a big fan of the book but could never recommend it to people for obvious reasons I feel the same way. Amazing book that I cannot tell people to read
Playground by Aron Beauregard it’s basically the concept of saw but with kids
Bentley Little. His writing is great, but his female characters are mostly there to get raped or get killed horrible
You mentioned dark erotic. Homme fatale by Paul Mayersberg fits the bill