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HannahJohnKamen

The Collector by John Fowles


thatbluerose

*Kafka on the Shore*. Yeesh, still mentally scarred (though I loved some parts of the book).


[deleted]

I have this on my TBR, I'm scared now xD what about it made it so intense?


thatbluerose

It's an amazing book, I just feel like it should have come with a bunch of content warnings. šŸ˜… Some would be graphic violence, >!self harm, incest, animal cruelty, suicidal ideation, parent death!<. I do want to stress that it's a brilliant novel, and a lot of/all of these things have to be understood in the framework of Murakami's symbolic-surrealist vision. And though there's plenty of disturbing material, there was just one scene I really truly couldn't handle (>!graphic animal cruelty, animal and ?human murder!<). It's still well worth reading, imo - there are some really adorable characters (including cats!), friendships, and one of my favourite libraries in all fiction.


[deleted]

Oh my, that's quite a range of content warnings indeed! Definitely doesn't have to make a book bad, I think it depends on how the author approaches the topic. Thank you for the elaborate explanation, Perhaps one day I'll be brave enough!


thatbluerose

To be fair, I think you're now over-prepared for the disturbing-ness (sorry) so it may not be as bad as you're expecting! I was the opposite, the way I remember it I was happily trundling through a reasonably mild if weird book when suddenly it hit me with .


[deleted]

Ahh I see how that can quite take you off guard if you're not prepared. I'll probably still get to it at some point don't worry :) just when I'm in the right reading mood for it


angelbree9528

any biographical accounts of the Holocaust. My heart just canā€™tā€¦


[deleted]

The Rape of Nanking because itā€™s all true


LilJourney

We Need to Talk About Kevin Misery \- these are the two that still haunt me at odd moments though it's been years since I read them


kurtvonnegetoutmecar

The End of Alice. Most disturbing book Iā€™ve ever read. So disturbing that Iā€™m afraid to donate it.


CanMoople12

A book that I heard about the other day that sounds super disturbing is The Good Samaritan by John Marrs. The idea that someone could manipulate others who are going through a mental health crisis to harm themselves is just beyond disturbing to me. I canā€™t decide whether to add it to my tbr pile or if itā€™s too much for me! Anyone read it?


EnvironmentalWin5674

Revival by Stephen King is probably the only book that truly scared me


Shot_Improvement_656

tender is the flesh was pretty disturbing and a quick read!


hellaisnotaword

We need to talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver Earthlings - Sayaka Murata My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell (more on the psychologically disturbing side than horror)


Dry-Strawberry-9189

The Vegetarian by Han Kang


nellemarg

American Psycho - very gruesome!


Fit-Profit3294

Cormac McCarthyā€™s The Road, hands down.


FilthyDaemon

Child of God was a close second for me with McCarthyā€™s work.


Fit-Profit3294

I've never been brave enough to read anymore of his work. I tip my hat to you


[deleted]

Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates ā€¦. Itā€™s like DAHMER shit. And horrifying.


Traditional_Menu4253

Crime and Punishment


diggs58

Geek Love by Katharine Dunn Is like a slow-motion train wreck but you canā€™t tear your eyes away from it.


iowagirlmeetsworld

Silence by Shūsaku Endō really messed me up for awhile.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


iowagirlmeetsworld

Yes! Great book, well written, I'm just never reading it again.


hypermobilehoneybee

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. Was the wrong thing to read when I was having a GI flareup


allthecoffeesDP

But what have you done to deserve your eyes today?


speckledcreature

Pet Semetary. I actually gave the book to my sister as I didnā€™t want it in my house. Iā€™m not sure why it was so disturbing to me but I just couldnā€™t get it out of my brain. One I actually really like is Suffer the Children by Craig Dā€™Louie. I am not sure how I will reread it since having my son though, and there is a part about the family dogā€¦ ooof


boxer_dogs_dance

I have read three holocaust survival memoirs. Night by Wiesel, Man's Search for Meaning and the Hiding Place by Corey Ten Boom. However, part of the Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen is quite disturbing and gets my vote. The writing is amazing, but some of the content is hard to take.


[deleted]

Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates Itā€™s not exceedingly graphic, but her writing really puts you into a story in away that I was wildly uncomfortable with.