We often talk about “disturbing” media. People love to dive into things that challenge them, whether it’s a book or a movie (especially movies). recently, forum user We narrowed it down a bit and asked for suggestions for the “weirdest or most disturbing book you’ve ever read.” They cited examples of their favorite works, including the work of Katherine Dunn. Otaku love And Chuck Palahniuk choke As a guidepost, and others have taken it from there.
1. Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
Child of God follows Lester Ballard, a murderer from Sevier County, Tennessee. The reader is not rooting for Ballard at any point, which makes Child of God even more difficult to read. With each turn of the page, a new murderer’s gruesome actions shock and distress the reader. To make matters worse, McCarthy’s quality writing forces him to continue even when he wants to quit and leave Lester Ballard behind.
2. Running with Scissors Augusten Burroughs
Some of the worst and most disgusting stories are drawn from reality. Augusten Burroughs’ Running with Scissors follows the true story of a boy who lived an unconventional life. Growing up among suspicious characters, including a particularly sinister one living in a backyard shed, the boy leads a traumatic life that is painstakingly detailed in this memoir. Although he would swear this is fiction, Burroughs was true to his life experience.
3. The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade
Two respondents suggest what is the most famous offensive book of all time, by someone who may be the most controversial author of all time. 120 days of sodom Written by Marquis de Sade. The story depicts four men exploring the limits of pleasure by taking a group of teenagers and four madames to an isolated castle and forcing the teenagers to perform various horrific acts. Please note. This book includes just about every trigger you can think of.
4. Filth by Irving Welsh
Irving Welsh is perhaps best known as the author of the following books: trainspottingHowever, many of his works push boundaries. 3 books (included) trainspotting) in Welsh will appear in the suggestions, but only one will appear twice. filth. filth The film follows Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson as he commits a number of cruel and despicable acts against those around him and himself. This novel is all the more upsetting because it is told in the first person, and one of the respondents who recommended the novel said that he did not feel okay after reading it.
5. Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Bright
2 comments suggest a novel detailed corpse A sordid novel by Poppy Z. Bright that you’ll want to erase from your memory. detailed corpse The story follows a serial killer who is both a cannibal and a necrophiliac. Despite this, Bright (now known as Billy Martin) has the audacity to describe the film as a “love story.”
6. Chuck Palahniuk’s Rant
One commenter was likely responding directly to the requester’s specification. choke As one of their favorites; runt Also written by Chuck Palahniuk. The novel is a fictional oral history about the titular character nicknamed “Rant” and the impact he had on the people in his life. Life included playing with animal organs, looking for bite marks from rabid animals, and playing destructive games focused on crashing cars.
7. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
3 different respondents highlighted naked lunch Written by William S. Burroughs is one of the strangest and most disturbing books ever written, and based on a simple description, you can see why. The novel is told in chaotic scenes that primarily focus on relationships and drugs, as relayed by the character William Lee, who moves through a fictional space known as the “Interzone.” The non-linear narrative is jarring, and it adds to the unpleasant aura left by Lee’s accomplishments.
8. Venice Underground by Jeff Vandermeer
Jeff VanderMeer is perhaps best known as the author of the following books: extinction, itself chosen as one of the most disturbing science fiction novels, he has written more than a dozen books.One commenter highlighted: venice underground It was the strangest book they’d ever read, and it’s not hard to see why. This novel is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the myth of Dante. inferno But it places these classic inspirations in a dystopian world filled with mutilated and horribly transformed cybernetic humans.
9. “Gone To See The River Man” by Christopher Triana
Some respondents went as far as they could by endorsing what they (expletive) called “messed up,” at least in terms of that description. I went to see Riverman. Written by Christopher Triana. The novel is about a young woman who is possessed by a sadistic serial killer and is thrilled when he tasks her with delivering him the keys to “The River Man.” On this journey, she goes through various horrifying experiences, which certainly fit the description provided by the respondent.
10. Rapvona (Otessa Moshfegh)
some people agreed with that Lapuvona Written by Ottessa Moshfegh, which was just released in 2022, is already considered one of the most disgusting books ever written. The story is about a disabled 13-year-old boy in the Middle Ages who, after committing a crime, is given to the town’s sadistic lord. This may not sound like a nice setup, but it’s popular among our readers.
11. The Troop by Nick Cutter
In a somewhat comical but perfectly reasonable move considering the suggestions requested, one person suggested a book that he hadn’t finished reading yet. army Written by Nick Cutter (pen name of Craig Davidson). The novel follows a group of boy scouts who are separated from the mainland and travel to an isolated island to test their survival skills. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that there’s more at stake than cold and hunger as they come into contact with a deadly tapeworm and discover that theirs is a murderous one.
12. The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks
Someone says that there is a “simple” answer to this question. wasp factory Written by Ian Banks. This cult classic novel centers on Frank, a teenager who lives with his father on a remote Scottish island and fills his time with rituals and animal abuse, but as the story progresses he discovers that he’s not just harming animals. I realize that I’ve been doing something I shouldn’t have done. The novel has remained controversial since its release in 1984 for placing the reader in Frank’s point of view.
Film/TV critic, pop culture writer
- Specialties: Horror, Animation, Queer Film
- Education: Master of Philosophy from Boston University, dual BA in Philosophy and Political Science from Boston University
- Organizers of the Queer Film Challenge on Letterboxd
- Over 200 reviews, essays, articles, and listings across a variety of sites.
experience: Kyle Logan has been writing about film since studying film and philosophy as an undergraduate at Boston University. She started writing about her films professionally in 2020, and she has contributed to many sites such as Screen Anarchy, Film Stories, and Fangoria. Kyle has also hosted the Queer Film Challenge at Letterboxd since 2020, highlighting queer history in film and drawing attention to emerging queer filmmakers. Kyle now works full time at Wealth of Geeks, where she contributes lists, reviews, and podcast appearances on a variety of topics, including movies, travel, and Halloween candy.
