I found this post on The Guardian about books that have shocked readers and (thankfully?) there were none on the list that I recognized. Well, just one, The Lovely Bones but it’s been so long since I read that I’ve (thankfully) forgotten the really odd twist, though I remember that it had one.
There are times in a book that I’ve been horrified by something. The starvation in Lisa See’s Dreams of Joy comes to mind. But I can’t think of a book that was overall so horrifying or disturbing that I had to put it down and walk away.
I did something no one should ever do and read the comments. One post brought up Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love which was the first book I read for one of my book clubs. It’s a wonder I kept going to that group. I didn’t find the book disturbing, however, just weird and I didn’t like it. I’ve read other books like that (The Children’s House) but I still don’t think I’d describe them as disturbing.
What disturbs one person might not disturb another. A commenter mentioned Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go which is a favorite of mine. Maybe it’s a matter of how you view the book. I saw this one as fantasy so it didn’t bother me. Other commenters mentioned true crime books as disturbing. It’s never done too much for me.
Now I’m trying to find a disturbing book and read it just to see how emotionally dead I am. Does anyone have a particularly disturbing book to wish upon me? Maybe something that would be best in October when it’s time for spooky/creepy reads?
Until next time, write on.
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Taking On a World of Words 