I can't believe I've been so disturbed by a book!

I find this thing about 'lingering images thoughts or atmospheres happens to me a lot - caused by books and also by films, but it's not always the most graphic or hideaous things that do it to me- it can uggestions of shame or exposure of 'innocents' to depravity or violence that affects me. I find I can neither read nor watch Oliver Twist in any format - even if it's Lionel Bart's all singing all dancing number. The harshness of that period of life just disturbs me (will never be returning to the theatre to see Les Mis either for the same reason). Most recently the most unlikely book disturbed me beyond belief. I loved the autobiography of Liz Smith (Nanna in the Royle Family) so I bought her book of short stories called Jottings, thinkin it would be light hearted comedical little skits. There's a story in there called 'The Kid' that disturbed me to my very bones it was so dark. Have not read anymore and although the book is still on the shelf I may have to pass it on somehow. Always just thought it was brain being a bit weird and over sensitive so you guys have helped me feel a bit more normal!! I guess we are all deeply sensitive and caring souls. Happy reading!

TickaWicka I feel exactly the same about Maribou Stork Nightmares. I read it at least 10 years ago and am still sometimes visited by the central scene I've met Irvine Welsh and while he seemed an alright guy, I doubt very much that there was any kind of deeper motivation for him to write that scene than a pure adolescent desire to shock. Which is not enough IMO.

I'm such a wet end these days, loads of books are off the reading list I kind of need to read American Psycho for my dissertation - it's not essential but would really help - but I just can't bring myself to do it. Glamorama was hard enough. Having said that, I can heartily recommend Lunar Park to all those people who wonder whether BEE has any soul or talent.

American Pyscho film is very tame

no nail guns

Policywonk - I was just going to suggest Pride & Prejudice - I always re-read it after I've read something horrible.

OP - I read Half a Yellow Sun a while ago now and still think about it. I know exactly which bit you mean and it was very upsetting. Beautifully written though. I think novels based on real happenings are so much more upsetting (dur, obviously), but especially when I had little or no knowledge of those events before reading them.

I loved American Psycho when I was in sixth form and thought it was really edgy. Now I'm not so sure. Couldn't believe it when they made a film of it; I definitely couldn't watch it.

I read Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones whilst on a very tranquil holiday. It started well and I was really enjoying it but the last part ruined the last couple of days of the holiday as I couldn't get the images out of my head. I usually pass books on but I recycled this one because I found it so disturbing.

Found the bits in Birdsong where he is tunnelling underground in the trenches really hideous.
Really brought home to me the horrors of the First World War. It was very graphically written. its ages since I read it, vcertainly before children and I can hardly rememebr any of the storyline except the horrible scenes in the trenches. Didn't want to watch the film.

american psycho
the road
grapes of wrath
james herbert one about rats, still think about it.

I recommend Nancy Mitford for frothiness - sheer escapism for me. We Need to Talk About Kevin upset me far more than One Half of a Yellow Sun, but maybe that's because I remember the Biafran War and have worked in Nigeria, so was aware of the atrocities.

I've enjoyed the Irvine Welsh novels I've read but I went to see his play 'You'll have had your hole' in Leeds when it premiered and it was awful - violence for it's own sake.

I have never gone back to American Pyscho either, or read any of BEE's other work

Some scenes in that book I can still recall, although I did read the whole thing so it must have had something to keep me reading, if only unbelievable horror

I quite like Irvine Welsh - I've read Trainspotting and the sequel, Porno and I think Marabou Stork Nightmares (but can't remember it. However grim some of his subject matter, there is some kind of humanity there.

As I get older, I'm increasingly intolerant of "edginess" in literature - it's so often an excuse for juvenile attempts at shock value.

Last year I read a book called "Kill your friends" by John Niven, which had been highly praised and I was interested in because it was about the music industry in the late 90s. I also found it disturbing in the same way as AP - the violence (especially the misogynist violence) was completely gratuitous without there being any sense that the writer was trying to say anything. I lay on the beach thinking, "why have you written this? I'm not entertained, I'm not educated and not a single thought has been provoked, other than that this character is a twat".

Tilly, thank you so much for tracking down the book I was referring too (ma bel oranger). I can't believe I now have the title & author after all these years. It almost made me cry again just seeing it It hasn't been translated in english though has it? I actually read it in greek (when I was a child).

The other book I want to mention- inspired by Tilly's nickname! - is a book called 'Tully' by Paullina Simons. It's an interesting book, a very moving story, and in a strange way very disturbing in parts (but not in a bad way, and not about children).

About 'american psycho'. I've read it too & yes, I completely agree with all of you, it's a sick & vile book, no point to it all, and very very disturbing. I have no idea why Bret Easton Ellis felt he had to write it.

DP enjoyed AP but he's never read it again. Agree it wasn't well written either. Less Than Zero by the same author is really good though.

That's exactly it Tilly, vile for the sake of it or unfortunately vile because depicting real atrocities. One could say the latter is more scary as has really happened, but the former is somehow worse as is gratuitous.

Queenoftheharpies, I've never met anyone who's read AP after the first time & tbh, its put me off reading any of his other stuff.

I read a short story collection of Irvine Welsh & again, its put me off reading any of his other stuff. One story in particular made me feel sick.

I do think though that there is a difference between books like Yellow Sun & Kite Runner & the AP's & Irvine Welsh. The former are telling people what actually happened, the atrocities that they describe are all the more shocking & upsetting because they did happen. The latter is just vile & gratuitous (sp?) with no merit.

Not sure if I've explained what I mean very well, hope you get what I mean.

The one I felt like that about was Irvine Welsh's Marabou Stork Nightmares.

I felt sick to my stomach and still get upset when I think about it.

I dismembered the book and put it in the wheelie bin. I didn't want anyone else to find it (even at the landfill site!) and read it.

Another vote for (or against, depending how you look at it) American Psycho. I found it incredibly upsetting - not least because it didn't (for me) have any artistic merit at all.

It wasn't particularly well written, it had no plot to speak of, it didn't make me think, it's a vacuous, nasty book.

I'd be really interested to hear an opposing view though - I've never met anyone that liked it.

before dcs i also used to love love love stephen king's IT - i would never even pick it up now and am now having to sing lalalala in my head to distract myself from the plot...

oh gosh i read about 4 pages of beloved when dd was about 6 months old - if i had been joey the book would've gone in the freezer

My reaction to American Psycho was so strong I couldn't pick up the book - I had to hold it through a tea towel as if it was some nasty insect - and I slept with a knife under my pillow for a good few months afterwards. It's a vile book.

WowOoo - agree Half of a Yellow Sun is harrowing subject but it is completely fantastic - beautifully written and about a period I was embarassed to realise I knew nothing about. Fwiw I did not feel unduly disturbed by it and is definitely worth read when you feel up to it - it is very long too so def not a quickie. Having said that I have felt very disturbed by previous reads, partic American Psycho as someone said above, where I can't forget a partic image 15 years after I read it. Have also just finished reading the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which has upset me a lot, perhaps because the main characters are pretty much same age as ds (though def not a book for 9 year olds imo).
nkf - definitely a light read next - same here, though have We Need to Talk about Kevin by my bed, which prob doesn't fit the bill!

Sorry, I meant Maria for the book link!

mystic, is this the book you were talking about?

I couldn't finish Under the Skin, thought it was well written but just too shocking for me.

After a hard read I find Katie Fforde is a good counterbalance.

Zorayda I was the same with The Road it was just so depressing and hopeless but I still loved reading it in a weird way as the writing was beautiful .

I have read lots of books that have done this to me, the first being a Katherine Cookson (don't berate me it was my Mum's) when I was about 8 and a dog died in a burning house. The most recent was that book 'Under the Skin' that some others on the thread are taking about, I took about a week to shake that one. I still shudder thinking about it. I think it's a massive credit to the author if a piece of literature can have such a massive impact on you.