Controversial/unnerving books. Recommendations?

[JasonVoorhees]

Hi all

Been browsing the good old World Wide Web this chilly Saturday evening while my LO is with her dad, and came across an article regarding the most "traumatizing books people have ever read". Basically books that stick with you forever, due to their disturbing content.

I'm an avid reader and pretty bored of mainstream novels. Read a few weird books in my time and recently bought Lolita (a literary classic, so I've heard). WIBU to ask your experiences and/or recommendations?

Looking forward to your replies, hopefully some of you Mumsnetters are as weird as me.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Angela's Ashes. Not the whole book, just the first chapter, I guess.
I cracked when the 2nd twin died.

Under the Skin Michael Faber
The Little Stranger Sarah Waters
The Murder of Harriet Monkton Elizabeth Haynes
(this is based on a true case from 1843)

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. Definitely contraversial, creepy, but not in the same way as some of the above suggestions.

I've read a few of those mentioned and agree totally - Flowers for Algernon is incredible and We need to talk about Kevin gets better once you get into the style.
Other books that have stayed with me are
Primo Levi - If this is a man
Steven King - Geralds game (not sure why but it really terrified me, have read no horror since 😳)

Lullaby by Leila Slimani excellent writing, very disturbing

I see a few people have mentioned books by Cormac McCarthy, but I haven't seen Blood Meridian anywhere.

So there you go - Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, most disturbing book of all time, coming from someone who reads disturbing stuff for fun (and has read nearly every other book on this list). You're welcome.

I absolutely love apocalyptic / dystopian books so a lot of these I don’t find controversial or unnerving in the slightest.

Station 11 is wonderful, I’ve just finished it for the third or fourth time.

American Psycho gave me nightmares. Now that was unnerving!

Mo Hayder books - particularly Pig Island and one I think was called Tokyo? Both of those were pretty horrifying.

I agree with the PP who said Filth by Irvine Welsh. It's brutal but the story all comes together at the end.

Early Clive Barker delivered some good gross-out horror I.e. Books Of Blood.

Loads of Chuck Palahniuk - I love his books.

I'm loving these reminders of stuff I should re-read.

Flowers in the attic trilogy I've read these over & over
The rice mother about the war in what's now sri lanka, arranged marriages
The kite runner

Oh & The secret garden, I've read it through childhood & into adulthood

Apologies if it's already been mentioned, but Tiger Tiger was truly harrowing.

I’ve just finished reading Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. Obviously the child killings are horrendous, but I’m quite perturbed by the government torture and people informing on each other.

I binned my copy of American Psycho.

@looselipssinkships

Not read Monster Love

Wasp Factory has some incredibly upsetting imagery and is difficult to get through

Flowers In The Attic very soap opera esque and although the topic is child abuse so very unsettling, it is generally more accessible than Wasp Factory. Was a very popular "oh my god, have you read?" When I was a teen

American Psycho is genuinely one of the worst books I've ever read, unsettling or no

Blood Music by Greg Bear.
House of Leaves is the only book I ever had to stop reading as the start of it terrified me. I still cannot decide whether it was a pile of pish or genius. But I won't read it again to find out.
Also The Midwich Cuckoos.

Michel Houellebeq novels. Atomised and Platform were both uncompromising and thought provoking.

(Place marking)

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

Not a novel, but a collection of short stories - Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. Also American Gods.

I cried for 3 months after reading Alex Haley’s “roots” really deeply moving .

I've ordered 4 books (one of which wasn't in this list, but doesn't, Amazon led to me oprah's book group page!). Thanks all!