What book has given you nightmares?

[Posey]

Am currently reading 13 Steps Down by Ruth Rendell. Bit creepy but not really scary, have read far worse. But twice in past week have had a nightmare, definitely relating to the book, not something else. Woke up in a cold sweat last night .
So any books caused you genuine nightmares?

The Killing Doll by Ruth Rendell, never read anything else by her since. Not sure about actual nightmares tho.

spykid, Birdsong made me physically retch at one point, I'm with you there

the bit in Charlotte Grey when the two little boys are herded into the gas chamber.I vividly recall I read that particular bit in the bath on holiday in Spain and started crying uncontrollably....poor hubby thought i was ill! an amazing and heartbreaking piece of writing.

i read a book when i was about 8, it was far too old and I should never have read it. I cant remeber the title it was ......second degree. It was about a young girl of jewish descent, her grandmother was jewish, hence the second degree labelling. Anyway you can imagine the horror story of what happened to her. My Greatgrandmother was jewish and this book terrified me. I had a recurring nightmare, that i was looking out of the bars of an old circus animal transporter, think dumbo. Shouting at my family who are watching the procession "please dont let them take me!" whilst my family stood helpless on the the road side. Other than that i had a real happy childhood

IT by stephen king - scarier than the film. Hate clowns since

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The lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

its about a little girl who is abducted, raped and murdered and is actually narrated by the victim. It describes her ordeal and then her time in heaven. She makes all these observations about how her family are coping with her murder.

I read this shortly after jessica and holly were murdered and have twin girls similar age.

It was such a painful book to read but so compelling and brilliantly written, that i found it hard to put down. I was an utter mess though and my DH was glad when I'd finished it

I absolutely HATE Pet Sematery, because it is too horrible, and I read it before I even had children.

I loved the Shining, It, Salem's Lot, and The Stand. Also loved Ghost Story. I don't read horror much anymore, I think that once you have children you realise that anything bad happening to them is what real horror is, and anything else, like superbugs, ghosts, or vampires, are minor in comparison.

littleredhen,please fill us in on the donkey sequence in Crime&Punishment!!
Pixiefish,sorry if it sounds mean but I'm psml thinking of you tucked up in bed in Y....n,crying about an Alan Titchmarsh novel!!
Get a grip,hogan!

lucy5

Mischling, Second Degree.

Scared me witless.

Thanks Mrs G, It has been bugging me for years. Was it a kids book? Should I have had access to it? Is it something I can blame my mother for?

Actually

I am going home, to the family home and I still have it, on the bookshelf.

If I think of it, I shall bring it back with me.

Do you fancy reading it again ???

oohh, you're wicked. No i'm saving that pleasure for dd[evil grin]

The Treatment by Mo Hayder.

The only book ever, I regret reading. Was so disturbed by this I couldn't read it if it was getting even slightly dark. Was probably more freaked out because I was pregnant, but blimey, the bit with brother left in the caravan made me feel so sick. Oh, and the handprint on the little boy's window - just vile. Made me seriously consider how a 'sane' mind can come up with such things.

Bouj beat me to it! This book seriously disturbed me, especially the bit where they found out the killer had been up in the victim's loft and had been seen looking down into the bedroom window- that spooked me for months!

Another vote for american psycho, horrible disturbing book, got flashbacks for years. Wish i'd never read it.
Film version was very good, though.

The Magic Cottage (James Herbert)

nightmares for months

Absolutely ridiculous - but I really want to read all these books now! Even after regretting my worst one...

Pet Cemetary by Steven King - was traumatised for weeks!

I think maybe that should be "Sematary"

Read Amityville Horror when 13 years old, nightmares for months.

Also agree with how a sane mind can come up with a Story like the treatment. V.v.chilling book. It was a follow on from Birdie (??) wasn't it? Her new one Tokyo is quite good.

Oh and Pet Semetary/IT, urrgh. Read those and wished I hadn't.

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me too Pruni
I also had to stop reading Empire of the Sun
and Don't Let's Go Down to the Dogs Tonight - I can hardly bear to think about that one

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