The Ten Most Disturbing Books I’ve Read
(Nearly all of the lists on this site are celebratory. This one, arranged alphabetically by author, is an exception. I like two of these books, and begrudgingly respect two of the others, but the rest simply repulsed me. They provoked a reaction, though—I can say that much for them. There are writers who set out to be disturbing but don’t have the talent to pull it off, and they aren’t represented here. And there are plenty of books other people seem to find disturbing that possess a beauty or atmosphere or style that mitigates the effect for me, books which, however unsettling or disquieting their material, I read with pleasure. (I’m thinking of J. G. Ballard’s work; Dennis Cooper’s; José Saramago’s.) They aren’t represented here, either. Conversely, I’m sure there are books on this list that would barely trouble readers of another sensibility.)
Hogg by Samuel R. Delany
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
The Islands by Carlos Gamerro
Adorable by Ida Marie Hede
Victoria: A Novel of 4th Generation War by Thomas Hobbes
Let’s Go Play at the Adams’ by Mendal W. Johnson
“Bob’s” Favorite Comics: The SubGenius Comic Book, No. 1 by Paul Mavrides, Ivan Stang, and others
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, illustrated by Brian Bolland
The Auctioneer by Joan Samson
— October 3, 2021