I've been working my way through Off Season by Jack Ketchum. There is deffinately some very graphic parts in the novel, and made want to see what other disturbing material people have read. So what was the most shocking book you've read?

Rickey,

You might find this thread helpful.  I'm always interested in what people find disturbing and this thread has many such books listed.  Frankly, I've read most of them and very few disturbed me, but everyone has a different threshold. As for me, I think American Psycho was probably the one that bothered me the most.  Not so much for the content as for the presentation.  When I was done with it, I felt like I'd read this guy's diary; it felt like non-fiction, instead of fiction.  I'd say more, but I hate to give away part of the story, in case anyone reading hasn't read the story yet.  

http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/topic.php?t=130281

Chuck Palahniuk - Haunted.

If I never read another book from him it will be too soon.

The book was gross to the point of gagging, all characters were just bad, evil and twisted.  I could not come up with one person I liked in the book.

I don't mind graphic scenes, but that was extreme!  I was wondering how sick a mind had to be to come up with stuff like that.

I just thought of another one: Peter Straub - KOKO.  In one of the scenes a beautiful young woman gets tortured and killed on stage for the pleasure of the onlookers in a bar in SouthEast Asia.  I have never been able to forget that scene.

Most recently the most disturbing book I have read is Depraved by Brian Smith. It's pretty bad.

paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780843962925-Depraved

dan thomas - dark highway

wrath james white - succulent prey

steve gerlach - rage

Population Zero by Wrath James White made me cringe.  Pretty graphic.

Survivor by J F Gonzalez.  Definitly disturbing!!!!

I second the vote for Survivor by J. F. Gonzalez.  There was some pretty sick stuff in there....but it was a good read.

Ok,Im not trying to be wise here and I don't want to offend anyone but I think one of the most disturbing books Ive ever "Started" was the Bible.AFter reading the Left Behind Series I bought a bible to read stricly as a "book."  I didn't make it past the Old Testament because I was very disturbed by what I was reading.

Stacy

Stacy,

I am with you on this , but I am not a Christian. I don't remember how old I was but it must have been while I was young and impressionable. The violence and the eye for an eye and the treatment of women like they were the ultimate evil on this earth really turned me off.

But I did write about all of this in the Freethinker forum, where I wrote my religious pathfinding journey.

Another disturbing book are fairy tales.  I grew up in Germany and heard and read plenty of fairy tales and unlike the cleaned up disney version, they are very violent and disturbing for a young child.

Snuff by Eric Enck

The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas was pretty extreme.

Ok, I am going to have to agree with Shaun on Succulent Prey. I just got it and was doing my normal 'eat lunch while reading a book at my desk' thing. While I have a dang strong stomach and am not easily scared/disturbed, I actually lost my appetite a few bites in. Just not the book to read while eating....and probably before bed.

Survivor wasn't one I would put in my most disturbing. It had one or two parts (particularly one for anyone that has read this book) that definitely had the ick factor. Plus I was really ticked how the book ended. I thought it was a good read up until then. Not to ruin it for anyone who wants to read it so I'll just say the ending just didn't sit right with me. That actually sticks with me more than anything.

I have Succulent Prey on its way to me, thanks to the first post.  Can't wait to dig into it.

I'm with you, Nicole, on Survivor.  It wasn't especially disturbing, just a little icky and the ending left a lot to be desired.  So many people had raved about this book, that I was excited to read it, but frankly, it wasn't worth the credit.

I gotta stop reading these threads. My TBR pile is mountainous!

There is only one book that comes to my mind instantly. It's Jack Ketchum's "The girl next door". The book stuck in my mind a few days after I finished. Once you begin to think about it it makes you cringe. 

My most recent  reads are

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Beware the Night by Ralph Sarchie & Lisa Collier Cool

Flesh Gothic by Edward Lee

Survivor by J.F. Gonzalez

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

Depraved by Bryan Smith

Those are pretty messed up and disturbing, but really good reads.

Just finished Succulent Prey and it's definitely one disturbing book.  Wrath James White makes JF Gonzalez look like a rank amateur. Reposted the book if anyone is interested. Requested already.

High Life by Matthew Stokes..holy cow and I am hard to shock or offend but...WOW.  This author has to be seriously sick, but it was like a car wreck as i couldnt stop reading it

It's more a mystery than horror, but I'd have to say Kisscut by Karin Slaughter because it dealt with kids.

Honorable mention goes to Stephen King's novella The Library Policeman. as the most disturbing of his work.

Dexter books! They are just plain wrong.

It has to be Succulent Prey.  I could not finish it.  Totally got me.

gibby

I loved Succulent Prey; very disturbing, but well-written.  If you didn't finish it, Gibby, you missed a seriously twisted ending.