The Survivor, by James Herbert. I read this waaaay too young, same as with The Fog and The Rats, but this was the one that really freaked me out. I can't talk about what happens without giving too much away, but it's about a horrific plane crash and what happens afterwards.
The Survivor, by James Herbert. I read this waaaay too young, same as with The Fog and The Rats, but this was the one that really freaked me out. I can't talk about what happens without giving too much away, but it's about a horrific plane crash and what happens afterwards.
I agree with you on this being the superior one of Herbert's earlier novels. It was written a few years after Rats and Fog, and it shows, as it is better written than the earlier books and Herbert's style has matured into a more subtle form of horror, that relies more on psychological fear than overt gore.
I agree with you on this being the superior one of Herbert's earlier novels. It was written a few years after Rats and Fog, and it shows, as it is better written than the earlier books and Herbert's style has matured into a more subtle form of horror, that relies more on psychological fear than overt gore.
'Domain' quite freaked me out, more because of the subject matter than anything.
'Rats' I had two goes at, because it was a book my dad had bought and I picked up. When I asked mum what gonorrhea meant, the book was snatched away. I was about nine at the time. So years later I picked up again and read it.
'The Last Family in England' caught me right at the end and made me feel really bad. It wasn't scary/sick/weird or anything like that it is just the the ending made me just wish I hadn't read it.
One Last Breath by Stephen Booth is based on a true story of a caver who died in Peak Cavern and his body is still there to this day - that gave me the shivers, particularly reading the true version of events after reading the book.
Plus I live in the Peak District so I found it all very dark and disturbing.
It's still worth reading though as long as you don't suffer from claustrophobia.
It is by far his least frightening book - to me anyway. But the plot and subject matter are by far the most disturbing I've ever read in any of his books.
One i read quite recently was Sinema - The Northumberland Massacre (Rod Glenn)....definately a creepy and disturbing book...and the sequel was just as bad ! :eek:
Wetlands by Charlotte Roche - disturbing that someone should write something so rubbish (book is about a girl's obsession with her lady parts and sex) and that it should be seen as feminist.
Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite - graphic and v.disturbing
My most disturbing book by far is House of Dolls by Ka - Tzetnik.
Well over sixty years since its first publication and like most if not all books on the subject matter of the treatment of the Jewish peoples this book should be read. That is what I find to be most disturbing.
Characters being eaten by rats, raped by chainsaws or other such graphic horror is not truely disturbing, gruesome yes but far from the true horror of man's inhumanity to man.
Michel Faber - Under the Skin. Excellent book, subject matter is not what you expect on first reading. Definitely disturbing in parts, and a good one for book clubs I think ... will certainly encourage debate.
One i read quite recently was Sinema - The Northumberland Massacre (Rod Glenn)....definately a creepy and disturbing book...and the sequel was just as bad ! :eek:
The true story of a special police detachment from Hamburg sent into Russia and their ever so slow progress from humanity to inhumanity.
I found it chilling: when you place yourself in their situation you realize that its so easy to take a tiny step with the flow rather than stand up. And once you've taken one tiny step, there is another and another......
I love listening to audiobooks on holiday (saves on the old arms and squint lines!) so downloaded this as it was on the site's 5 Star list. It was probably the most disturbing, horrific book I've ever listened to (or read) and lots of (to me) gratuitous violence but it was sort of addictive in that I couldn't stop listening to it either, I wanted to know what happened.
Apparently, it's the long-awaited follow-up to Afraid, one of the most horrifying books ever written. It was meant to be published in paperback in 2010 but, after reading the 1st version of it, the publisher refused to release it. After extensive changes, the publisher still refused. I can only find it as an audiobook and for Kindle so maybe a hard-copy publisher hasn't taken it on. Not surprised!
Comments
I did that with Cold Comfort Farm...
I agree with you on this being the superior one of Herbert's earlier novels. It was written a few years after Rats and Fog, and it shows, as it is better written than the earlier books and Herbert's style has matured into a more subtle form of horror, that relies more on psychological fear than overt gore.
'Domain' quite freaked me out, more because of the subject matter than anything.
'Rats' I had two goes at, because it was a book my dad had bought and I picked up. When I asked mum what gonorrhea meant, the book was snatched away. I was about nine at the time. So years later I picked up again and read it.
'The Last Family in England' caught me right at the end and made me feel really bad. It wasn't scary/sick/weird or anything like that it is just the the ending made me just wish I hadn't read it.
Plus I live in the Peak District so I found it all very dark and disturbing.
It's still worth reading though as long as you don't suffer from claustrophobia.
It is by far his least frightening book - to me anyway. But the plot and subject matter are by far the most disturbing I've ever read in any of his books.
Good one.
Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite - graphic and v.disturbing
Probably because most of the things he did were in his head.
See, this was the conclusion I was coming to at one point in the story, but then he started taking out his secretary and
Most but not all. It's a long time since I read it and I thought it was drivel. I think I gave it away.
Well over sixty years since its first publication and like most if not all books on the subject matter of the treatment of the Jewish peoples this book should be read. That is what I find to be most disturbing.
Characters being eaten by rats, raped by chainsaws or other such graphic horror is not truely disturbing, gruesome yes but far from the true horror of man's inhumanity to man.
Loved that book! I didn't find it that disturbing.
As someone else mentioned, Exquisite Corpse is really hard to stomach in places - that's probably the most disturbing book I've ever read.
The true story of a special police detachment from Hamburg sent into Russia and their ever so slow progress from humanity to inhumanity.
I found it chilling: when you place yourself in their situation you realize that its so easy to take a tiny step with the flow rather than stand up. And once you've taken one tiny step, there is another and another......
I love listening to audiobooks on holiday (saves on the old arms and squint lines!) so downloaded this as it was on the site's 5 Star list. It was probably the most disturbing, horrific book I've ever listened to (or read) and lots of (to me) gratuitous violence but it was sort of addictive in that I couldn't stop listening to it either, I wanted to know what happened.
Apparently, it's the long-awaited follow-up to Afraid, one of the most horrifying books ever written. It was meant to be published in paperback in 2010 but, after reading the 1st version of it, the publisher refused to release it. After extensive changes, the publisher still refused. I can only find it as an audiobook and for Kindle so maybe a hard-copy publisher hasn't taken it on. Not surprised!