Have you ever found a book to be good, but too disturbing to continue?

[silverraven]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (King). I eventually did finish it, but I had to leave it a few times. very disturbing

I couldn't finish it.
Also Stiff by Mary Roach. Not because it was gross about the dead bodies but because of the way she was speaking about old people. 'Walking Corpses' As someone with elderly parents I found it very offensive.
S

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by Richey79

Probably the book that I found most 'disturbing', recently at least, was Gaiman's Coraline. I found the alternate reality she enters - in which her family have buttons for eyes and everyone is perfectly happy all the time - to be really quite unsettling. It seemed such a stark reminder of what it is to actually be human, and there was a real tang of mortality to those dead eyes and beatific smiles.

Ooooh absolutely. One of my favourites from Gaiman. Read it in one sitting (which admittedly wasn't difficult) but thought it was one of the creepiest books I've read.

Regards
Caleb

[edbro]

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany

I read that about 25 years ago and I still shiver thinking about some of the medical experiments described.

[kjk]

Thomas Covenant series. Just couldn't get over the fact the protagonist was such a jerk.

And every time I mention it (or someone asks me if I've read them), I'm told "just KEEP reading-it's totally worth it!" and so I dutifully start again, and then give up again

[MrsJoseph]

I'm having a hard time getting through The Name of the Wind. The writing is good but the main character is just beat around the head by life to a point it gets painful to me.

[jhempel24]

Originally Posted by JDK1962

My library has the ebook...perhaps yours does as well? Try, rather than buy?

Ah, mine doesn't.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by kjk

Thomas Covenant series. Just couldn't get over the fact the protagonist was such a jerk.

And every time I mention it (or someone asks me if I've read them), I'm told "just KEEP reading-it's totally worth it!" and so I dutifully start again, and then give up again

OH I hated that series. I never got past the first book and I have refused to even start on another. You're right, the protag is a total asshat.

[RainingLemur]

No. There's been a couple scenes in a few books that I found to be somewhat disturbing, but not so much that it ruined the read and made it impossible to finish.

[Joykins]

No. I have put down some were I didn't want to spend any more time with Those People, or because it got boring. Good but disturbing--I kind of like that. Like the part of Mirror Dance where Mark is tortured--it was tough to read but worth it IMO.

[stickybuns]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

The Romance of Lust, or Early Experiences came very close to being the first book that I put down due to disgust. The detailed synopsis on GoodReads explains why. It was particularly disturbing once the main character became a father.

Edit: Oh, look. My 600th post!

I had to stop reading that one as well... but mainly because I found it to be entirely too ridiculous. After the second or third woman gave the same wide-eyed reaction of "Oh, my! What a BIG BOY you are!" I was laughing too hard to continue.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

I had to stop reading that one as well... but mainly because I found it to be entirely too ridiculous. After the second or third woman gave the same wide-eyed reaction of "Oh, my! What a BIG BOY you are!" I was laughing too hard to continue.

Yeah. That was actually discussed in the latter part of the synopsis. It s apparently called "Pornotopia"!

The Definition:

Spoiler:

“all men … are always and infinitely potent; all women fecundate with lust and flow inexhaustibly with sap or juice or both. Everyone is always ready for everything”.

[stickybuns]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Yeah. That was actually discussed in the latter part of the synopsis. It s apparently called "Pornotopia"!

The Definition:

Spoiler:

“all men … are always and infinitely potent; all women fecundate with lust and flow inexhaustibly with sap or juice or both. Everyone is always ready for everything”.

I'm convinced that erotica is the single most difficult genre to write in. It's rare to find something that doesn't make me say, "Um, I'm pretty sure that's physically impossible. Well, not unless he happens to have two.... oh, wait, is this science fiction?"

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

I'm convinced that erotica is the single most difficult genre to write in. It's rare to find something that doesn't make me say, "Um, I'm pretty sure that's physically impossible. Well, not unless he happens to have two.... oh, wait, is this science fiction?"

That's a good point.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

I'm convinced that erotica is the single most difficult genre to write in. It's rare to find something that doesn't make me say, "Um, I'm pretty sure that's physically impossible. Well, not unless he happens to have two.... oh, wait, is this science fiction?"

[Greg Anos]

When The Late Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm.

So disturbing I kept throwing it against the wall, so well written I kept picking it up again. I finally finished it, but I'll never read it again....