I’m looking for books that will completely mess with my head. Something shocking, disturbing, weird, or thought-provoking in ways I wouldn’t expect. I want stories that are unsettling, grotesque, or psychologically intense, with narratives that leave me questioning reality, morality, and/or the humanity of people.
I appreciate well-written prose but not pretentious. Twists mind-blowing yet make perfect sense (no cheap shock value or plot twists for the sake of having one- – please no Palahniuk). Psychological thrillers, existential horror, or philosophical fiction that pushes boundaries… Anything that makes me sit back and say, "WTF did I just read?". I also like books that present deep moral dilemmas, especially if the author or the main character is problematic and seems to be justifying immorality and engaging in a looped debate with me.
For examples, authors that I have enjoyed:
George Orwell, Marquis De Sade, Osamu Dazai, Natsuo Kirino, Yukio Mishima, Philip K Dick, Jose Saramego (one of my absolute faves), Aldous Huxley, Franz Kafka, Ryu Murakami, Margaret Atwood
Books in my physical TBR:
The Monk (Lewis), We (Zamyatin), The Manuscript Found in Saragossa (Potocki), Against Nature (Huysmans), 2666 (Bolano)
I have been in a slump but I want to get back into reading so thank you so much!
by holysexyjesus
8 Comments
A Little Life is the book you’re looking for.
House of Leaves
Search this sub, because that seems to be what all y’all want. Search before you post, m’kay?
My Dark Vanessa by Kate E. Russell
The Raw Shark Texts by Stephen Hall
Shades of Grey – Jasper Fford
Man in the Empty Suit – Sean Ferrell
Sweetpea by CJ Skuse
Bunny
Tender is the Flesh
The Magus by John Fowles
1982, Janine by Alasdair Gray
Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar