I’ve been on a kick of reading these types of books recently – The Bell Jar, No Longer Human, 1984, Phantom of the Opera, Tampa, A Short Stay in Hell, A Woman of Pleasure, etc.
I’m struggling to find my next read. Any suggestion for something dark, sad, or a little twisted?
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Three recs:
1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Very dark, very sad, totally twisted. A really interesting book and a masterwork from one of the greatest American writers.
2. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. For some reason, the phrase “the sweet smell of late-summer death” comes to mind when I think of this book, though that’s not descriptive at all.
3. Black Pill by Elle Reeve. Just came out this July. It’s nonfiction but reads like fiction. The crazy story of all the insane things that have happened on the internet and IRL over the past decade. It’s really funny while also being so dark. I couldn’t put it down.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks – about a psychopathic teenager living on a remote Scottish island
God’s Own Country by Ross Raisin – about a sad, lonely youth growing up in Yorkshire, surrounded by tourists and people moving to the countryside from the city.
The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe – 1960s small town Ireland where a strange young boy lives in violent, fantasy world in his mind.
His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet – 19th century rural Scotland and a teen is on trial for murder. There is no doubt he did it. The question is why.
Under The Skin by Michael Faber – strange story about an unusual woman picking up hitchhikers on the road in Scotland. This book works best if you know nothing about it so I would recommend avoiding any reviews or synopses.
All of these are truly excellent books, and I am constantly recommending them.
Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews. It’s the first book of an awesome series.