American Psycho is about Patrick Bateman, who is an investment banker with a huge ego who may also have a, well, quite a disturbing and scary side to his personality. I don't want to say more but I suspect many of you are already familiar with this book through the movie adaptation which I saw first. I think the movie does a good job but, as shocking as the movie is in certain scenes, the book is actually way scarier and I highly recommend that you do not read it before going to bed! It gives you nightmares. Not kidding. And I'm not easily scared.
If you've read the book, how did you feel about it? If you haven't what book have you found most unsettling?
by –final–
22 Comments
In terms of short stories, I’d go with The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Novels, I’d go with King’s The Shining.
Honestly I experienced American Psycho as more of a comedy than scary, but maybe it’s because I haven’t seen the movie and been influenced by it.
I recently read Stolen Tongues, and while all the best scares are definitely in the beginning, that’s probably not a book I should have read with my back to my bedroom window at night, and it definitely didn’t help that my brother happened to prank me that night by sending me a text with pictures telling me he was outside my apartment and I should come out and see him lmao
I agree, American Psycho was the sickest book I’ve ever read. The rat scene really struck me, I’ve never read anything so violent and particularly misogynistic in a book. Bret Easton Ellis is completely insane.
I was intrigued by the book.
I was intrigued by the book.
I was also extremely confused with myself when I laughed at the scene where Patrick murders his ex-girlfriend Bethany. It’s all so sick and funny, as he spouts nonsensical phrases like “I still smoke cigars!” and “My suit is the most expensive, you stupid bitch!” LOL
Maybe Flowers for Algernon
Bret Easton Ellis was one of my favorite authors. I just love the way he writes! Less Than Zero stuck with me even more. American Psycho was just perfect though. I couldn’t get into his latest work but I think that’s because you’ve got to be in the right mindset? Idk. I haven’t been feeling the sex/gore vibe lately.
The Painted Bird
I’ll be Gone in the Dark about the Golden State killer
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King bothered me for a long time after.
Spoiler warning (IDK how to black out)
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That guy with the p3n1$ necklace that just came and stared at her, the degloving, and the starving dog just gnawed at me forever.
“It” by Stephen King was the most disturbing book I’ve ventured to read. Loved the book but the nivel was so gross—the whole *leaving animals inside of a fridge until they die* thing left me never able to read anything that scary again, so I appreciate you warning me not to read this book.
I find short horror stories stay in my mind more than horror novels.
The Daemon Lover and The Witch by Shirley Jackson come to mind.
I’m also not a Murakami fan but I really liked Barn Burning
Blood Meridian. Just tons of crazy murder, murder, scalping and more murder.
Nick Cutter “The Troop. I couldn’t finish it.
Bloodline by Jess Lourey didn’t give me nightmares bur it probably should have.
Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson is the other that lingered for awhile
The Sluts by Dennis Cooper really made me not sleep for a few days, it took me weeks to recover, genuinely gave me nightmares. I didnt read American Psycho but am planning to do so in the future.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks was the most unsettling for me. Overall just a very dark and uncomfortable book.
A recent one was Incidents Around the House. Definitely the scariest book I read in the past decade or so.
The Notebook by Agota Kristof.
I read Frankenstein kinda stoned and that was certainly an experience.
My dark vanessa