How do we define what constitutes a "disturbing" book?

For me, to tag one of my books disturbing, the book must elicit either a visceral reaction, be it intellectual or physical. For instance, The Royal Family by William T. Vollmann is at times so disgusting and degrading that I felt queasy if not nauseous while reading it, even though it's not intended necessarily as a horror read per se, which is what I perceive most readers as labelling as disturbing.

Intellectually disturbingwise, I would include A Tale of Two Cities because the very idea of the guillotine, even though there are few descriptions of beheadings until the end of the novel, makes me uncomfortable. That it really happened only strengthens my sense of being disturbed. What does everyone else think?

A "disturbing book" is very subjective. It can be something that frightens someone because of the subject matter, something that bothers a sense of ethics, something that conflicts with morals or religion, something that is sickening.. or anything really.

I think you can only hope to find that people can describe what disturbs them personally.

I don't think a "disturbing book" can be defined. If someone suggests is the MDB thread a book, I add it to the catalog whether I agree or not, which is how Dr. Seuss landed in there! I think it's fun to see how different people react to the same book.

MostDisturbingBooks: Books which are provoking, controversial and unethical in subject matter most
likely to "create" many comments and criticism among readers on the religions,races and cultures line.

Books with stories of "sickening" and "madness" overtones that really disturbed one's minds.

1 > giggle. check the link for The Royal Family in the first post.

I kind of like seeing the wide range of what constitutes "disturbing" for each person. It wouldn't have occurred to me to think of anything besides gory horror titles like American Psycho to nominate, but then I would be overlooking disturbing social situations or disturbing historical events. Individual tastes can sometimes be entertaining, too. I went back through the entire original thread to find out why Dr. Seuss had been nominated because I didn't really agree with it, but I liked the explanation for... Hop on Pop, I think it was, quite a bit.

For me it's really taboo matter in a book that will disturb me. The incest(strange relationships) in 1985 or the dark; I wasn’t outraged but it prayed mephiticly on my mind for a while. A god example would be the scene in down and out in Paris and London where a character describes visiting a child prostitute. That said these are three of my favorite books. out of curiosity, was the original thread inspiring this group on the "Banned books" group page or a different one?

by the way, love the idea of this group

Hello:
I agree with you, but I have read "100 años de soledad" of “Gabriel Garcia Marquez”, and I think it's disturbing how those characters kept open their wounds along the time, but now I feel angry and dark, do you can recommend me some good gothic or horror story?, something apocalyptic, with betrays, hate, or maybe written by a twisted mind.

For me a disturbing book, in additions to a lot of the above reasons, is one that I can't let go. Even after I'm finished, I wish I could find out what happened to the characters or I wish I could have tried to change the outcome. One of the most disturbing books, I have read is The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. Those poor people, and all for a house.

Like most people, I agree that the definition of "disturbing" depends. I thought "The Yellow Wallpaper" was psychologically disturbing, but The Amityville Horror was more spiritually disturbing. And Exquisite Corpse (which I don't think I mentioned in the earlier thread) is disturbing in a visceral sort of way, but also morally.

Per Dr. Seuss, I knew a few children when I was younger whose parents felt that those books were to psychedelic or "weird", and thus would not allow their kids to read them.

I agree. Books can be disturbing in many ways. "The Moor" by Salman Rushdi, as I mentioned in the old MBD group, was disturbing because of the depraved characters. They really became too alive and too depraved, and I couldn't finish the book no matter how hard I tried. (I'll try again later).

Also I had this book that I tried to read several times during my childhood (I even tried when I became a teen - still with no success), that I just couldn't get through. It was about a girl who almost died and then she started hearing this dead woman calling for her... I read it in full daylight and still it was too scary!

I don't care much for explicit violence in books either. In "Glue" by Irvine Welsh there is a scene where some boys torture and kill a dog. I felt migthy nauseous reading that!

I see child abuse is mentioned several times. What about "Lolita" by Nabokov? Anyone disgusted by that one?

The scene in Glue is revolting, and many of his books contain vile scenes. In Trainspotting there is a scene where Rent-boy is having sex with his brother's pregnant widow after the funeral, which is bad enough, but his fantasy during this is quite disgusting. Marabou Stork Nightmares is the book I found most disturbing, it was horrible throughout and very hard to read. I don't think I could read it again. It's the one book of his which really should be added to the group library.

I do enjoy his earlier stuff but I read Glue and Porno and thought he'd lost it - he didn't have anything new or clever to say, he just seemed to be shocking for the sake of it. I haven't read anything published since.

I've just finished Lolita, which I couldn't put down and unfortunately rushed it, so didn't get to savour the writing as much as I could have. I'll definitely re-read it. But yes, I found that disturbing too.

I'm reading Mengele Zoo by Gjert Nygårdshaug (Norwegian author) at the moment. I'm at p.120 (out of 455) and I've already been through so many violent scenes (which he seems to love to interrupt just as they get real bad - like when commercial breaks in right when you've stopped breathing just to see what happens next!) that I have the feeling of almost becoming apathetic. But then he fires another scene at me, and I'm shocked again. Amazing!

I like this book. Not sure if it's translated into English?! It was elected "Best Norwegian book through the times" in 2007.... (Not sure if I agree with that, but I agree that it's good. It takes place in Southern America).

I think I rushed Lolita too. ... I should read it again. Think Kubrick made a movie out of it.

Couldn't find an English translation of Mengele Zoo, which is a shame but if it's highly thought of I'm sure it will only be a matter of time.

What I define as disturbing is not only content, but also the reader's reaction. The fact that Yeval by C. W. Schultz and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis make me disgusted, but at the same time crack me up, disturbs me. It's kind of like a Belgian film I saw called "Man Bites Dog"; it had a very similar approach. I think it's haunting and brilliant how the audience/reader is sucked into the world of violence and humor; and as the story(s) progress, it's almost like the reader is a voyeur. Very very dark, but both terrific books that are the epitome of disturbing.

Also, the opening chapter of The Pack by C. W. Schultz is disturbing to me because of how little the reader knows. Right from the get-go, it's violent and it's very discomforting to read the disturbing event going on and you have no idea why it's happening.

"Man Bites Dog" - great film. Hilarious but extremely horrible.

"Cinema, CineMAAAAAA......."!!!