Blecccccch. I hate that book, and I usually love Stephen King.

Funny Story: My dad has that book, and I've just usually kept all books like that in my room (I was a big John Grisham and Stephen King fan) So I just grabbed that book (In the FOURTH GRADE!) I read like 2 chapters, maybe, and I haven't touched it since!

I thought Johnny Got His Gun was a great book. I cried throughout the book.

As for American Psycho...I cannot IMAGINE the book being more disturbing than the film. I still have nightmares about that film.

Most disturbing book ever
 

Pledged by Alexandra Robbins.

I found the excerpts of hate literature I've seen to be the most disturbing things I've ever read. Sure, there are a lot of scary and graphic novels out there, but people recognize them as fiction. However, there are too many people that take books like "Mein Kampf" and "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" seriously. *shudder*

The book was disturbing and it was also funnier if you liked the movie.

-Rudey

I've not read American Psycho, but Bret Easton Ellis's Glamorama is pretty disturbing, too. Despite that it's one of my all-time favorite books.

That one isn't about investment bankers who argue over who has the better business card though :(

-Rudey

I know but the male model/terrorist thing is hot. And the Xanax!!!! WOOO!

Other supposedly disturbing books that I want to read: Crash, House of Leaves...

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

It doesn't help that I read it right before 9/11, so when 9/11 happened, my thoughts went to that book.. scarrrrrry.

Yeah, Margaret Atwood is great. For some reason, John Ashcroft has reminded me of "The Handmaid's Tale." :(

On the lighter side, she had a poem "Let Us Now Praise Stupid Women" at http://website.lineone.net/~bianca_bird/270699.htm .

Does anyone else think that a LOT of the books on "Oprah's Book List" are rather disturbing? Well written and insightful, yes, but disturbing none the less?

I have a doozy for you all.
After reading "Let Go Play at the Adams", I then read "The Girl Next Door" by Jack Ketchum. It is well written, but so disturbing that I know that I will never forget it. It is based on this murder here:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notoriou.../likens/1.html

That is my favorite book by her, I first discovered her by reading her short story Happy Endings (and if you really think about it, very distrubing in a surreal way)...my great american novel is sort of based on this book along with a combination of other things and ironic with all the stuff going on.

I have to totally agree on Brett Easton Ellis, whom I love American Psycho is completely fucked up, the rat scene I had to put the book down and frankly kept me from watching the movie.

Wally Lamb's She's Coming Undone I didn't find that distrubing, just kinda sad.

of course I read all of these books in my late teens/early 20s, I would have to read them again today now that I have a completely different state of mind.

I must pick up some of these other books.

Yes, I also read that book. It was very sad.