Most Disturbing Books, Part 2

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

PART 3 OF THIS “DISTURBING BOOKS” SERIES: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYnMe6N_pLupodk

[@LauraLittlePony]

OOPS, I didn’t see there was a part 3 before I responded to this one (the previous parts were in my recommendations!). Sorry if my comment was redundant! 😸

[@allhailthisgirl]

two years later, i just found your channel today and instantly subscribed. you are thanking for 200 subscribers now you have 10k! i love your videos

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Aww, thank you so much! Still as dumbfounded today as I was back then that people watch this haha. Welcome. ❤️

[@jaredsarnie3712]

These videos are ironically so relaxing 😌. I really appreciate your analysis, curation and nuanced approach

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

You’re not the first person to tell me that these are relaxing. 😂 I don’t get it! But thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words.

[@StevenBeverage]

From 200 to 3500+ subscribers in less than a year! Great job. Im always on the lookout for good book recommendations.. especially weird, disturbing horror, obscure stuff so keep it up

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much! I am equally bewildered by the growth of this channel, but it is great having conversations with so many people with similar tastes. Always good to hear from fellow lovers of the transgressive and skewed!

[@wildhorses267]

I love how honest and kind you are!

[@katiemetcalfe9950]

The best books reviews on KZbin BY FAR. Thank you for your hard work! You passion for disturbing literature is infectious.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much! 🥲 I don’t know what to day! Such kindness is truly overwhelming. Long live the disturbing!

[@Jake-rv9hr]

Man im really enjoying these vvideos. The subjects you talk about, especially horror, are my favourite genres and the video quality is really good and you really go in depth about each point you make and articulate them so well!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Happy to see you back, Jake! I love horror so there will certainly be a lot more of that if you stick around! Thank you for your kind words and time! 🤙🏽

[@truthserum4662]

I’m so glad you are making more videos. I discovered your channel about three months ago loved the one video you had. You have a really good personality for these types of videos. I have a feeling your channel is going to get big.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Sorry for leaving my channel hanging for months. I’m so happy you stuck around! Your words are so encouraging to me. Even if I don’t make it big, I feel like I’m already seeing familiar faces in all my videos commenting and enjoying them and this little community that’s been formed is enough to keep me going! Again, thanks for watching!

[@mechaamem]

I'm glad you're turning this into a series, my tbr list is growing 👍 Also, LPOTL! yeah dude! my favorite podcast of life.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Haven’t listened to them in a while, but they were my favorite for a while as well!

[@bigb5206]

I just wanted to let you know that I came across your video on most disturbing read’s and you are doing a great job compared to the other people doing or trying to do what you do. You are very good at talking to us about a subject I find very interesting. Keep letting me know what Authors I have never heard of because I love this kind of thing’s. Thank You so much you are doing a great job keep it up.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

My goodness, thank you so much! Not sure what I’m doing, but I hope I can continue to do it! Not sure if you checked out the other installments, but this is now a 7-part series if you’re interested in more literature of this kind! Thanks for such kind words again!

[@angelogabriel6862]

Dude, my listis growing way faster than I can read stuff haha I'll be checking part 3 shortly, keep up the great work!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

So happy you’ve been enjoying the series! Thank you for bearing through all my “ums” and “you knows.”

[@rebeckyboo12]

The Troop by Nick Cutter is along the same lines of John Dollar and Lord of the Flies. Super graphic, and told in painful detail! It stuck with me for weeks!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I’ve had this recommended several times. I think I have to read it now!

[@catherinebergeron8186]

@@PlaguedbyVisions its the most distubing that i read too. Its really good. The setting is fun and the way the story is build too. Tender is the flesh amazing as well.

[@shelby8101]

Yes The Troop is a really great read, very creepy and disturbing

[@kd8663]

That one grossed me out more than disturbed me, but it did give me a nightmare… (Spoilers) that I was vomiting out parasites into my sink.

[@morganking580]

I randomly just found your channel in 2023. I loveeeee this kind of content

[@formerclarity8836]

Hello - I am aware that I am super late to this video, but I just found your channel, and I'm listening to you recommend books-to-cause-you-disresss while I"m working. Then I heard you describe Ian McEwan as being disturbing becuase of how internalized all the trauma is, 'but maybe that's just being British,' and it absolutely SENT ME. I'm about to be late to a zoom call because of that concise and completely accurate takedown of an entire culture's literature. I applaude you.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Hahaha! Well, happy to hear you found your way to my channel. Welcome! I was simply speaking on similar works of McEwan’s time that had a similar disposition. Likewise, the French seem obsessed with self-destruction and boredom. Weird tastes!

[@liezelgroenewald3264]

I was shocked to see a South African author on here, being South African myself. Absolutely love your channel! Please never stop uploading, love from S.A! 🙌🏻🇿🇦

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Ah, always so amazing to hear how far my videos have reached! JM Coetzee is definitely a world-renowned South African author. Thank you so much for watching! Much love to you from California!

[@emilypound]

John Dollar traumatized me. I've never forgotten that scene, you probably know the one I'm talking about. Absolutely horrific. Just discovered your channel and am loving it so much.

[@djb840]

I just discovered your channel recently and am now binge-watching your videos! I actually read Lolita for a college class relatively recently, and I found your assessment of Nabokov’s language incredibly interesting and reminiscent of some of my own thoughts that I was having as I was reading the book. I felt so much dissonance as I was reading the novel precisely because of the duality between Nabokov’s highly detailed, entrancing diction and the abuse that he was chronicling through his writing. The point of view and voice is definitely incredibly important!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for the support! I’m just glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the videos. Yes, Nabokov’s Lolita is one I couldn’t finish, precisely because it’s the betrayal of our empathic muscles while reading that’s so dreadful and off-putting. I do plan on tackling it soon though!

[@knnyphph]

Nice channel! The only books I’ve read that have made me nauseous enough to pause reading for a bit are Haunted, and The Troop by Nick Cutter. Would highly recommend. 👍🏻

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I keep hearing this title recommended. It is surely a sign that I need to read this.

[@codeinesnaps]

If you like disturbing psychological books, I suggest you read Confessions by Kanae Minato... It's also from Japan it escalates... just wanna leave it at that lol

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Hey, Gio! I just had a look at your channel and holy shit! I subscribed instantly, lol. Your graphic design skills are amazing and now I’m hyped to watch your other two videos. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! Now You’re One of Us is definitely horrific, and also kind of hilarious. A quick glimpse at your videos tells me you’re a horror fan so I will instantly trust you on this. Definitely looking forward to reading Confessions. Thanks for the support and I look forward to more content of your own!

[@codeinesnaps]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Dude, you're too kind. I love your videos, you analyze everything and the way you describe books is so inspiring... As a non-english speaker, I aspire to be like u in describing books haha

[@jakeburroughs1249]

You’re a good guy. So humble. This day and age, and we have you so grateful for 200 followers. You’re incredible dude. Wish we all could be. And also. We all love messed up stuff! So to hear you speak so clearly and thoroughly about some awful books is awesome and you’ve had some great recommendations so far man. Keep it up and keep being you. 😬😬😬

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for such kind and supportive words! I will never, ever stop being baffled by the fact that people actually watch my stuff. 4,000 subscribers later, I’m even more in disbelief! I always appreciate hearing from other people who love messed up stuff. It makes me feel less weird. My goal is always to speak about these titles in a thorough and calm manner, and show that they are items worthy of conversations. Thanks again for such a lovely comment!

[@kajsab23]

I am so happy to find your channel!!! I find you informative well spoken and very intelligent. I can't wait for more, thank you.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you thank you thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed my content. There’s lots more to come!

[@nathanisaksson]

I, too, read The Cement Garden in a day-it’s so engrossing in the most odd way. So excited to see it make your list!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

It’s definitely a weirdly hypnotic story. As the ending implies, it’s a sort of lullaby, being hummed in the most terrible of nights. Good stuff! Thank you so much for watching!

[@codeinesnaps]

Im early.. You deserve the subscribers, man

[@feanorian21maglor38]

The Cement Garden is the first McEwan book I ever read, and I agree is disturbing, more so than his Comfort of Strangers. Love your list, it's more varied than the usual horror story lists, have read about half of them, and am going to take up your recommendations and read the others.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

The Cement Garden might be my favorite read from 2021! It was spellbinding, and the ending literally left me staring blankly at the page. I hope you enjoy the other titles you haven’t read yet, and thank you so much for watching and commenting! It means a lot.

[@rachaelconnor1066]

You are such a good reviewer! Very glad I stumbled across you ☺️

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words! ❤️

[@no_peace]

Yes, they're excellent

[@erynwilson4214]

I just found your channel and I subscribed right away! I've found a love for all things transgressive and disturbing. I keep adding books to my list on Goodreads. Super sad that most of these amazing books are not available in Australian bookstores. I can see what you mean by the voice of Tampa, I think that's what I love about it so much. Lolita and Tampa are some of my favourite books. I think one of the most disturbing books I've ever read would have to be 1984 by George Orwell, but not due to violence or anything. It disturbed me because of the mere fact that Orwell in one way or another, predicted most things we have today. Some other disturbing books I reccomend are: • A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess • Perfume by Patrick Süskind • A Child Called 'it' by Dave Pelzer • Choke by Chuck Palahniuk • The Collector by John Fowles • The Monk by Matthew Lewis

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Always so nice to hear of fellow lovers of the disturbing and morbidly curious! Welcome to the channel! Excellent suggestions in this comment. Some I have mentioned in other installments of the series, but some others definitely still deserve to be brought up, especially the Monk, which was so comically transgressive and convoluted to me, so it definitely belongs here! Thank you so much for watching!

[@kat8559]

Ooh I'm absolutely going to read john dollar ty for the rec

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

It’s a great book! Not perfect, but when it hits, it HITS! Thank you for watching!

[@wildhorses267]

PLEASE keep book reviews coming! You ROCK!!!

[@TheCLK0]

Hi Juan. I first watched this video a few weeks ago. McEwan's novel grabbed my eyes so I got the book from my local library and just finished it. I came back here just to THANK YOU. I loved it.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Ah, so happy to hear that! The Cement Garden is definitely one of my top reads of this year!

[@codeinesnaps]

dude holy fck, im planning on reading now you're one of us for a video... now I'm really kin on buying that book

[@teatimewithtraceyandcrew]

"OMGoodness, I just found your channel. I watched part 1 now onto part 2 and see you have part 3. My wish list is growing leaps and bounds. Thank you sooooooooo sooooooooo soooooooo much for sharing. I subscribed too. I look forward to binging your channel. Peace, Love & Happiness ~Tracey

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Aw, thank YOU so much for watching! I'm so happy you've been enjoying the series, Tracey! It is most certainly far from over! I'm always happy to hear these lists fulfill a need for many people seeking something darker but still meaningful. Hope you stick around and welcome to the channel!

[@tonyamaddi3044]

Just found your channel today. Very glad I did. My list of books that I want to read is growing. Keep up the good work.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for watching! So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the series. It’s definitely going to keep going!

[@thejames666]

Hi! So, I’m not a huge reader. But I picked up (and absolutely loved) The Pillowman. Looking for reviews for that led me to CriminOlly. His channel led me to yours. You’re both great. Double Sub. And his review of your book has led me to order that too! New fan from London 👍

[@Lewcifer586]

I'm going back and watching your older videos and I'm loving them. My TBR pile is becoming.....disturbing.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Haha, that is truly the most disturbing aspect of the series! My wallet has suffered, too.

[@seamusgaelic6447]

Another great video, Juan! Keep up the good work!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Seamus! So happy to see you back. I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ll try sticking to a two-videos-a-week format for now, so there’s more coming! 🥸

[@Maria-cb5qq]

it's heartwarming to see u thanking ur viewers. i hope you get more subs! you deserve it, really.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I will never stop thanking my subscribers! They are the sole reason I do all of this.

[@IReallyLikeSnails]

Loving your videos, especially the discussion parts. Came for the books, subbed for the interaction.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for your comment! Your support is truly appreciated.

[@francapiroto763]

I'm watching the videos in your playlist. You have a very calm voice so listening to you talk is kinda relaxing

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for the support! My voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me 😂 so I’m glad it’s bearable to you. I do also hope that my toned-down discussion of these books helps with disarming them and making them more approachable.

[@francapiroto763]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Yes, I'm very interested in reading these books. I watch a lot of horror movies but they don't disturb me at all so now I'm looking for books that will make me feel something I'm planning to read some of the books you recommended, they seem very creepy

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

@@francapiroto763 Ah, that’s a very logical progression, actually! I think many horror enthusiasts soon turn to literature to test their limits. I hope you “enjoy” whatever you decide to give a try!

[@karamarie6781]

Juan, I think you would love The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison. Beyond disturbing!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Sounds interesting. What is disturbing about it?

[@karamarie6781]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Don’t want to give too much away, but what the girls have to endure, both mentally and physically, is extremely dark.

[@karamarie6781]

Juan, no spoilers here, but here's the gist - when you find out what he does for his butterflies upon reaching a certain age, let's just say OH...MY...GOD...this has stuck with me for months and months! Creepy and insidious! (But fabulous, nonetheless!) Enjoy it! I can't wait to hear your opinion once you get around to it!

[@teddydog6229]

I was going to suggest Huysmans too but you were way ahead of me.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Huysmans is wonderful!

[@burnttoastspacegirlfriend8769]

“Geek Love” by Kathryn Dunn is one of my favorite books! It’s not so horrific as many of these other disturbing titles, but it’s so creative, the prose is beautiful and weird.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

That seems to be the one that keeps getting doubled down on as a recommendation, so I absolutely need to get to it soon!

[@dianevanderlinden3480]

So happy to have found your channel.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Happy to have you here!

[@razeltaro5011]

Hey Juan, wanted to say recently became a big fan of the channel, I’ve enjoyed raw and transgressive literature for a long time and it’s a rare find to see someone talk about these type of books in detail the way you do! I recently picked up Birdman and the book so far has been a great read, way more brutal than I thought it was gonna be, seeing the type of books you enjoy I would highly recommend you take a look into the work of Peter sotos, specifically Pure Filth which I think is a fantastic read so maybe you would might enjoy it to, I would also highly recommend the book Girlvert by Ashley blue, it’s a pretty gnarly book about the porn industry and was one of the harder reads I have ever done and I read Hogg lol,

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Welcome to the channel! It’s always a pleasure meeting people who like to seriously discuss these works. Birdman is definitely extreme and gripping. The sequel, The Treatment, goes even further. I enjoyed it a lot, too! I HAVE actually read Peter Sotos in the past, not the entire collections, but some of it. I had mixed feelings on it, but I was more fascinated by the idea that he actually used CP images which landed him in Court. Truly a unique literary occurrence in recent history. Ah, never heard of Girlvert. It sounds like something I absolutely need to get to! Thank you so much for watching and for this comment! So happy you’re enjoying the content.

[@iliastsiphlidis4607]

Just subscribed, watched your first video and like your comments and descriptions of the books. Greetings, from Melbourne, Australia

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much! Such kind words are well-received. It means a lot. Greetings from California!

[@seifhashem6818]

Same as you, I finished the cement garden in one day because I found it to be quiet riveting, but I’m not sure I understood the ending very much , have you read McEwan’s Atonement ?, it’s pretty different from the previous but a great one !

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I think the ending was the ultimate quiet destruction for the household, the nuclear family being supplanted by this perverse take on love driven by loneliness and ennui. To me it was brilliant. I understand Ian McEwan really stopped being “Ian Macabre” in his later works, but I’m still very much interested in reading more by him!

[@glo_christine4130]

Love all these suggestions! I just found your channel and watched your original most disturbing list and immediately thought of The Cement Garden. So glad you included it in this video. I had a very similar experience reading it. I knew nothing about the plot going in and it truly caught me off guard. It stayed with me for a long time and remains one of my favorites to this day.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Welcome aboard! Ian McEwan (or Ian Macabre, as he used to be known) truly hits at something that's so deranged yet human. Since reading the Cement Garden, I have sort of obsessed over his early works.

[@caitlinbriggs3256]

Hey Juan, just discovered your channel today and really enjoying! My little English major heart is happy hearing your thoughtful critiques.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Hello, fellow English major, and thank you for watching! I’m happy you stumbled upon my little channel. Thanks for such kind words!

[@savagesinema]

Loving your selections. Great to see some cheering for JOHN DOLLAR. All great. Try HOGG from Samuel R Delany. Extremely rough.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

John Dollar was fantastic! Such a brutal ending. I’ve read Hogg now! I plan to do a review of it soon!

[@JIn-xv5ft]

Thank you for your time making these. Glad I came across your channel I’ve subscribed!

[@jeff8835]

Hello, just subscribed, after seeing Part 1, i'm getting started on an odyssey of sorts to expose myself to the dark side of things, thanks for the recommendations, i sense my journey will be much better because of having seen your videos.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

What an honor, truly! Thank you so much for watching and commenting, and so happy to hear you’ll start exploring this darker side of literature. I’m glad my videos are of use!

[@maudieicrochet9491]

I really like the way you speak about books and I really like you. I will be reading some of your recommendations.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the recommendations!

[@Halp88]

The descriptions/recommendations are top quality! Great work man!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed the video ✌🏽

[@amandah8258]

I'm a year late, but I hope you've read Geek Love. I finally got to it this month and it was a wild ride. I like how you express your thoughts. Thanks for the book suggestions!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I still have not read it! I really need to get to it. Thank you so much for watching!

[@NAFUSO1]

I was surprised "Guts" didn't disturb me nearly as much as I expected. To me there were many more disturbing and graphic stories in the Haunted than that one. But "Guts" is still a grotesque story.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

It’s definitely not my favorite from Haunted. That would be “Exodus,” probably the strangest, most weirdly profound thing Palahniuk ever wrote, lol. I think “Guts” is more infamous for the urban legends surrounding it, which I will make a video about in the future! Thanks for watching!

[@crystaldennis6759]

@@PlaguedbyVisions l

[@crystaldennis6759]

@@PlaguedbyVisions ll

[@emilymazarakes9669]

just found your channel! Your recommendations are awesome and you're so great at breaking everything down. keep killing it!!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Yay, welcome, and thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the video! There’s been more parts to this series if you’re interested. So happy to have you here!

[@riablzz]

I really just like this guy like wow the way he talks just feels so reliable yk

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Lmao thank you! I hope this isn’t sarcasm. 🥺 I’m trying my best!

[@joshuamiller8259]

I suggest a series on graphic history books/ nonfiction the one that comes to mind is the Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Don't know how this comment escaped me! Thank you for the recommendation! I'll be sure to mention it in the next installment!

[@catherineleichtenberger9442]

I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but The End of Alice by A.M. Homes was super disturbing to me. It made me feel very uncomfortable!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I have not yet heard of this! I’m intrigued.

[@mechaamem]

I was about to suggest this one. Very disturbing and it stays with you.

[@neuromantoo]

Juan, it's so hot in the room you are in is due to the brain power that is emanating from your head. You are the kind of person that makes youtube worthwhile.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Haha! I wish! California is NO JOKE. X(

[@michaeldadon2325]

U answered my prayers

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Ask and you shall receive, Michael. 🙌🏽

[@Alex-rz3hy]

Great video. Some others I found very disturbing are Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates and The Necrophiliac by Gabrielle Wittkop. Although I found the latter to be beautifully written, it was tough to get through...

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Zombie is a great one. JCO’s prose is spellbinding. Her short story “Demon” is my favorite work of hers. It’s about five pages long yet she unfurls an entire human biography of pain and madness. She is one of the American greats!

[@teddydog6229]

I just discovered the channel and think you have amazing taste in books and are just likeable in general. I hate that word but don’t know another one. Have you ever read ‘Spree’ by James Williamson ? That book disturbed me more than just about any other. I’m glad I came across your channel and am looking forward to your future ones !

[@teddydog6229]

I think JG Ballard was such a prophet that it freaks me out. Pretty much everything he’s written has come to pass or will come to pass. One of his last books ‘Kingdom Come’ I think confirms my impression beyond any doubt. I realize this isn’t a horror-themed video but I am curious about your opinion of Ramsey Campbell. Like you say it’s all about voice and his is very cold and detached. Virtually everything he’s written has frightened me and seared itself into my consciousness. One of his more recent books ‘The Grin in the Dark’ takes terror of clowns light years beyond Pennywise. He’s not to everyone’s taste and sometimes I’ve had to read his books twice to get what he’s aiming at but I think no author can pack more menace and dread into a single sentence. I have one last question for you that’s a true or false. Peter Straub wrote ‘Ghost Story’ which was Phenomenal and every single other book he’s written (Talisman but not Black House excepted) completely blows. I haven’t tried Floating Dragon yet but am not optimistic.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for such kind words! Glad you found the channel, as it seems we have similar tastes. I have not read Spree by James Williamson, but I’m definitely interested now! And yes, JG Ballard really spoke to the cold and monstrous humanity that we refused to see until much later. He’s great! I’ve never read any Ramsey Campbell or Peter Straub! I do own a couple of their books. I’ve heard good things about Straub’s Koko.

[@teddydog6229]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Koko was the only other Straub book I managed to wade through but I can’t say it was a pleasure. I always keep trying though since ‘Ghost Story’ was so terrifying and beautifully written. Eventually my patience ran out especially with his constant Vietnam references. I was thinking “Ok we get it Peter. You were in Vietnam. Thank you for your service but can we move on please ??”. If there’s such a thing as modern British Gothic then Campbell is its main exponent. It’s a little bit like our South or Rust Belt in the north where Campbell comes from - specifically Liverpool - and its atmosphere permeates everything he writes. As a starting place I’d recommend his short story anthology ‘Alone With The Horrors’ which has an introduction explaining what makes him such an important writer. Most importantly he never fails to scare the sh-t out of me ! Anyway I’m really looking forward to catching up on all your videos and wish I’d been there when you started. Before I forget I hope you liked ‘Malador’. I found it in a ‘give and take a book’ rack at Stop and Shop and it made my head spin.

[@bootsandflicks7507]

Thanks for another list video Juan Keep well

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thanks for watching this one, too!

[@shelby8101]

I would suggest The Cipher by Kathe Koja. It was very disturbing and surreal to me, kind of freaked me out.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you! I will mention this in the new installment. :)

[@utubebgay]

i so rarely find anyone else who has read this one. I also never know exactly how to describe it, other than 'it's got sorta cosmic horror, body horror, and psychological horror.' And yeah, it's one of the few that wasn't as gratuitously violent as many on these lists, but stuck with me more than most.

[@odothedoll2657]

(I’m working through all your old videos up to know which is why I keep commenting. Also this is really long sorry) I have 2 experiences with books that really got to me. I binge read animal farm on the drive home from our cabin one summer. There’s something about having to sit and read that in a dark car for hours on end that messed me up on a deep psychological level. Also when I read Lord of the Rings the way the segue of Gondor was described was the most soul crushingly depressing experience I’ve had with a piece of media. I don’t think I can explain why because it was so emotionally exhausting I don’t remember a lot now. I don’t even know if anyone else had this experience.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you for sharing! That’s another interesting topic on “disturbing books” that’s also very fascinating: Reading otherwise “harmless” books in a context or timeframe that made them disturbing. I know books about devastating plague or infection, simple thought experiments in the past, taste a little different today...

[@RhettKing-h3u]

Hey dude, I’d love to discuss books with you. These too are my favorite reads. So, “the painted bird” is so good. “American Psycho.” “Sarah” and my favorite, “geek love”

[@RhettKing-h3u]

😆😆so I see geek love in the video. Irvine Welsh would be a great author for you but I’m sure you’ve discovered him by now

[@liaborchardt5119]

You have to read Tender is the Fresh and do a review!! It’s soooooo good and disturbing! You won’t regret it! It’s a pretty quick read too. Also love the videos and reviews you do. I have really enjoyed some books that you have recommended!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed my videos so far. I HAVE read Tender is the Flesh (in Spanish - titled Cadáver exquisito) and I loved it. It was so haunting and revolting. Exactly the way transgressive fiction should be.

[@daffyphack]

God, I love the Maldoror. Probably the single greatest literary inspiration of my life, and hugely responsible for my one published work to date.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I actually just read Maldoror recently! It was such a flush of vivid monstrosities and chaos, and I guess it really does serve as this fountain of inspiring atrocity.

[@LauraLittlePony]

Did you end up reading My Dark Vanessa? I highly highly HIGHLY recommend to pretty much everyone! I read it twice in less than a year. It is very disturbing and a much-needed take on the Lolita type story, and I think it’s beautifully written. [The is a spoiler for just the TONE of the ending!!] I also like that it isn’t completely bleak. You can come out of it feeling kind of okay. 😺 [end slight spoiler!!] If you want to really press yourself on reading male victims, pick you up a smol book called... A Little Life. And good luck to you if you try it lol.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I have not yet read My Dark Vanessa! This comment certainly makes me want to check it out more. And thank you for the suggestion! I’ll be sure to mention it in the next installment! Thank you for watching! I really appreciate it.

[@lucikangas-olson2180]

Could you possibly make a book list in your description about the ones you talk about in your video? Just to make it a bit easier to look certain books up?

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Sure! I can start doing that from now on. Thanks for watching!

[@Adriana-em7ol]

Pleaseeeee start a book club!!!!!!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Hi, and thank you for watching! While not a “book club” per se, I DID start doing themed readings this month! For May, I’ve picked the theme “Killer Kids,” so viewers and I are reading books that feature evil or homicidal children, and we’ll discuss at the end of the month, if you’re interested!

[@jasonscott8265]

I have moved around a lot in my life. Of course when you move to another state you have to let things go, regrettably. Books are heavy and are usually one of the first things I give away. I read Geek Love for the first time over 20 years ago and I still have the original copy. You know how certain books just spark a flame within you…that book may not be the best book you’ve ever read but it came along at a certain time in your life that you needed it… the escape or its poignant story taught you something. May sound crazy but no matter where I go my copy of Geek Love will always accompany me.

[@jasonscott8265]

Might have something to do with the fact, that like the main character, I am pigmentally challenged as well.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I had a very, VERY similar journey with The Stranger by Albert Camus in my teens. ❤️

[@007shlomo]

Thanks Juan Valencia, have you read The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat? A small novel, a red ruby laying in a skulls eye socket.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I have never heard of this book! Would you say it is disturbing, or more so just strange/unconventional?

[@007shlomo]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Disturbing bro have a read, a perfumed scorpion of a book. Also Ice by Anna Kavan for your surrealist list.

[@007shlomo]

Also, yes the cement garden and yes j g ballard.

[@neuromantoo]

Juan you should do an overview of the books on the shelves behind you in this video. There are some very interesting titles that I have been looking up and a lot of them, although not on the topic you are discussing, are nonetheless intriguing.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I just uploaded part one of my bookshelf tour some days ago! Part two is coming later today :)

[@jasontoddler1598]

For some one who only loves older women Tampa was a fantasy story for me .☺☺ .

[@ericbasora4697]

Absolutely love transgressive fiction, and Absolutely love your take on these books. Awesome channel.. keep up the good work.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

You are in the right place then! Always happy to hear from fellow lovers of this genre that gets afforded so little conversation.

[@ericbasora4697]

Do you have an Instagram?? I'd like to correspond back and forth w u.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I do! My insta handle is plaguedbyvisions. :)

[@wadejohnston4305]

I love Japan and I find I tend to romanticize it alot in my head but it's a beautiful place with a beautiful rich culture with so much awesome history and folklore. Two things that are still trapped in the 1920s is the justice system and marriage promises. If you get arrested in Japan for a crime the Japanese court us notorious for finding most people guilty despite the circumstances. Thanks for these videos Juan my Man! Glad I found your channel. I apologize if I spelt your name wrong.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Japan really does have some disturbing underbelly regarding its social organization and its extreme conversativeness. I do love narratives that emphasize those cracks! And thank you so much! Yes, you spelled my name correctly, and I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the content!

[@mvinson8706]

About Lolita and condoning violence: I agree it doesn’t. I enjoy reading that kind of stuff ONLY when the author through the character elaborates on how they cope or handle it. I enjoy those kinds of scenarios. Not violence for the sake of shock factor

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Agreed! There’s no merit, to me, in a narrative that is shallow in its shock and transgression. Besides all the moral hangups, it often is simply just bad writing.

[@blakegreene6913]

I just discovered you and I came to see if maybe you’d touch on House of Leaves. I just started it and I’ve seen a lot of people saying how it really left a lasting impression on them but it’s sort of a bit of work to get through. And I’m wondering if I should even finish it because I feel like maybe I’m a bit too jaded for it to freak out

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I actually have so many stories about House of Leaves and its author, Mark Z. Danielewski (whom I have actually met and worked with). I could make an entire video on that and offering my thoughts on House of Leaves in the near future for sure! Thank you for watching!

[@TypicalTylia]

there's a qu**r horror lit video??? watching next & subscribing! love your stuff!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much! Welcome to my channel. Yes, I made a video on qu33r horror!

[@Maria-cb5qq]

i will surely read everything u recommended in this series !!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

That’s quite the task! If you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these titles!

[@Maria-cb5qq]

@@PlaguedbyVisions truly, i sent this comment before seeing the rest of the parts LOL there's so many!! would literally last me for a few reading years

[@keithgayler8374]

I'm really enjoying your videos. I have a recommendation for a well-written disturbing novel for you--The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you for watching! I really appreciate it. I talk about The Wasp Factory briefly at 7:49 :D I love this book!

[@keithgayler8374]

Oops! I must have registered subconsciously.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

@@keithgayler8374 We’re all on the same vibe when it comes to disturbing lit 😎 lol

[@vinceyboy9404]

Hey! If you likes Now You're One of Us I think you'd really like The Vegetarian by Hand Kang. This one isn't japanese, but it explores similar ideas of fucked up marriage and.the effects a society with ridiculously.high expectations can have on someone

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

That really does sound quite similar, and quite good! I believe I’ve heard of it before. I’ll be looking forward to it eventually. Thank you for watching!

[@sandraweilbrenner67]

You are a natural , this channel is great. Harlan ellison i have no mouth and i must scream is a great book

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I love Harlan Ellison. He is amazing, twisted, merciless.

[@bucketofentrails]

One of the most disturbing books I read recently was Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. Honestly After I finished it I felt like I had been beaten up.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I have read this book as well! I read the Spanish version, which I think amplified a lot of that direct, rock-solid prose that writers of the Spanish language are (in)famous for. I think that detached, surgical vantage point is what makes so many books (including many of the ones I’ve talked about) really unsettling. They force your perspective into one of an observer. You’re not analyzing, coping, making sense of things. You’re just watching Hell itself unfold. Yes, agreed, this book is incredible.

[@MycelialBoy]

Hey recently getting into reading I dont go to school just work (21). got back into it and ran into Crash definitely an interesting one lol

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Glad to hear it! Definitely keep reading 👊🏽 Would have never thought of Ballard helping with getting back into reading, lol, but if it works it works!

[@joeschmo8755]

My guy was humble at 200 subs. He deserves more just on that alone. Not including how entertain listening to his views on these topics are.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Well, thank you so much! The fact that anyone watches me is enough recognition, and I will never NOT be thankful for having an audience at all!

[@aliciaohara8794]

I read "Guts" by Chuck Palahniuk after hearing his interview on the Joe Rogan podcast. It's the ONLY book that I've ever read that gave me a physical reaction. I almost passed out! I started seeing stars and had to lay down😂 I read My Dark Vanessa. So disturbing and frustrating...yet a really important subject.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Awesome! I made a video focusing heavily on “Guts” titled “Can a Book Kill You?” If you’re interested!

[@aliciaohara8794]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Thanks for the heads up! I'm a new subscriber - and I'm still catching up on all of your videos. I'll check it out.

[@shelby8101]

I see you have Dan Simmons Carrion Comfort behind you. Have you read his Summer of Night? It’s so fantastic. Not disturbing particularly but such a great novel.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Carrion Comfort is the only Simmons work I have read. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@bookwormofthedamned]

Geek Love is AMAZING. Picture it.... John Waters + The Addams Family + and old school carnival sideshow. *chef's kiss* One day, I will work up the nerve for Tampa and Lolita, but not today lol And I agree what you said about enjoying this type of literature. It focuses on subjects that do exist and it does this unapologeticly. For example, not until I encountered, "The Girl Next Door," did I realize how brutal real life is, especially towards children. So, sometimes, I don't read this work because I want to, I read it because I feel I need to. However other times, it is in fact a morbid curiosity. Like for example, Haunted, was pure morbid curiosity and I loved it. And in a way, the book was almost so absurd, I had no choice but to laugh, sigh, and say fawk. Gonna have to hunt down a few of these, especially The Shoe Maker. Crash seems like it is much more disturbing than the movie, which I recently saw.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I’m really going to have to read Geek Love! It sounds incredible. And yes, I think disturbing literature exists for this reason: Because we really sometimes can’t face such things anywhere else, but the ugliness of life, at least to me, feels as essential as its beauty.

[@wadejohnston4305]

The shoe maker reminds me of that movie starring and directed by Bill Paxton. He starts "seeing god" and his sons are right around the same age. Ones on board fully and the other is being torn apart by it. I can't remember the name but im almost positive it was his last movie before his passing

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

That film is called Frailty! And yes, similar concept, and I imagine, the Shoe Maker case is not the only such occurrence of parents making their kids commit atrocities.

[@mistyduncan9391]

Im so glad i found you.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Glad to have you here! :)

[@rageagainstmyhairline5574]

Hi :) New sub! Do you think part of 'Disgrace' is to pose the question of whether we should have sympathy for the main character given his actions, do they condemn him to suffer any following traumatic experience (including those visited upon his loved ones as second hand trauma) as perceived ''just desserts', or can they be viewed without context as pitiable? I haven't read the book, but I'm interested in having that premise presented in a visceral manner to challenge my beliefs, so I'd read it if that's an aspect of the book.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I think that’s definitely one of the main themes of the story. Perhaps it’s not deliberately labored as a point (Coetzee is not challenging us to sympathize with or condemn him), but it is definitely a consequence of the brutal and merciless law of the land that the MC is thrown into. It is a brilliant novel, and I highly recommend you read it!

[@rageagainstmyhairline5574]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Awesome, I'll search it out, then. Is it worth reading about apartheid in more detail, or is that unnecessary in order to get all the book has to offer out of it? I have a general grasp of apartheid and small amounts of knowledge on some of the more obscure aspects of the damage it caused, but I could do with a refresher if it enhances enjoyment of the book.

[@Yasmin-xt2rj]

I’m reading at least one book of your list next month

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you for watching! Let me know what you end up reading!

[@Yasmin-xt2rj]

@@PlaguedbyVisions the color purple and the cement garden. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@karamarie6781]

I see you have Night Film on your shelf. I love that book!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Amazing book. Any book that deals with the wasteland of internet interactions is always a winner on my end.

[@karamarie6781]

Juan Valencia so true!👍🏼

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

@@karamarie6781 have you ever read A Head Full of Ghosts? It explores similar themes albeit it’s a much more straightforward horror story.

[@karamarie6781]

Juan Valencia I have only read one book by Paul Tremblay -Cabin at the End of the World. I had such high hopes for the book but the ending just fizzled for me! Maybe I will give him another shot with Headful of Ghosts.

[@neuromantoo]

"The Church of Dead Girls" a novel by Stephen Dobyn who is most known for his poetry. It is a literary in a Cormac Mccarthy sense.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Never heard of this one! Thank you for the recommendation. I’ll be sure to mention it in the next installment!

[@tonyamaddi3044]

"Beach Music" and "Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Haven’t heard of either of these!

[@kirkalex5257]

Want a truly DISTURBING novel to read? Try Lustmord: Anatomy of a Serial butcher. Will give you nightmares the rest of your life.

[@marykatejones3677]

Have you read "Tender is the Flesh"?

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I have! I talk about it in the third installment of this series. :)

[@jonathanwhitfield2864]

Michael Gira's The Consumer is one you may be interested in if you haven't read it already.