Why read disturbing books? The End of Alice by AM Homes review

[@amya8155]

You always explain everything so well.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! kind of you to say

[@zamiadams4343]

I got it today and am going to start tonight, cheers man!

[@Arven8]

I've just begun an experiment on reading "disturbing fiction," and one benefit I have noticed -- in addition to the ones you mention, which I agree with -- is what I'll call the "contrast effect." Reading about the worst evil mankind can do gives me more appreciation for the ordinary decency of most people, which otherwise I take for granted. It also makes me more appreciative of my peaceful, ordinary life. I think to myself, "I may have some troubles, but hey, at least I'm not being sodomized and tortured by a serial killer in a dark basement." More broadly, it goes to that old idea that we can't appreciate the good without the bad, the light without the dark. Reading disturbing books lets us experience that evil and darkness, but at a safe distance, and hopefully gives us more appreciation for the good in the world.

[@SheilaTheGrate]

Thank you so much for your review as always! I love hearing your thoughts on books. :D

[@emmiewilliams7546]

I've been wondering about THE END OF ALICE, thanks Olly

[@jamiebbooks]

It's a good question, and one I revisit every time I come across another disturbing book on the Boxall 1001 books lists. I did come across a couple that were just awful, where the plot (if it even really exists) is secondary to the grossness and horrificness. I watch enough livestreams of real life horrific events that I am already a bit desensitized to trauma, death and human evils, but at least in real life there are contexts that provide the backstory for what we are seeing, and we are not watching people or animals suffer as entertainment. I almost never DNF a book, even the gross, disturbing ones, but I may start doing so more often in the future. The ones I made myself finish so far did not contibute anything positive to my knowledge or understanding of anything. But, a good Stephen King novel, for example, has a plot and contexts for the grossness, and often the 'good guys' that survive do even win, with a message implied that even after the worst traumas imaginable, one can still survive and move on to something better.

[@joebo7777]

It’s been a long time since I read Black House yet the one thing that sticks in my memory is the blind dj Henry Liden. An excellent characterisation. I have to agree that it’s too long and slow which lies with the set up in the first half of the book. Still I enjoyed it at the time despite obvious flaws. Thanks for another great video.

[@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH]

I’m not typically a horror reader but I read this one years ago and felt the same way as you. Nothing redeeming about it except the author’s reputation.

[@gracewinchester-baggins4205]

I think I seek out disturbing media partly because my frontal cortex is severely under stimulated. Extreme media tends to stimulate my ADHD brain much more than main stream media does. Im not bored if the book I’m reading is incredibly messed up.

[@kamidsjournee]

I appreciate your review and the exercise in processing what and why. I don’t know if I could/would read books that are gratuitous in this way. I tried reading Notice and was disturbed by the little I read. But when you explained that you thought the author of Notice was working out what happened to her, that makes it more understandable. Still graphic and horrific, but not gratuitous.

[@jackthereader]

I do love a pair of fancy French flaps. :P Seriously, though, I think what distinguishes literature from junk in this type of story is how much empathy it generates for the people involved. Lolita is a story which evokes a huge amount of empathy for the Lolita character if you’re paying attention.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Very good point. And LOL

[@shane505]

FINALLY. It's a very unsettling book, but a good book. It stayed with me ever since I read it. I liked her writing I must say.

[@tyghe_bright]

I don't read a lot of extreme horror (though I have a couple by Wrath James White on my TBR; I've read that his books have social commentary and aren't just extreme for no reason)... because I really *don't* find it scary or disturbing. I'm much more interested in books that mess with my head and get to me on an emotional level. To me, it's a lot like BDSM. It's exploring something dangerous in a safe way, where I have control. And, to quote (or paraphrase as I can't find the quote) A Haunting in Venice: Scary stories make the world seem less frightening.

[@SheilaTheGrate]

The End of Alice sounds like a tough read if it's just a writing exercise in disturbing content. At least Apt Pupil had something interesting to say about the the universal vileness of the people who are attracted to hurting others, with one of the most realistic endings in a King book.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That's a King I need to revisit at some point, it's been ages

[@paulvoorhies8821]

@@CriminOllyBlog I liked the Apt Pupil movie version as well.

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us.” ― Franz Kafka

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ooof. I’m not sure I could only read that kind of book

[@alycatcream]

Hope to see more disturbing book reviews Olly! Cheers. Would you ever consider reviewing Lolita? I hear it's misunderstood; but im afraid to read it due to its pedophilic ties?

[@kommissar.murphy]

It's a good book,and it's morality is clear.

[@bobcabot]

ja all true but for me also the kick is the question: can the author pull it off intellectually and artistically? whatever horrible the subject of matter is: Horror is the artform that probes the art...

[@CriminOllyBlog]

True - and I think I felt with this that she didn't quite manage it. It felt like someone playing at being a monster rather than something like Joyce Carol Oates' ZOMBIE, which is completelt convincing

[@madmigraineur3815]

It has no point because some horrific violence has no point. It’s senseless. That’s how I felt, anyway. I loathed it and felt disgusted, thought I’d never read it again, then reread it two years later for some unknown reason, maybe I was trying to understand? Anyway, I got slightly more out of it, as I wasn’t merely reeling from the grotesque-ness

[@cindyarmenta8825]

Have you ever read or reviewed Jinn by Michael Delaney?

[@planetpaperback]

I was traumatized by this book. I know this isn't the most disturbing part but: Scabs, dude. SCABS.... ::gagging noises:: I really felt like she wanted us to sympathize with these monsters. I hated this book so much, however still finished it.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ugh yeah the scabs

[@geslinam9703]

I read this right after it was first released. Disturbing, yes. Uncomfortable to read. I remember it for that reason, but I didn’t think it was a great book.

[@BandysBooks]

Ugh. It’s hard to live up to Silence of The Lambs.

[@recynd77]

I loved End of Alice; I didn’t find it disturbing, exactly, but dark and creepy. I think a better read in this vein (the blurring of boundaries, that is) is “Tampa”, by Alissa Nutting. I still haven’t forgiven you for “Hogg”….yikes. Lol. Edit: PS: will you create a playlist for your “Disturbing Books” videos? Please and thank you!!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do have that one on my Kindle - I'm aiming to get to it soon. And as for the playlist... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWayfa2uftqSeac&pp=gAQBiAQB

[@jhonni13]

Tampa actually had humor which The End of Alice was mostly lacking (I say mostly bc some of his comments in letters to her were funny). Idk if I'd say they're in the same vein. Tampa felt more like ripped from the tabloids (not in a bad way) and EoA felt more like trying to be profound.

[@recynd77]

@@jhonni13 You’re right. 👍🏼

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@jhonni13 ripped from the tabloids sounds more my jam than profound

[@eriebeverly]

Sorry, you didn't enjoy the book. I like Homes' short stories well enough but find it difficult to want to spend more time with her than a couple dozen pages. This one made me think of The White Album by Joan Didion but without that weird late-60s LA feel which does a lot of heavy lifting for that book.

[@QEsposito510]

I can’t do it. Child abuse is where I draw the line, especially when depicted in such a callous and borderline pornographic manner. Call me a softie, but I don’t want to push my luck when it comes to intentionally consuming works that risk moral injury.

[@nunyabidness4220]

There are good extreme horror books -- Jack Ketchum's Girl Next Door is important horror, as is Survivor by J. F. Gonzalez, Exquisitie Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite, and there's good Wrath James White, Bryan Smith, etc. SOME of Edward Lee was good before he started trying too hard. But too much of extreme horror is just Matt Shaw type of poorly-written absolutely worthless sewage that makes me sorry that self-publishing gave these talentless nothings access to the public.

[@nicholasjones3207]

Last few Ed lee books have been pretty awful imo. If you know of any extreme authors along the lines of ketchum I’m keen for recommendations. Off season has stuck with me. It’s so well handled

[@DDB168]

The plot of the book doesnt sound that original, it's a reworking of the movie Monster (2003) in some respects. I think extreme horror is the social media equivalent of clickbait. 90% of horror is mostly crap anyway, and it seems 100% of extreme horror is too.

[@paulvoorhies8821]

Why wouldn’t you??

[@CriminOllyBlog]

A good counter question!

[@jeffjones229]

Only. I know that you were disturbed by your appearance when you shaved. I withheld the plucked chicken joke that I almost made yesterday. Seriously, you are a good looking fellow with or without the beard. Having said that...plucked chicken, brother, plucked chicken...😂😂😂