I read this while pregnant with my son. Not a good idea – I kept thinking, what if he is born like Kevin (unsympathetic) and I don’t bond with him, like the mother in the book. Luckily this is not the case!
In all serious, the Bible. God-sanctioned rape, incest, slavery, mass murder, killing of unbelievers (even the unbelievers livestock in one case), authoritarianism, blind obedience. Very disturbing. Even as a child I knew it was wrong.
@Kandasamy Jesus of the New Testament condoned slavery.. His only concern was that slaves be treated well and that they obey their owners…NOT that slavery is immoral. Paul in the New Testament also condones slavery. Even at one point urging a runaway slave to return to his owner (it was apparently more immoral to runaway from your owner, than to literally be owned…lol). Slaveowners historically have used both the Old Testament and the New Testament as a guide to slave ownership. (including in my Country).
@Michael I live in India and at least we are fortunate we live in countries that do not have blasphemy laws Barring budhesim most religious texts have violence Even my religion Hinduism texts are violent
Kandasamy Jegadeesan Hence the problem with religion in general. My Country doesn’t have blasphemy Laws, but there is a growing segment that would approve. State Laws are being passed to allow discrimination against people you don’t like or approve of based on one’s “deeply-held religious beliefs”.
Yes Michael Adams true in my country there are so many books mocking our gods freely available I have read most of religious texts I find Jesus Christ and Buddha very nice but Buddha abandoned his wife and child Jesus Christ is flawless
Michael Adams have you read Age of reason by Thomas Paine Thomas Paine wrote common sense and he was instrumental in your country’s freedom and he coined the term United States of America In spite of his contribution he was hounded in his lifetime there was an attempt to murder him and he died a very unhappy man In contrast in my country Dr Ambedkar who wrote our constitution had written very bad things about Hinduism and mocked at our gods but he was given the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna We may be poor people but I think we are free people
Kandasamy Jegadeesan 1) He condoned slavery (his only concern was on the treatment of slaves). 2) He did not severely criticize the Old Testament. He believed in the Old Testament Laws. He critcized those who did not follow “his father’s” laws. 3) He was not part of the “Age of Reason”. That was centuries later in time.
Don’t remember what the title was but these kids were trying to find this serial killer who killed their dad and they met this guy whose tongue got cut off by the serial killer and he was going to help them find him.
Wow! I remember this from a few years ago, but can’t remember the title. If I recall correctly, it was believed that the man without a tongue was the killer (he wasn’t).
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. The ending was a total shock. My daughter and I read it together as a school assignments. We wept together at the end.
The last Harry Potter. My heart shattered into a million pieces when some of the characters died. 10 years later and strange water still drips down my face every time I reread.
There was a Christopher Pike book I read as a child where someone got crunched in a forklift and it upset me so much I threw up and threw the book in the trash. I obviously didn’t finish it and don’t remember the title. Otherwise I remember Where The Red Fern Grows upsetting me a lot when I was in 5th grade. I go out of my way to avoid disturbing books after the Pike incident.
A few years ago I tried to read the Columbine book, also forget the title and the author (seeing a trend here?), and it freaked me out so badly it triggered a severe anxiety issue so I threw that book in the trash without finishing it too. I forgot about that one. I don’t know why I tried to read it, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to. (Weirdly I was able to read We Need To Talk About Kevin. I think that it was fiction and the epistolary style may have made it feel far enough removed from reality even though this subject matter is a problem for me.)
So good though, still one of my favorites. I re-read it recently before I gave it to my daughter to read for the first time. Still make me cry all these years later!
There was quite a combination of factors: Germany’s shameful loss in WWI, the extreme terms of the Treaty of Versailles, a severe declining economy, and the rise of fascism, were major contributing causes.
Is revival really that traumatic….? I’m almost exactly halfway through it and I haven’t hit anything all that much… does it get batsh*t or something….? (No spoilers of course lol). Maybe I’m just desensitized…??????
When I was a teenager I bought (without my parents knowing) Fatal Vision..true crime of Captain Jeffery McDonald. Killed his pregnant wife & kids, staged it to look like it was the Manson killers. Came w/pictures. He is still fighting that he is innocent. Gave me chills.
Death of a Salesman
Pretty stolen doll series
Only child
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulkes
we need to talk about kevin
I read this while pregnant with my son. Not a good idea – I kept thinking, what if he is born like Kevin (unsympathetic) and I don’t bond with him, like the mother in the book. Luckily this is not the case!
1984
A Child called It
I’ve never allowed myself to read that book because I know it would be heartbreaking.
Heart breaking. I ended up reading the whole series. ?
Helter Skelter
in cold blood
mornings in jenin
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Same for me.
Without a doubt!
The road or a monster calls
The Giving Tree
I’ve read so many, but I will go with Helter Skelter
My thoughts exactly?
Yes I agree
To me, scary, but not traumatizing.
The Bell Jar. ?
don’t read depressing books.
A child called it series, by Dave pelzer. ?? xx
Animal Farm
The shadows by J.R. Ward
1984
Wait how was this traumatizing for you?
Its hard to explain.it just chills you deep down.this was writen in 1948.how he saw what was to come.blows my mind..
The rat in the face cage.
Johnny Get Your Gun
The Kite Runner. =~=
Following x
A Dream of Lights
The Holy Bible
Sophie’s Choice
A Stephen King book. I read it in my twenties- I’m 60- and haven’t touched one since…shudder!!!
Maria Doria Russell’s THE SPARROW
Road out of Hell.
In all serious, the Bible. God-sanctioned rape, incest, slavery, mass murder, killing of unbelievers (even the unbelievers livestock in one case), authoritarianism, blind obedience. Very disturbing. Even as a child I knew it was wrong.
Sorry you’re interpretation is what it is.
@Stacy It is what the book actually says. Not even a matter of interpretation.
@Michael okay.
That is how I feel about the old testament. Every time I read it my faith is shaken and weakened. Such a struggle.
The new testament is full of forgiveness and compassion I am a Hindu but fond of Jesus Christ
Haven’t read old testament and don’t intend to read it
@Kandasamy Jesus of the New Testament condoned slavery.. His only concern was that slaves be treated well and that they obey their owners…NOT that slavery is immoral. Paul in the New Testament also condones slavery. Even at one point urging a runaway slave to return to his owner (it was apparently more immoral to runaway from your owner, than to literally be owned…lol). Slaveowners historically have used both the Old Testament and the New Testament as a guide to slave ownership. (including in my Country).
@Michael I live in India and at least we are fortunate we live in countries that do not have blasphemy laws
Barring budhesim most religious texts have violence
Even my religion Hinduism texts are violent
Kandasamy Jegadeesan Hence the problem with religion in general. My Country doesn’t have blasphemy Laws, but there is a growing segment that would approve. State Laws are being passed to allow discrimination against people you don’t like or approve of based on one’s “deeply-held religious beliefs”.
Yes Michael Adams true in my country there are so many books mocking our gods freely available
I have read most of religious texts
I find Jesus Christ and Buddha very nice but Buddha abandoned his wife and child Jesus Christ is flawless
Michael Adams have you read Age of reason by Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine wrote common sense and he was instrumental in your country’s freedom and he coined the term United States of America
In spite of his contribution he was hounded in his lifetime there was an attempt to murder him and he died a very unhappy man
In contrast in my country Dr Ambedkar who wrote our constitution had written very bad things about Hinduism and mocked at our gods but he was given the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna
We may be poor people but I think we are free people
Age of reason he severely criticized the old testament
Kandasamy Jegadeesan 1) He condoned slavery (his only concern was on the treatment of slaves). 2) He did not severely criticize the Old Testament. He believed in the Old Testament Laws. He critcized those who did not follow “his father’s” laws. 3) He was not part of the “Age of Reason”. That was centuries later in time.
Fine Michael Adams you are right this is not the place for religious debate I’m sorry
The Road
I gotta agree Helter Skeltee was traumatizing so was Sybil!
Child Called It
The ending of the Dark Tower by Stephen King. Pretty traumatic considering all of the series.
Gone girl, The Kite Runner
“Mindhunter” by John Douglas
Sophie’s Choice, Uncle Toms Cabin, Kite Runner
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Hopeless -Colleen Hoover
Child Called It
Johnny Got His Gun
.
Most things by Stephen King ☺
.
Don’t remember what the title was but these kids were trying to find this serial killer who killed their dad and they met this guy whose tongue got cut off by the serial killer and he was going to help them find him.
Wow! I remember this from a few years ago, but can’t remember the title. If I recall correctly, it was believed that the man without a tongue was the killer (he wasn’t).
@Betty it was assigned for a library book club but I got super freaked out by the book so my mom told me I didn’t have to read it anymore
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. The ending was a total shock. My daughter and I read it together as a school assignments. We wept together at the end.
The Radium Girls; Sarah’s Key; Before We Were Yours; Boy in the Striped Pajamas; The Witches
The last Harry Potter. My heart shattered into a million pieces when some of the characters died. 10 years later and strange water still drips down my face every time I reread.
There was a Christopher Pike book I read as a child where someone got crunched in a forklift and it upset me so much I threw up and threw the book in the trash. I obviously didn’t finish it and don’t remember the title. Otherwise I remember Where The Red Fern Grows upsetting me a lot when I was in 5th grade. I go out of my way to avoid disturbing books after the Pike incident.
A few years ago I tried to read the Columbine book, also forget the title and the author (seeing a trend here?), and it freaked me out so badly it triggered a severe anxiety issue so I threw that book in the trash without finishing it too. I forgot about that one. I don’t know why I tried to read it, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to. (Weirdly I was able to read We Need To Talk About Kevin. I think that it was fiction and the epistolary style may have made it feel far enough removed from reality even though this subject matter is a problem for me.)
Ole Yellar
The Lost Dogs
Survivor type – Stephen King (Short story)
YES! That story!!
That’s one I haven’t read. Where do I find it? Is it in a collection?
@Sheri – yes it’s a short story in Skeleton Crew .
@Nicole , thank you. I have that. I’ll eventually get to it. ??
Love Skeleton Crew, but yes, all those stories are creepy!
“Amsterdam” by Ian McEwan. Devastating.
Where the Red Fern Grows!! I bawled my eyes out and couldn’t stop!
Oh me too! I read it when I was in elementary school. It’s such a great story but so sad.
So good though, still one of my favorites. I re-read it recently before I gave it to my daughter to read for the first time. Still make me cry all these years later!
@Dani same here, I always cry!! Even watching the movie too!
A child named it by Dave pelzer. And they caged the animals at night. I forget the author.
Yes the child called it.
Bringing Adam Home. Just read it and it was difficult to read at times. ?
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson.
Living Dead Girl.
The child called it
Beasts of no nation
I read Pet Semetary by Stephen King when I was nine ? it still haunts me
I have yet to find it… and I read a LOT of disturbing stuff… ???
Try A Little Life
@Betty I’ve read that. Some cringe, but not traumatic to read. Not for me anyway. Good suggestion though – it definitely is up there in cringe factor!
Yea, I’m pretty undisturbable too lol
The Fault in Our Stars, but only because I read it at 8 months pregnant when literally everything was making me bawl. I was an inconsolable wreck lol.
The Hot Zone
The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams
A Child Called It series and Tears of Tess
“The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”, William Shirer
What did Shirer believe made the Third Reich’s rise possible?
There was quite a combination of factors: Germany’s shameful loss in WWI, the extreme terms of the Treaty of Versailles, a severe declining economy, and the rise of fascism, were major contributing causes.
Final truth by Donald peewee gaskins and when a monster comes out of the closet by Dodd. Both awful, but the second scared me a ton as a parent..
1984 by George Orwell
The Surgeon by Tess Gerrittsen
American Psycho.
Helter Skelter
120 Days in Sodom
Marquis de Sade
The Kitchen God’s Wife
The Kitchen God’s Wife
Helter Skelter, Revival, handmaidens Tale
Is revival really that traumatic….? I’m almost exactly halfway through it and I haven’t hit anything all that much… does it get batsh*t or something….? (No spoilers of course lol). Maybe I’m just desensitized…??????
When I was a teenager I bought (without my parents knowing) Fatal Vision..true crime of Captain Jeffery McDonald. Killed his pregnant wife & kids, staged it to look like it was the Manson killers. Came w/pictures. He is still fighting that he is innocent. Gave me chills.
13 Reasons Why.
Fatal Vision
My fave… sophie’s choice. Changed my life. Boy in striped pajamas is a very close second.
The Road
Five Chimneys by Olga Lengyel
Outlander , the last 200 pages made me bawl like a baby .
Sophie’s Choice
Sophie’s Choice
Yet to meet my match
J. D Robb. All of them
Sleepers by Lorenzo carcaterra
A Snowflake in My Hand
Poppy Z. Brite. Lost Souls
The Hiding Place
Even though I loved it, I’m gonna say “The Bell Jar” because, being bipolar, it hit real close to home
The Picture of Dorian Gray
One of my favorites.
A little life by hanya yanagihara.
Agree 100%!
Helter Skelter—couldn’t leave it out at night. Scared me to death…
NAM…..just made you relize what our service members went through while being in service during that time and what some of them went thorugh.
My Algebra Book in H.S. 🙂
That’s a good one
Funny… mine too! College one was even worse
Helter Skelter, because it was true!
The reluctant dom had me in tears. And 12 years a slave
I read Flowers in the Attic when I was in my early teens. It messed with my head!!!!!