Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

I am looking for some particularly dark/cynical/bleak/depressing books on the 1001 list.

Some of my favorite dark books on the list are Novel with Cocaine, The Devil in the Flesh, Crime and Punishment, Story of the Eye, The Death of Ivan Ilych, and A Man Asleep. Books in a similar vein are what I am looking for.

Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy

The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell

This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski

The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe

The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

L'Assommoir by Émile Zola

I don't necessarily recommend these--but I thought they effectively created a bleak mood by the implication of events. I wouldn't recommend a steady diet of this.

You may also try Flannery O'Connor's short stories, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, though that last one is a mixture of many different elements, cynicism being one.

Bryan wrote: "You may also try Flannery O'Connor's short stories, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, though that last one is a mixture of many different elements, ..."

Thank you for the recommendations! I have been meaning to read The Piano Teacher, Under the Volcano, and 2666 for a while. I have already read The Bell Jar, but didn't care much for it. My book diet is already pretty bleak, and I'm happy to continue that way, so I'll add some of these to my library list when I go book searching next.

Benjamin wrote: "I have been meaning to read The Piano Teacher, Under the Volcano, and 2666 for a while. I have already read The Bell Jar, but didn't care much for it...."

Although it's a good book, I didn't care for The Bell Jar much either. But neither did I care for Under the Vulcano. The Piano Teacher, Wide Sargasso Sea and The Butcher Boy I liked. 2666 and L'Assommoir have been on my TBR list for a while.

I have Homo Faber with me now. It's on the extreme leading edge of my TBR pile.

Mercedes wrote: "Homo Faber one could categorize as dark.
Heart of Darkness, by its very title, deals with colonialism gone awry.
Under the volcano is one of my favorites.
Another by Rhys,..."

I would really love to read Giovanni's Room and Faces in the Water. I have to read Heart of Darkness for school next year - it's been on my shelf for a while now.

I haven't read the list representative of António Lobo Antunes work (Fado Alexandrino), but based on everything else of his that I've read, I'd expect dark, bleak and depressing.

Benjamin wrote: "I would really love to read Giovanni's Room and Faces in the Water. I have to read Heart of Darkness for school next year - it's been on my shelf for a while now....."

Giovanni's Room and Homo Faber are excellent. Haven't read Faces in the Water but read several other books by Janet Frame (and liked them). Heart of Darkness I've read twice now, as everyone seems to like it, but it still is not my kind of book I'm afraid.

Looking through the 1001 that I've read, it would appear that I try to stay away from these types of books! But I have read a couple:

Broken April this is one of my least favorite books EVER, but it is dark and dreary.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? this one may not be as dark as you're looking for, but I found it enjoyable, and it's short.

S. very dark, but also very readable.

Notes from the Underground was morbid. Hunger isn’t far behind.

Mercedes wrote: "A Clockwork Orange, naturally. And so entertaining!"

He’s a hoot! I agree. 😊

Mercedes wrote: "Funny, but I placed Broken April in my six-star book list. It is dark!"

Glad someone liked it! ;)

Some great examples already here. I would add: Perfume, The Killer Inside Me, Story of the Eye, Crash, The Atrocity Exhibition, anything by William Burroughs, Choke, The Virgin Suicides, Comfort of Strangers, The Wasp Factory, Enduring Love, Atonement (not creepy, but devastating), The Secret History, Native Son...there's a lot actually lol.

Also, the most disturbing single scene I've ever read in a book (personally) was in Jude the Obscure. Y'all who've read it know which one I mean :(

Try The Jungle

There are brief spots of happiness near the beginning and somewhat at the end, but overall it is a depressing novel.