Mylab, I am a bit of a coward when it comes to reading dark stuff and, if I'm aware that an author is well-known for writing 'disturbing' books I tend to shy away from them.
Off-hand I can't think of any title of the kind you describe that I might have read, though I'm sure there must be one or two that I may have picked up by mistake. If I remember it/them I'll get back to you.
Sorry to be so vague.

I'm with Vee! I don't want to read that kind of author and avoid the forensic and gruesome type of mysteries. I even like my murders to be fairly bloodless!
I don't watch TV programs like that either.

I felt that way when I read "Fall On Your Knees" years ago. I was utterly repulsed and turned off. (Another dysfunctional family novel). I tried to read Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" but found the little I read creepy, so never got into it.

Mylab, good luck with Valley of Amazement. It has its own toe curlers.

I understand the avoidance of dark subjects - I read "The Road" the year it came out - it was so disturbing that I skipped the book club discussion, wouldn't watch the movie when my husband found it on the movie channel. I reacted the same way to my book club's selection of B*****d Out Of Carolina - I completely quit going to the book club for about six months, I was worn out.

(******** is a child born out of wedlock as the forum wont accept the spelling of the actual word.)

Both were so well written, certainly, but so hopeless that I was off any reading subject matter which was of deeply dark subject matters for many years

So, I'm surprised I am so attracted to Flynn's books- it must be her writing style or her ability to deal with her subject matter in an unflinching manner. Who knows?
She is a formidable talent but were I a writer I would consider myself truly cursed if her's were the stories that I had within me demanding to be given birth.
I can't imagine working on those subjects every day for however many years it takes to complete her books.

Thus far, Amy Tan is soothing to my savaged eyes.
Thank you Amy Tan, thank you!
:)

Removing a double post

This post was edited by mylab123 on Sun, Aug 3, 14 at 23:14

I felt the same way about Gone Girl, it became darker and darker but I couldn't stop reading. Thankfully, it wasn't as gruesome as some other books I've read.

I usually totally avoid dark stories -- I had to read Emma Donoghue's ROOM for my book group and while I could admire what she did and the way she wrote it and I do think she's vastly talented -- god, I wish I'd never read it. Blech.

As for The Road, I told my book group that was the one book I flat-out would not read if they chose it. I skimmed a page or two once at the bookstore and that was more than enough.

I loved Dark Places and Gone Girl. Actually I love dark books and dysfunctional families. I don't like happy books. Isn't that weird.

I guess it is such and escape for me because of the suspense. And you realize that your life is actually pretty good.

I do rather like bittersweet books but avoid the out and out dark and dismal side of literature. I can handle sadness, even unhappy endings, but don't want to read about despair or horror. There is already more of that in the real world than I can easily tolerate. I don't want to fill my mind with even more of it. My imagination is too vivid, and it seems too real to me.

Rosefolly