What is the most violent book you've ever read. I've been in a dark mood recently and I think I need some catharsis

K A W A I I

The adventures of bloodedge the hedgehog

This. My boy Diomedes fucked shit up.

Nestor must've been pretty savage back in the day, too.

Blood Meridian

Blood Meridian

Hiroshima

J G Ballard my nigga, read Crash

When you think about it, it is pretty violent. Not gritty but nevertheless brutal.

I remember being pretty disturbed when Ajax threw a bolder onto Hector's chest, and the only reason he survived was because of the Gods.
Also Achilles dragging Hector in the chariot.
Poor Hector.

The Bible - LOL!

Good shit right here. Really loved the plot as well.

These two. They're both extremely violent in a sadistic way.

If you're looking for "I just want to read fucked up shit", I'd recommend American Psycho because it's much more accessible.

The novelisation of Wolverine: Weapon X by Marc Cerasini. Not memeing, I read it as a pre-teen and thought it was really fucking violent.

The Wasp Factory is supposed to be really violent. Haven't read it though, it's on my list.

Ballard is always worthwhile

Blake Butler - 300,000,000

Everyone in America dies

Almost Transparent Blue

Le Chants de Maldoror

120 days of sodom by marques de sade is exactly what youre looking for

How would you define gritty?

I read an autobiography about OP tomorrow.

There's more sex in it, dear. Please don't pretend you've read things so OBVIOUSLY.

Maybe something from the marines' reading list.

usmcofficer.com/marine-corps-knowledge/commandants-reading-list/

Blood meridian

...

came to post this. great book.

paulo lins - city of god

Read Memorial by Alice Oswald for a concise retelling of all the deaths

this. the stuff in the beginning where one of the whores is talking about how a priest would suck the snot out of her nose was disgusting

Check out 2666. The longest section of the novel consists of many (hundreds?) short descriptions of murdered women.

What do you mean by "violent"? What exactly tips the needle into your "violence" gauge?

If all you're looking for is brutality or gore, then go read the descriptions of any serial killer's crimes. That'll do just fine, I'd imagine.

Has somebody liked Journey to the end of the night?

Suprisingly well-written and compelling but it gets really dark

The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh. Vietnam war novel written by an NVA vet. Fucking intense.

Edge: The Loner by George G. Gilman. Nothing but blood and violence in every chapter but a very fun read.

there's very little violence in journey though

I would say gritty as the inclusion of details, relating to gore, violence, sex, and profanity, in attempt to be realistic, but also achieving the effect of a slightly nihilistic and dark tone, being completely serious.

And how does this not apply to the Iliad, except in as much as modern grittiness is in response to 'romanticism' or 'idealism' (senûs laxi)?

Because, in a sense, it does not focus on the physical details of violence. While there are brutal scenes there is little description of blood or gore or corpses or anything, as far as I can remember. It's been about a year since I've read the Iliad.

surprised naked lunch hasn't been mentioned yet.

Juggling between Storm of Steel or some parts of the Old Testament.

You've definitely just forgotten them, the Iliad is full of things like that

"Antilochus thrust first, speared the horsehair helmet
right at the ridge, and the bronze spearpoint lodged
in the man's forehead, smashing through his skull
and the dark came whirling down across his eyes"

"Now Amarinceus' son
Diores--fate shackled Diores fast and a jagged rock
struck him against his right shin, beside the ankle.
Pirous son of Imbrasus winged it hard and true,
the Thracian chief who had sailed across from Aenus . . .
the ruthless rock striking the bones and tendons
crushed them to pulp--he landed flat on his back,
slamming the dust, both arms flung out to his comrades,
gasping out his life. Pirous who heaved the rock
came rushing in and speared him up the navel--
his bowels uncoiled, spilling loose on the ground
and the dark came swirling down across his eyes."

"Meriones caught him quickly, running him down hard
and speared him low in the right buttock--the point
pounding under the pelvis, jabbed and pierced the bladder--
he dropped to his knees, screaming, death swirling round him."

"With that he hurled and Athena drove the shaft
and it split the archer's nose between the eyes--
it cracked his glistening teeth, the tough bronze
cut off his tongue at the roots, smashed his jaw
and the point came ripping out beneath his chin.
He pitched from his car, armor clanged against him,
a glimmering blaze of metal dazzling round his back--
the purebreds reared aside, hoofs pawing the air
and his life and power slipped away on the wind."

I suppose that you could call the Iliad gritty, as gritty is a loose term, but I would also say that while there are scenes such as this throughout the book (thinking about it I do remember) but are neither the focus of the book, and there are many central scenes that are quite unlike that. Still, good point.

Oh yeah, of course. That's all just because Homer was honest about war and the Iliad being large in scope. It's why we see tender scenes between Andromache and Hector, or between Achilles and Priam in the last book amid all the death and gore. The gruesome deaths aren't necessarily the focus of the book like you say, but they serve a purpose and I think they're there in sufficient numbers to consider the Iliad gritty, but that's pretty loose, again like you said.

easily Blood Meridian

disgusting old hag.

She's fucking adorable I want to enslave her.

good book

+1

probly because it sucks

The Painted Bird. Lots of violent death, eyeballs being plucked out, rapes of women and little kids, little kids being hacked to death, etc. And it's just a really good book.

It has a history sort of like Night. Kosinski tried to pass it off as factual/mostly factual when he first published it in the 60s, but he turned out to be a charlatan. Still a fantastic book nonetheless.

Whoops, it was posted already and received two upboats. Oh, well.