We had to read this book called A Prayer for Owen Meany in school. Lots of weird stuff in that one. Main thing that stood out to me was a part where the mc is tied up to his girl cousin and gets an erection
this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
595 points (98.9% liked)
Books
6262 readers
383 users here now
A community for all things related to Books.
Rules
- Be Nice. No personal attacks or hate speech.
- No spam. All posts should be related to books.
Official Bingo Posts:
Related Communities
Community icon by IconsBox (from freepik.com)
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Was a full, but short, novel that I think was summer reading: The Chocolate Wars.
Not traumatizing as much as just a shit message. Don't quietly try to opt out of what the public wants, don't rock the boat, or you'll be executed publicly as a spectacle while your peers cheer.
Kid doesn't want to participate in his high school chocolate selling fundraiser, bunch of other things happen in between, and then his classmates organize a rigged boxing match between him and the biggest school bully where they all cheer while the bully beats the main character to death. And it just hard cuts, ends there.
What a garbage book.
load more comments
(1 replies)
!shortstories@literature.cafe
Whatever you choose, post right there 😭
It isn't a short story, but it might as well have been.
In my high school senior level English class, they had us read "On the Beach." The class as a whole did not like it. We told the teacher that we would not be reading further and would not be engaging on the book any more. It took a week and they moved us on to "Wuthering Heights" which was far easier to read.
"Wuthering Heights" which was far easier to read.
Oh my!
In case you don't know, the plot of on the beach is that nuclear war happened and the only people still alive are in Australia. The story follows their acceptance of impending death as the fallout reaches them. I'd rather young adult angst than full on suicidal discussions. I have my own thoughts on that, thankyouverymuch. I don't need a book to slap me in the face with them for a school grade.
load more comments
(1 replies)
I've always remembered H. G. Wells' The Red Room, altho it's shorter than most mentioned here I think. Just loved it. So unsettling. So evocative and creepy. It's been maybe thirteen years. 😂
It might not be disturbing, but I think that anyone that is going into the Engineering field should read Superiority by Arthur C. Clarke.
The Pedestrian, Ray Bradbury.
The Jaunt by Stephen King
I read that last week! God that's a good one
Borrasca (just the original, not the add-on parts)
Have no clue what it was called but I remember having to read a short story that included a guy who would take the family cat into a locked room and watch porn…
Im still scarred by my english teacher enthusiastically reading certain scenes of Equus to the class.
By the Waters of Babylon still haunts me in the best way.
Exit by Harry Farjeon.