I just finished re-reading Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness, and I’m eager to read more on the corruption of the human soul! What books (or possibly movies, poems, or other art forms) pop into your head when you think about falls from innocence, the corrupting influence of society, how individuals transform into a mob, and generally “why things go wrong”?
Well, “A Clockwork Orange” sort of springs to mind.
Crime & Punishment, though it focuses a lot on redemption from that fall from innocence. And I suppose 1984 will be atop most people’s list.
I don’t know if many would consdider this one to fit, but Dan Simmons’ Hyperion and more so the sequels certainly show the darkness of human nature in a future sci-fi setting. I would suggest these books to everyone even those who hate sci-fi.
George Orwell’s 1984 is always a good choice to be chilled by, particularly the “education” of Winston.
This might be considered more of a stretch, bu C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters is another good one at digging into the dark side, regardless of how well you sit with Christian theology.
Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian
I may well think of more later.
the Bible
it’s this fairy tale in which the authors dreamed up this mean, spiteful, jealous all-powerful guy who kills masses of people when he feels slighted.
this book has also cause a lot of misery and deception since it was written several thousand years ago.
if i believed in banning books, this title would be number one on my list.the Bible
the Bible
it’s this fairy tale in which the authors dreamed up this mean, spiteful, jealous all-powerful guy who kills masses of people whenever he feels slighted (or sometimes just when he’s bored).
this book has also caused a lot of misery and deception since it was written several thousand years ago.
it’s the darkest, sickest thing you could ever read…
if i believed in banning books, this title would be number one on my list.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. Oooooh eeee.
Also I found Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis pretty disturbing.
Thanks for the titles, folks. Some I have heard of, some I haven’t.
Goo Fee, interrupting our conversation to flourish the chip on your shoulder isn’t very polite. Please take it to Great Debates or the Pit.
Goo Fee, perhaps you weren’t aware that the restriction on prostlytizing to only Great Debates included religion bashing as well. Consider yourself informed.
Bookwise, Kathe Koja has written a few books about descent into insanity and corruption of the soul and that sort of thing. Strange Angels and Skin would be my two picks for you. Might have to hit up the library though as I think both of those are out of print.
Mein Kampf–by Hitler self explainitory
The Prince–by Macciavelli {sp?} the real story of politics.
I can hardly believe someone beat me to this. I have been trying to get people to read this for years. Good on ya jjimm
Native Son by (I believe) Richard Wright is a good one.
ok… i admit i left my heart out on my sleeve with that one…
but I really feel that the Bible is a book, in part, about the dark side of human nature.
I didn’t realize that the OP meant “recommend some books OTHER THAN THE BIBLE on the dark side of human nature.”
please don’t ask for recommendations and then tell me my recommendation is somehow wrong or unfair.
The Bible is a book
The Bible (IMO) contains a lot of stories on the dark side of human nature.
I’d suggest Brave New World as a great companion piece to 1984, and perhaps Farenheit 451 as well. Naked Lunch is a possibility, if you can stomach Burrough’s substandard writing style. Alexander Pope’s The Dunciad and Jonathan Swift’s ** A Tale of a Tub** both chart the corrupting influences of modern society, though they’re probably a little esoteric for the casual reader.
Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris.
The Arrogance of Power, Anthony Summers.
Hitler’s Willing Executioners, Daniel Goldhagen.
A Simple Plan, Scott Smith.
All the President’s Men, Woodward and Bernstein.
The Talented Mr Ripley, Patricia Highsmith.
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William Shirer.
My Dark Places, James Ellroy.
American Tabloid, James Ellroy.
Warning! Don’t read all of these in a row.
The Comte de Lautreamont’s Les Chants de Maldoror.
First published in 1868, it is a long narrative prose poem which celebrates the principle of Evil in an elaborate style and with a passion akin to religious fanaticism.
[sub](description swiped from back-cover copy of the New Directions edition)[/sub]
Macbeth. It’s got kilts and claymores, to boot.
Zombie , by Joyce Carol Oates–a novel told in the first person by a fellow based more or less on Jeffrey Dahmer; he wants to create a zombie via ice pick lobotomy so he can have them for sex whenever he wants.
:eek: