Some people are so fascinated by disquieting topics and themes in their literature that it becomes their favorite genre, leaving not only others but themselves to question it.
“In sum, you and I are the same. You may not admit it aloud, but I know you will read this book and wonder how your lover would taste sautéed with shallots and mushrooms and deglazed with a little red wine. You read, and you wonder, and you know the answer would be delicious. Roll that word around in your mouth and feel the tang of its call.”
I’d say that’s pretty twisted, is it not?
This quote is from “A Certain Hunger,” a literary piece that reflects the inner thoughts of Dorothy Daniels, a food critic turned occasional and unrepentant cannibal. An unforgiving and self-admitted psychopath, this character dresses up her harsh truths with a beautiful prose. Most people would not imagine killing, cooking and garnishing their loved one before eating them, much less enacting it. Who would want to consume a work that even offers up a suggestion like that? One that would intertwine carnality and sensuality in such a warped way? Well, actually, thousands of people would.
“A Certain Hunger,” “American Psycho,” “Silence of the Lambs” and “Flowers in the Attic'' were all national bestselling books in the United States. With story plots revolving around things like a narcissistic, homicidal psychopath, cannibalism, a serial killer and incestuous siblings, there is no lack of strange and dark literature. With the exception of “A Certain Hunger,” each of these has also had a movie made about it. People are eager to consume content that leaves them unsettled, or even sick to their stomachs, even endorsing it to others. For an extended period of time, the cannibalistic dystopian novel “Tender is the Flesh” was on the recommendation list of every “BookTok-er.”
The appeal of these books is ambiguous. These compositions, with their meticulously detailed acts of depravity, should leave a reader unable to fathom continuing to read. Sometimes the author will handle their content by infusing a macabre sense of satire. Others choose to shout into the void and delve into the existentialism of derangement. They are not books to be read if someone wants to feel happy.
I think that inherently, we read these as a form of escapism from mundanity. Through stories, we probe into the taboos of life and see them executed in a way we would never want to witness in reality. We can examine the psyche of one who would commit acts that should naturally repulse us, but can take a small comfort in knowing the character is entirely fictional. People have done these things – all stories are centric upon the thoughts of actual people – but it is better to indulge in the fabricated world where the victims are not real.
These literary works are stimulating in the same way that horror movies are; however, books are not hitting their audiences with well-timed, heart attack inducing jump scares. Rather, they creep up on readers with their chilling subject matter, a slow and incessant crawl to the unnerving. Words, as opposed to images, are a double edged sword as well. By reading the violent and grotesque instead of watching it, it is left inevitably up to the imagination of the audience. Whether this results in lessening the brutality or exacerbating it depends on the consumer, but I will say that I find it to be undeniably worse.
While these books are often nauseating, they are also thought invoking. There is an indisputable draw to the perverse and masochistic. This does not make those that would engross themselves in these narratives more likely to commit or condone anything equaling any unspeakable act. It is the ability to take interest in provocative fiction, even if the resulting emotion is revulsion. Oftentimes, these books will leave us feeling introspective, as we are faced with the contemptible side of humanity.
Kirsten Abbey is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kirsten know by emailing her ka239920@ohio.edu.
