Not so clean books you would recommend.

[keith99]

Anything from books excluded from the 'Clean Books' thread because of a single scene to ones with sex violence and profanity throughout.

Uplifting or disturbing. Hard reads or easy reads.

The one hard requirement (as much as the person who starts a thread has the right to require something) is that you tell the rest of us why it is worth reading.

Of course information on if it is hard or easy and just what excludes it from the Clean books might be helpful.

Please try to tell enough that the potential reader can decide if a book is worth a shot without giving so much that the experience of reading it is diminished.

 

[seashale76]

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

A dystopian tale from the 1930s, which is always good for a dire warning regarding the direction of society. Think in the vein of 1984 and you're on the right track.

 

[keith99]

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

A dystopian tale from the 1930s, which is always good for a dire warning regarding the direction of society. Think in the vein of 1984 and you're on the right track.

An excellent choice. Useless for a savage like me however.

What I'll add clearly is that I personally find this a much darker tale as it is closer to what we in the West should fear.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

- As Meat Loves Salt.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/271487.As_Meat_Loves_Salt?from_search=true&search_version=service
The top review by Madeline summarizes it well.

My reading of it coincided with learning about Cromwell's New Model Army and the English Civil War, and it definitely painted a very different perspective on that part of history. It was written by a teacher and meticulously researched for historical accuracy, but it's not pedantic. It's steamy, punchy, intense, but beautiful in many ways, too. I couldn't read it in public because it always made me cry.

- Dora: a Headcase by Lidia Yuknavitch. We briefly studied Sigmund Freud's Dora: An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria, and through that I learned about this modern book which is sort of a satire of it. It's unflinchingly original, and in a way its weirdness can be annoying and disturbing, but it's also endearing and empowering. It's about a wounded but incredibly strong, creative, determined, and clever teenage girl with depression from a dysfunctional family who struggles with mental illness herself. She uses art to express herself. Palahniuk wrote the introduction and has described it as a girls' Fight Club, and it kinda is. Some people have sorta dismissed it as edgy YA mainly because the protagonist is a teen, but it doesn't fit the YA genre at all and isn't marketed for teens. I liked it. I also felt like it gave me insight on mental illness.

- The Chronology of Water, also by Yukanavitch. You can literally judge the book by its cover and decide it isn't for you if you want a "clean" book because it has a bare breast. The breast isn't there because a smutty book; it's because it's raw and exposed. It's a memoir that deals with intense sexual abuse and grief, and it's lurid, has deliberately provocative language almost every page, and yet is such a beautiful, poetic, funny, captivating book. I really like that art is such a source of healing for this writer in both books I've read of hers.

- She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. It captures the life of a ruined teenage girl who recedes into herself, finding comfort and TV and food and ignoring the outside world, and emerges into adulthood socially inept and severely overweight. Eventually she starts living her life. There's a lot of cruelty and crudeness, and it's a book with conflicting opinions. Some loathe it, some love it. I don't regret reading it at all.

- I Know This Much is True, also by Wally Lamb. It was on the "shelf" my English teacher created on Shelfari for our class, and so I decided to read it. It's incredibly long and there's a lot of gut-punches and "unclean" passages but it's so worth the read.

 

[keith99]

From incredibly long to very short.

" - All you Zombies - " by Robert Heinlein.

Sex, seduction and betrayal (well you be the judge of the last) are at the core of the story. That and Time Travel.

If 'bad words' are the mark then this might be considered clean. And the acts are not under a bright spotlight, they are backstage and out of view, so some who are concerned might still find this 'clean'.

This story keeps coming to mind in large part because from time to time I see someone who reads a recent story that deals with 'The Grandfather Paradox' and gushes about how new and groundbreaking it is. Zombies left that in the dust over half a century ago.

Oh and there are no Zombies in the story in the usual sense, you will have to read it to find out the new meaning.

You probably can find it online. I think it is still under copyright. Still I don't think Robert would mind too much. Checking there is an Ebook with the same title that has 4 other stories that are of the same class, e.g. really strange. If you Like Zombies the story consider buying Zombies the book.

 

[HonestTruth]

This book was considered obscene by British courts and banned. However, it was considered art (which is rightfully is) in France where it sold quite well. The authoress contested the ban but lost her case in a British court, became despondent after the trial, and moved to France. Today its artistic merit is recognized.

 

[warrior of Christ 94]

The Star Wars novel Traitor by Matthew Stover, has a Jesus allegory thing going for it. Death, rebirth, explores the mystery of pain. That book I think really set me on a path to meeting Jesus, it was the first time I had read anything that could be related to the death and rebirth, sacrifice topics. It is a great read, lots of action mixed with philosophy, though that philosophy does have a certain Asian religious feel to it, it is still a great Jesus allegory.

 

[Darkhorse]

I have two:

Catcher in the Rye Yes, I know it's old and trite, but it's also very funny (at least I thought so). It also has many good insights into human nature, and many good quotes. Not a "clean book" because God's name is incorporated into curses all the way through.

Once is not Enough Good adventure, good romance, good insights into human nature (again). Yes, it's sensual, but it's well-written sensuality.
Not a "clean book" due to several explicit sex scenes, some violence, and coarse language.

 

[RaydonRaven]

John Dies At The End by David Wong

Creative, imaginative, unpredictable horror with terrible puns and clever humor throughout. Probably the only book I've ever read that had moments that were horrifying and hilarious at the same time. Profanity and violence throughout, and some drug use.

 

[Hetta]

I just read Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, and prior to that I read The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt. Both are British authors. The concept of the former is so weird. The female protagonist keeps being "reborn" in a sense, and with her (first) birth taking place in the early part of the 20th century, she lives and dies in some very interesting times. I really enjoyed the exploration of all of her different lives, because it seemed like multiple stories, rather than just one. I want to read the next one - A God in Ruins - which somehow carries on the same story. The Byatt novelis a much fuller, and kaleidoscopic tale of a widespread group of people that is late 18/early 19 century in its scope. I don't know why I have ended up with two books in a similar period of history! It covers so much social and political history, and I find that thrilling.

 

[keith99]

Hetta's post made me think of Game of Thrones. Not our world, but inspired by real historical events. Sadly that especially applies to some of the more disgusting scenes. Benn a long time since I picked it up. There is one scene where attitudes to some specifics related to [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] are in stark contrast to those today.

seashale76 mentioned Brace New World. One thing I really liked there is a reversal of an absurd position that some seem to hold in today's America. Sex is dirty but motherhood is clean. That get reversed. I doubt that was an accident.

I have one to add that reverses some sexual attitudes. Glory Road by Heinlein. It starts as a retelling of the most basic of knight saves princess story, with the now old twist of the knight being a modern man. Many critics gave it poor reviews showing they were idiots. (The criticism would be vaguely akin to a critic complaining because LOTR spends too much time on Hobbits). Not unlike LOTR is shows some of the less heroic aspects of walking the Glory Road and things related to it. Expect to go where sexual morality is far different than ours, but perfectly reasonable. Most of this is a fun adventure, but be ready to learn there can be great sadness aside from death or physical disaster and harder yet, with no one to blame.

 

[HonestTruth]

I'm having trouble with my PC tonight because it refuses to post anything or show any live online sports.


Here's my third try at posting this: Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem.


I believe this book is a true modern day classic.

 

[WirSindBettler]

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It's an amazingly written historical fiction about the construction of an English cathedral, and is incredibly written. He's an atheist (raised Plymouth Brethren) who was inspired to write the book after he developed in interest in English Gothic architecture.

It has a few rapes and murders, but is one of the greatest books I've ever read. It has a sequel, World Without End, but I would most definitely read Pillars first.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I'm adding The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel García Márquez to my list. I read it in AP Spanish Literature this year, but it took me three millenniums to get through it because my reading pace in Spanish is slower than a turtle on crutches. I still loved it and I recommend the book. I'm going to eventually read it again in English. I also read Memoria de mis putas tristes by him, and it's actually got some really poignant and sweet parts despite the title and the depressing premise. I can't write the English title because it will trigger the censor.

ETA: I want to read Love in the Time of Cholera! We had some choices for what we read, and so I had started with that but then made the mistake of watching the movie and lost my interest and switched. The movie is so blegh, but I know it's not a faithful representation of the book.

 

[Hetta]

Another vote for Gabriel García Marquez, although I haven't read his novels in Spanish ... yet. Love in the Time of Cholera was excellent. I have also read all of the Game of Thrones novels and just longing for the next one ... lazy, lazy man, get it written!

 

[keith99]

I'm adding The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel García Márquez to my list. I read it in AP Spanish Literature this year, but it took me three millenniums to get through it because my reading pace in Spanish is slower than a turtle on crutches. I still loved it and I recommend the book. I'm going to eventually read it again in English. I also read Memoria de mis putas tristes by him, and it's actually got some really poignant and sweet parts despite the title and the depressing premise. I can't write the English title because it will trigger the censor.

ETA: I want to read Love in the Time of Cholera! We had some choices for what we read, and so I had started with that but then made the mistake of watching the movie and lost my interest and switched. The movie is so blegh, but I know it's not a faithful representation of the book.

Merde,

We can say whatever we like as long as it is not in American. Bloody Britspeak is fine.

And now that I'm thinking French I found The Three Musketeers a decent read and a clear qualifier. I rather like stories with clear sides but where characters on both sides have both good and bad traits. If one is a fan of any film media version, save the latest BBC TV series they might wish to avoid the book. Christians be warned the morals of the heros are so bad that Dumas feels compelled to repeatedly point out that certain things were common and acceptable at the time.

 

[Butterfly99]

Well some ppl think The Hunger Games isn't clean because of what's it about but it's one of the few books I liked for real all the way thru.

 

[Darkhorse]

This book was considered obscene by British courts and banned. However, it was considered art (which is rightfully is) in France where it sold quite well. The authoress contested the ban but lost her case in a British court, became despondent after the trial, and moved to France. Today its artistic merit is recognized.

This book was required reading for my mom in her training to become an RN in 1929-1932.

It was considered to be informative about lesbianism.

 

[keith99]

Cordellia's Honor

Forget some trivial words for why this one is not 'clean'. Rape, attempted rape, murder and betrayal. Oh and torture just for the fun of it! Not fun of the reader, fun of a key character.

But none of it gratuitous.

There is a reason why it won a Hugo.

I'm glad I'm a guy and identify with Aral Vorkosigan, his pain is bearable, Cordellia's is not.

One more reason to read if Aral is on the unique side, a man who puts honor before everything yet has feet of clay.

 

[Butterfly99]

John Dies At The End by David Wong

Creative, imaginative, unpredictable horror with terrible puns and clever humor throughout. Probably the only book I've ever read that had moments that were horrifying and hilarious at the same time. Profanity and violence throughout, and some drug use.

Lemme guess. John dies at the end? That is a catchy title for real.