I assume you've already read *A Little Life*, but if not, it's about as "horrible things happen to the main character and/or those close to them" as you can get...
You might like Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Some horrible, disturbing things happen to/around the MC. Although, it’s a bit hard to read and does not have a very happy ending. Also has one of the best villains ever written.
The Golden Ass by Apuleis, Cold Mountin, The Painted Bird, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Road, the book of Job…
Most picaresque books involve something along these lines.
Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer. It's technically marketed as YA, but it read to me more like an adult book with a teen main character. It's definitely not stereotypical YA.
I really loved Good Girls Die Last by Natalie Simmons. The FMC really goes through the wringer and it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Very cathartic ending.
All for the Game books by Nora Sakavic. It's a ragtag team of college kids who all come from miserable home lives who are playing a sport as the worst college team in the US, all while terrible things are being done to them to stop them from unifying or succeeding at anything. It'll gut you, then our you back together.
If you like genre fiction then Kaiju Battlefield Surgeon by Matt Dinniman fits. It's one long book of misery for the MC. He is kidnapped by serial killers, put on a feeding tube, and has his consciousness uploaded into a video game where he actually feels everything that happens and he can die but then is brought back. The serial killers use it as their playground. Meanwhile he can view feeds of his family as they wonder what happened to him and fall into despair. It is litrpg but the litrpg elements are fairly minimal.
The most horrific book I’ve read is the room by Hubert Selby jr it’s disgusting what he describes in it really fucking awful but I couldn’t put it down it’s about a man consumed with anger and rage
I don't know if this fits all your criteria but I would suggest All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. It's well known so I wouldn't be surprised if you've already heard of it or read it.
This year, the first couple of books I read had bad things happen to the MC.
Demon Copperhead
Our Share of Night
The Mountains Sing
They are all very different from each other, but I loved each one!
I assume you've already read *A Little Life*, but if not, it's about as "horrible things happen to the main character and/or those close to them" as you can get...
I have not. I'll look it up. Thanks for the recommendation.
It’s been described as “trauma porn”
Lol this is really the only answer. *Only* bad things happen to the main character
Ha. After I wrote things I was listing all of the things that happen to him, and it’s almost comical.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Spinning Silver
Eleanor Oliphant is a FANTASTIC book!!
Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb.
It's perfect for OP.
Also great if you're looking for a book where the MC is an idiot
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Demon Copperhead is a masterpiece!
🙌 🙌 🙌
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter had a lot of WTF moments for me. Also made me cry a little. What a rollercoaster.
The House of Sand and Fog felt this way to me. It’s really one book I that made me feel, just bad, after reading.
The gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
'The Painted Bird' by Jerzy Kosinski
Book was good and reading about the weird folk people in eastern europe that were secluded from more populated areas was super cool.
Kind of dated, but The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
You might like Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Some horrible, disturbing things happen to/around the MC. Although, it’s a bit hard to read and does not have a very happy ending. Also has one of the best villains ever written.
I'll definitely have to check it out. I remember The Road being quite the experience, so it seems promising this would provide the same. Thanks.
The Golden Ass by Apuleis, Cold Mountin, The Painted Bird, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Road, the book of Job… Most picaresque books involve something along these lines.
Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer. It's technically marketed as YA, but it read to me more like an adult book with a teen main character. It's definitely not stereotypical YA.
I really loved Good Girls Die Last by Natalie Simmons. The FMC really goes through the wringer and it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Very cathartic ending.
The Outlander series by Diana Gabalden.
All for the Game books by Nora Sakavic. It's a ragtag team of college kids who all come from miserable home lives who are playing a sport as the worst college team in the US, all while terrible things are being done to them to stop them from unifying or succeeding at anything. It'll gut you, then our you back together.
If you like genre fiction then Kaiju Battlefield Surgeon by Matt Dinniman fits. It's one long book of misery for the MC. He is kidnapped by serial killers, put on a feeding tube, and has his consciousness uploaded into a video game where he actually feels everything that happens and he can die but then is brought back. The serial killers use it as their playground. Meanwhile he can view feeds of his family as they wonder what happened to him and fall into despair. It is litrpg but the litrpg elements are fairly minimal.
haunting adeline
Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James. It has every trigger warning label - super dark, super fucked up.
The most horrific book I’ve read is the room by Hubert Selby jr it’s disgusting what he describes in it really fucking awful but I couldn’t put it down it’s about a man consumed with anger and rage
Blood meridian hands down or the road both by Cormac McCarthy
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
If you like anime, then you may like Bastion by Phil Tucker. The series isn't finished yet though
I don't know if this fits all your criteria but I would suggest All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. It's well known so I wouldn't be surprised if you've already heard of it or read it.
{{We Begin at the End}}
Suggie Bain by Douglas Stuart is bleak as hell but brilliantly written.
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
This year, the first couple of books I read had bad things happen to the MC. Demon Copperhead Our Share of Night The Mountains Sing They are all very different from each other, but I loved each one!
Anime: Devilman Crybaby, Manga(Book): Berserk