Here are five ‘dark humour’ books that I have read and would recommend.
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour.
My Review: Tender Branson, the last survivor of the Creedish Church cult, has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. His objective: to dictate his life story onto …(more)
Spencer’s Risk by Andy Greenhalgh
Spencer’s Risk is a third person, thespian-themed work that offers an authentic insight into the mind of a compulsive gambler.
My Review: Spencer Leyton’s life is spiralling downhill. He has split from his wife, is virtually estranged from his kids, his career is in tatters, and he has a serious …(more)
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Fortunately for the author she has a sense of humour, and she needed it for this book.
My Review: This non-fiction work investigates the more unfamiliar scenarios involving our dead bodies. Topics include human crash test cadavers, bullet-testing cadavers, and … (more)
Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
A sense of doom and despair permeates this somewhat disparate and at times darkly humorous assemblage.
My Review: The book, which is divided into four parts, begins with the sinister tale Rashōmon. Set during the Heian era (11th century) it sees a confrontation between …(more)
The Voyeur’s Motel by Gay Talese
The Voyeur’s Motel is comprised of the confessions of Gerald Foos, a former Colorado motel owner and voyeur.
My Review: Foos’s lifelong obsession began in childhood, spying on his aunt through the window of her bedroom. It was his purchase in the 1960s of the Manor Park Motel in …(more)