With vac just around the corner, hopefully we can all find some time to read for pleasure (and thrills) again. And, since spooky season is upon us, here is a short list of classic thriller novels to give you some ideas for what to read next.
- ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ by Lionel Shriver
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This prize-winning psychological thriller has given me chills with every reading and is one of my favourite novels in any genre. Through a series of letters written by reluctant mother Eva Khatchadourian, we unravel the horrifying story of a school massacre and a toxic nuclear family, struggling along with Eva to figure out where it all went wrong. Shriver conveys Eva’s guilt and fears throughout the novel with honesty and compassion, making it an emotional rollercoaster alongside the perfectly timed twists of the plot.
- ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley
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This next one may be obvious (especially to English literature students who have had to study it), but I think it needs to be included. This work of Gothic literature is considered by many to be the mother of modern science fiction, with a healthy splash of horror in the mix. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, who started the novel when she was just 18 years old, Frankenstein’s language is surprisingly accessible even 200 years later. It follows the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who constructs and brings to life a sentient creature out of human remains. Although Victor had intended to create something beautiful, the Creature is horrifying to look at and he abandons it as soon as it awakens, leaving the Creature to fend for itself. What follows is a heart-wrenching and disturbing story told from the perspectives of both Victor and the Creature that I believe reflects on oppression, morality, and responsibility.
- ‘The Dinner’ by Herman Koch (translated by Sam Garret)
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This is an unsettling psychological thriller, full of characters who are just about impossible to like. The story, set in Holland, is about a dinner during which two couples discuss what they should do after discovering a deeply disturbing crime committed by their teenage sons. Without giving too much away, the book looks through the lens of an unreliable narrator and twists in shocking ways, making it a page-turner despite all the action taking place over fourcourses in a fancy restaurant. The Dinner touches on issues of class and racism amongst the more overt topics of evil and twisted familial loyalty, and is more of a dark critique on facades in privileged society than a fun thrill – but, if you can stand a bleak story populated by villains, it is also a sharply observant and intriguing book.
- ‘The Institute’ by Stephen King
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Finally, a bonus mention: The Institute by the master of horror, Stephen King. This novel doesn’t seem to be available in South African bookstores yet, but which I am eagerly awaiting it. Published just last month, King’s almost 600-page novel has already received rave reviews and, from the sounds of it, is likely to become another of his classics. It follows the story of superpowered children who have been imprisoned for experimentation in an institution tended to by staff who consider the children subhuman. A New York Times writer suggested that the novel is King’s “scariest yet” because of its references to real-life and current human rights issues, making The Institute likely to be a thought-provoking read.
I hope these novels provide a thrilling read!