A Short List Of The Best Well Written Dark Comedy Novel

By Robert Peterson


The Surrealist movement first rose in prominence in the thirties, where it went on to create various art forms involving this format. One such result of its wide prominence and influence over society resulted in the invention of black comedy. Nowadays, this comedic approach falls under the classical category and is known for broaching on subjects that are otherwise, though off as scandalous or untouched because of its notoriety and subject matters considered taboo. However, instead of using a bleak approach, it finds humor in irony in it.

At present times, this comical approach continues to be used by various comedians and has been interpreted in numerous formats. This includes the creation of literature that expands on various topics regarding it, as well as movies and songs created by artists across the world. Following this trail of thought, this article contains a list of top seven titles in the Dark Comedy Novel category in literature.

Haunted is a book by Chuck Palahniuk, an author known for his dark humor and the use of shock value to surprise readers with the content of this works. A vast majority of his works have been translated to movies, which went on to win awards. However, one of his most disturbing works yet is this one, which centers on a group of characters who willingly submit themselves to staying in one house to write something worth publishing, but are unaware of the dangers that each member brings.

Daniel Handler wrote The Basic Eight, which focuses on a diary written by Flannery. Flannery is a student still in high school, who often has discussions and muses about various topics like Satanism, the irony of talk shows, and the flaws of the educational system set in America. Near the end, she participates in a school production of Othello, where she begins to draw comparisons between herself and its characters.

Another publication is titled The Death of Bunny Munro, and is authored by Nick Cave, the vocalist for an Australian rock band. The plot focuses on Bunny, a womanizing and alcohol addicted man who has a hard time dealing with the death of his wife. She died because of suicide, which came as a surprise to him. His job involves going from one door to another to sell beauty products but does not notice a serial killer who is watching him from afar.

Another Palahniuk title that makes this list is Choke, which has been converted into a major movie shown in theatres a few years ago. The story follows Victor, a man addicted to intercourse and becomes increasingly worried and stressed. This stress comes from the worry of where to find money to support his frail mother, who is admitted into a nursing home. By working in a colonial museum and tricking people into giving donations, he manages to so and also create his dream home in this process.

One hundred and One Uses for a Dead Cat was first published in the late forties and was a collection of comics that continued into two thousand eleven. It was written by Simon Bond and each panel ended with his tag line, which revolves around a cat. The cats are drawn in a macabre fashion, some of them are dead while others are doing activities that humans would normally do.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Is a famous classical writer that created novels in this category. A notable one is The Sirens of Titan, which was published during the 50s and is considered by scholars and enthusiasts as an innovative work of fiction. It also has underlying tones of science fiction where the protagonists ponder and discuss topics about free will, a god, and the purpose of human life. As they do this, the world is slowly being taken over by Martians, who intend to invade the planet.

The Rules of Attraction is most known for the movie, but few know it was actually a book. It was created by Bret Ellis and the plot revolves around three college students who live a bohemian lifestyle. The three students form a bond, which results in a love triangle of epic proportions.




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