A Definitive List Of The Best Dark Comedy Novel

By Robert Peterson


During the thirties, the Surrealist movement rose in popularity and it was evident in numerous applications. A product of this movement was the creation of black comedy, which is considered a classical style of comedy that relied on dark subject matters. This includes making light on various topics that are otherwise, considered taboo or scandalous by nature. Due to this, entertainers and people who enjoyed this new brand of humor were considered unorthodox during this time.

Nowadays, this type of movement continues to thrive in the form of various entertainment outlets. This generally comes in movies, magazines, songs, and numerous other publications. In relation with this, the following text shall contain a definitive list of the best Dark Comedy Novel you can read for your own amusement.

A famous and modern author known for this literary format is Chuck Palahniuk. He is known for using dark humor as a means of entertainment and a plot device, as evident in Haunted. The plot involves short stories focused on all the characters involved. These stories are compiled and intertwine during the course of events, to create a unifying retelling of the horrors faced by these strangers while being trapped under one roof together.

The Basic Eight is a novel written by Daniel Handler and was published in late nineties. It focuses mainly on the diary of a high school student whose name is Flannery. It is a humorous commentary on the standard education system, panic caused by Satanism, and talk shows. The main character then performs in a school named based on Othello, where she draws comparisons between herself and the characters involved.

Nick Cave is known primarily as the vocalist for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, but has also ventured into literature in his spare time. This is evident in his work called The Death of Bunny Munro. The plot follows Bunny, a grown man who is suffering from the suicide of his now deceased wife. He becomes increasingly depressed and relies on alcohol and unconventional relationships with other women to get him by. When the need to support his lifestyle and young son becomes apparent, he gets a job as a door to door cosmetics salesman, unaware of the serial killer who has been stalking him ever since.

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.

A popular comic that was first created in the40s is One Hundred and One Uses for a Dead Cat. This was conceptualized by Simon Bond, who draws and creates dialogue for this one panel comic and compiled everything into numerous books. The cats that are drawn often face horrors, often having a gory or macabre tone to it.

The Sirens of Titan is a masterpiece that could only come from the mind of Kurt Vonnegut Junior. It was first made available in various bookstores in the late fifties and is considered a game changer in this genre, as well as the science fiction category. This is his second book in his lineup and uses the plot to discuss various musings concerning free will, the presence of a higher being, and what exactly the purpose of human existence is. This was all included while including how Martians subsequently invaded planet Earth.

The Rules of Attraction was written by Bret Eaton Ellis, who is also known for his satirical works. This novel focused on three bohemian art college students, who become intertwined with one another. This results in a love triangle, which was converted into a major film during the early two thousands.




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