The Darkest Book I've Ever Read (+ Writing on the Dark Side workshop tomorrow!)
What makes a book dark?
In advance of Writing on the Dark Side, a workshop
and I are running tomorrow (more info below!), I wanted to talk about darkness in books and share a recommendation.I’ve read many horror and thriller books where bad things happen, yet I don’t feel in any way affected after I close the last page. To me, dark books stay with us because they’re are able to reveal and explore our shadow parts. These are the parts of ourselves that we disconnect from when we’re young because we’re told that they’re not acceptable. They may include rage, jealousy, hatred, and aggression. However, though we push these parts away, they don’t just disappear. They continue to live within us and if we’re not aware of them, they can unconsciously affect or even control our behavior. On a societal level, they can also lurk underneath the surface, causing violence, oppression, and destruction.
I was thinking of doing a whole series on the darkest books I’ve ever read, but when I thought about this category, one book jumped immediately to mind. IN THE CUT was written by Susannah Moore and published in 1995. The book follows a thirty-something English teacher named Frannie who happens to see a sex act in the basement of a bar. Frannie is later tracked down and questioned by detectives after the woman is found murdered. Frannie starts a sexual relationship with Detective Malloy, even as other women die and she becomes more and more convinced that he’s in fact the serial killer.
This book contains shadow parts on multiple levels. First, there is the societal version, which includes the discussion of violence against women, both in the literal murders and also the sexism shown by the detectives and police department. Then there are shadow parts on the individual level, in which a part of Frannie becomes more attracted to Detective Molloy not in spite of, but because of the danger that he represents. Their graphic sexual relationship also plays with related themes of submission, power, and consent.
IN THE CUT was later turned into a movie by Jane Campion, starring Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo (with an unfortunate mustache). The movie’s not bad, but it’s difficult to adapt a book that focuses so much on Frannie’s interiority. The endings are also notoriously different. The Guardian ran an interesting interview with Susannah Moore a few years ago (contains some spoilers), which touches on the fact that some male interviewers followed the exact sexist dynamic that Moore was exploring:
“I found a TV interview Moore did in 1995. She is poised and articulate, but the interviewer makes her, and me, increasingly uncomfortable. He has read her book as titillation, as she later tells me many men did. He takes it as an invitation to discuss the author’s sex life on national television, using his position to attempt the seduction and/or humiliation of his now trapped guest. As if by being a woman who dared to write about sex, she’s asking for it. He doesn’t seem aware it’s precisely this kind of dynamic Moore rages at in the book that he’s pretending to discuss. His name is Charlie Rose and it’s only later I make the connection. Rose was fired from CBS News and PBS in 2017, the day after the Washington Post published allegations of sexual harassment.”
What are your thoughts on darkness in books? What’s the darkest book you’ve ever read?
About the Workshop:
Join Donna Freitas (THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO & CONSENT) and Julia Bartz (THE WRITING RETREAT) on Zoom for a generative workshop exploring writing on the dark side and the creativity that hides deep within us. In this class, we'll dive into our “shadow selves" and guide you through writing exercises to help you draw out juicy villains and build treacherous landscapes from what lies within—all of which you can use toward a current or future writing project. Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or simply love to freewrite and journal, this workshop will be a fascinating journey to gain new creative ideas and energy from the rich depths of your unconscious. WATCH LIVE OR VIEW THE RECORDING LATER. Sign up here!
Creative Coaching
Interested in learning more about my creative coaching services? As a licensed therapist and NYT-bestselling novelist, I bring a unique set of skills to my creative coaching business. In our 60-minute sessions, we will explore and find solutions to your creative challenges in a way that feels enjoyable and sustainable. I support people who have specific questions ("Why can't I start/finish my project?" or "Why am I struggling to get an agent?") and those with more general issues ("How can I use social media to support my creative projects?" or "How can I integrate more joyful creativity into my life?"). My view is that our creative life should be exciting and fulfilling, instead of stressful and overwhelming. I offer different sized packages based on different needs. More on packages/pricing in the Work with Me section of my website. Reach out with any questions (juliabartz@gmail.com), and if you’d like to book with me, you can fill out a quick request form here.