Books With Awful Taste, But Great Execution

There is a Reddit thread within the r/books channel that poses the query “What is a book that fits r/ATBGE (Awful Taste But Great Execution)?” Before perusing the thread, I puzzled what “awful taste” meant on this context. I considered what books I would put on this class earlier than I scrolled to see what others had instructed. Some put forth sure books as a result of they’ve distasteful or reprehensible intercourse acts or scenes — we’re speaking Lolita, Child of God, It, Naked Lunch. There are others who counsel books whose politics are both downright horrific or offensive a la Gone with the Wind and Ayn Rand’s books. 

When I launched into this project, the books that got here to my thoughts once I thought “awful taste, but great execution” had been books whose plots shouldn’t work, however do. Or whose plots sound so subversive that it appears unlikely the writer will pull it off, however then manages to nonetheless. The books that first got here to thoughts are satire, however that in any fingers apart from these of those particular authors, may very well be an absolute trainwreck.

Take the plot summaries of Welcome to Braggsville, The Sellout, and Lightning Rods. In order: a civil struggle reenactment in a predominantly white city that’s going to be topic to a performative protest by a gaggle of liberal arts faculty youngsters who name themselves “4 Little Indians.” A Black man who initiates reinstating slavery within the native highschool and brings it to the Supreme Court. A office that provides “sexual release” to its male staff through employed ladies. If not written by comedian geniuses, the plots of those three books might nicely be thought of terrible style. You may add Super Sad True Love Story to that checklist in that it’s very a lot a few middle-aged white man falling in love with a younger Korean American woman through an internet site referred to as “GlobalTeens.” But along with his satiric and comedian prowess, Shteyngart pulls it off. 

The books above are all pushing boundaries on two of the subjects many people are nervous to speak about: race and intercourse. I feel because of this they got here to thoughts for me, as a result of, accomplished incorrect, they might be in very poor style. But finally, their satirical/comedian nature exempts them from the type of “awful taste” class that Redditors are debating.

The r/books thread initially got here from the channel r/ATBGE, a channel dedicated to issues that fall beneath the class of “awful taste but great execution.” Think bizarre however very plausible muffins, a extremely life like braid tattooed down somebody’s again, crocs that are crocs (the reptile). When we return to the origin of ATBGE, are there any books that actually fall into this class? I’m not certain that even any of the ideas talked about within the book-specific thread seize fairly the extent of absolutely dedicated cringe that the unique thread does. 

I’ve heard that there’s a scene in 50 Shades of Grey the place the principle character takes a tampon out of the opposite fundamental character in a manner that’s purported to be horny. Maybe that’s the closest factor we’ve. The authentic thread just isn’t intellectual cringe right here; it’s croc crocs. Maybe Twilight-tampon-vampire-sex-fan-fiction is the closest we will come to r/ATBGE. I imply…the e-book has bought greater than 150 million copies worldwide, so loads of folks assume that it’s well-executed. When the class is Twilight-tampon-vampire-sex-fan-fiction, possibly that’s nice execution. 

Anyway. I recognize you following together with me on this religious journey as I strive to determine whether or not and which books may very well be categorized as ATBGE. I didn’t assume I might discover myself so conflicted once I got down to write this piece, however because it seems, the primary books that got here to my thoughts don’t actually align with the unique spirit of ATBGE. Subversive doesn’t imply terrible style, and might it even be “awful taste” if the writer absolutely intends to shock their viewers with the premise? I really feel extra assured sticking with Twilight-tampon-vampire-sex-fan-fiction as my last reply.