One famous 'stalker novel' is 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov. Although it's a complex and controversial work, it has elements of the narrator's obsessive and inappropriate pursuit of a young girl. Another could be 'Gone Girl' which has some aspects of stalking in the relationship between the two main characters where there are manipulations and obsessive behaviors.
Yes. Stalker hero novels can be controversial because they may normalize or even glorify behavior that is not acceptable in society. However, some people argue that it's just a fictional trope and readers are able to distinguish between fiction and reality, but it still remains a point of debate.
One popular stalker novel could be 'You' by Caroline Kepnes. It's a disturbing yet engaging story that delves into the mind of a stalker. The main character becomes obsessed with a woman and his actions are both terrifying and fascinating to read about.
Often, they feature an unbalanced power dynamic. For example, in 'You', the stalker has a sense of entitlement over the object of his obsession. Another characteristic is the exploration of the stalker's psyche, like in 'The Collector' where we get deep into the mind of the stalker. There's also usually a sense of unease and suspense as the victim tries to deal with the unwanted attention.
A good example might be 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. Although it's not strictly a traditional stalker novel, there are elements of stalking and manipulation that play a major role in the story. The complex relationship between the characters has undertones of stalking - like behavior which makes it a great read in this context.
Another sign is over - monitoring. In many stalker friend stories, you can see that the stalker friend constantly checks your social media, texts you too often, and seems to always know what you are doing. For example, if you post a photo on Instagram and within seconds they comment with details about where you are or what you were thinking when you took the photo. It's a bit scary.
Perhaps it's a neighbor who has some sort of mental illness. They might have developed an obsession with the main character for no clear reason. They see the person through the window and start to stalk them, seeing them as an object of their strange fixation. Another possibility is that it's a criminal who has randomly chosen the house to target. They might be casing the place for a robbery, but their presence in the window makes them seem more like a stalker.
They usually have an intense, almost obsessive focus on the heroine. It's like she is the center of their world and they can't think about anything else. This could lead to actions like finding out every little detail about her life without her permission.
Another one might be 'Obsession' by some authors. The male lead often shows up unexpectedly around the female lead, following her in a way that blurs the line between obsession and romance. It plays on the idea of that intense, all - consuming love that can border on stalking behavior but is presented as passionate love in the context of the novel.
The 'Fifty Shades' series has some aspects that might be related. Christian Grey is extremely possessive and monitors Anastasia Steele's actions to a large extent. However, it's more of a complex relationship dynamic with elements that verge on stalking in the name of love and protection.