What is the saddest book you've ever read?
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The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing, they made us read it in school, only about a hundred pages long but still so depressing it was a real pain to get through. And from what I've heard it's not her most depressing novel either. Coincidentally, a week or so after I finished reading it she won the Nobel Prize ^^
By far, it is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I read it two years ago, and the ending honestly broke me emotionally for a few days, where I was unable to really be happy. One of the best books I have ever read.
Probably most recently "Marley & Me"...true story about a man, his family, and a golden lab (soon to be a movie)
When I was younger, some of the classics: I heard the Owl call my name, Old Yeller, maybe All Quiet on the Western Front.
When I was younger, some of the classics: I heard the Owl call my name, Old Yeller, maybe All Quiet on the Western Front.
Well, just in case. I'd hate to ruin the book for someone... Like, say, YOU risk doing!Aardvark said:
I'm kidding, I guess everyone who's interested have already read the book, but you never know
"The Traveller" by John Twelve Hawks poor, poor Maya not sadness so much as pity and I still think 'Damned by the flesh; Saved by the blood' is one of the best quotes I known and perfectly describe the Harloquins (whose motto it is) and the story itself. The quote means that the Harloquins are damned by their actions but redeemed by their sacrafice (most of them end up giving their lives to save travellers)
I found Ptomoly's Gate a pretty sad read mainly because I liked the characters from the bartimaeus trilogy and most of them get a good doing over in that book.
Age of Misrule series, The dark Age series and Kingdom of Serpants series by Mark Chadbourne ( i think thats what the latest one is called)-so much death, betrayal and sadness.
I realise that there are books that are more depressing I have read sadder books but these are the ones that sprang to mind
I found Ptomoly's Gate a pretty sad read mainly because I liked the characters from the bartimaeus trilogy and most of them get a good doing over in that book.
Age of Misrule series, The dark Age series and Kingdom of Serpants series by Mark Chadbourne ( i think thats what the latest one is called)-so much death, betrayal and sadness.
I realise that there are books that are more depressing I have read sadder books but these are the ones that sprang to mind
Crash by JG Ballard is pretty depressing once you realize where the chaotic motivation is actually coming from.
Night by Elie Wiesel is the story of the author's experience as a Holocaust victim. In it, he deals with not only the oppression that he suffers, but also his urges to stop trying to protect his old father, in order to better ensure his own survival. It really gives an insight into how desperation can twist the minds of good people and make them do horrible things.
Easily, hands-down, a particular book just popped into my head when I saw this topic.
Why weeps the Brogan? by Hugh Scott
It's terribly sad.
Why weeps the Brogan? by Hugh Scott
It's terribly sad.
"Tess of the D'Urbervilles" is very depressing, but it's more miserable than sad. Not that it's a bad book; it's just that you're used to Tess getting screwed over by the end, so I didn't find it much of a tear-jerker.
I agree with those who said "The Amber Spyglass". I certainly shed a tear for Lyra and Will.
"Anna Karenina" probably gets my vote though. The bit when:
is the saddest thing I've ever read, and a wonderfully evocative bit of writing.
I agree with those who said "The Amber Spyglass". I certainly shed a tear for Lyra and Will.
"Anna Karenina" probably gets my vote though. The bit when:
Anna is walking to the train station, before throwing herself in to the train.
is the saddest thing I've ever read, and a wonderfully evocative bit of writing.
I remember reading that when I was a kid. It still jerks a tear or two out of me if I see the book lying around. And the illustrations...Baby Tea said:
Flowers for Algernon is also terribly sad, especially once you find out about halfway into the book that all was for naught.
Agreed.crimsondynamics said:
I find Jack London's most famous pieces (Call of the Wild and White Fang) particularly sad towards the end, for their respective reasons. Also, a few parts in Lois Lowry's The Giver made me tear up. Ditto for Les Miserables (Victor Hugo).
David Clement-Davies' The Sight has a lot of tearjerking moments in it, so I'm going with it or Les Mis for the saddest book I've read.
Oh... Amber Spyglass. When Lyra and Will agreed to meet on the bench every year at the same time (in different universes), I may have totally lost it.
Where the Red Fern Grows brought me to tears when I was nine. Not sure if it's the saddest thing I've ever seen, but I've never cried while reading before or since.
The end of Hamlet is sad, I guess, but it ties the story together so well that it inspires more awe than tears.
Other sad stories include Wit (possibly my favorite play) and Death Be Not Proud. DBNP is just effing depressing. It's awful. If you're tired of having nice days, read Death Be Not Proud and storm clouds will immediately gather above your head.
The end of Hamlet is sad, I guess, but it ties the story together so well that it inspires more awe than tears.
Other sad stories include Wit (possibly my favorite play) and Death Be Not Proud. DBNP is just effing depressing. It's awful. If you're tired of having nice days, read Death Be Not Proud and storm clouds will immediately gather above your head.
I agree with both- I've got such a weakness for dogs, and Hamlet is simply amazing......Very sad, butAsymptote Angel said:
Hamlet did win in the end, even though he died......
The book version of Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr. left me emotionally dead for a few hours. It's pretty much exactly what happens in the movie, but reading it makes your imagination imagine so many horrible things.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's autobiography, Infidel, also upset me, but it was more because I hated knowing that it was all true.
I'll just go ahead and ditto Where the Red Fern Grows. Good God almighty, why would you read that to grade school kids? That's just not fair. I haven't read it since because I'd be a big blubbering mess if I did.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's autobiography, Infidel, also upset me, but it was more because I hated knowing that it was all true.
I'll just go ahead and ditto Where the Red Fern Grows. Good God almighty, why would you read that to grade school kids? That's just not fair. I haven't read it since because I'd be a big blubbering mess if I did.