What’s the saddest book you’ve read? Just wanna know ??
What’s the saddest book you’ve read? Just wanna know ??
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Salvage the Bones , but An Exact Replica of a Figment of a my Imagination was a close 2nd
Haven’t read Salvage the Bones, but I wept over An Exact Replica.
A Little Life
A little life
A Little Life
A Little Life was painful. Mrs. Bridge was excruciating. So too The Lonely Passion of Judith Herne
I’m going with a classic: Little Women. 🙂
Diary of a Young Girl, Anne @Frank
For sure
I see a theme here. Was a little Life Good?
Stunning despite being heartbreaking, devastating, and painful
It was a punch in the gut every 50 pages but it was beautifully written
Yes. Exceptionally so. It will stay with me the rest of my life!
It was good but painful
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. An Oprah pick in 1995. I had to finish it.
Also, Brie Larson’s “Room”.
A Fine Balance came to me first.
Emma Donoghue is the writer for Room.
@Mary lol I put the actress down! Oops!
🙂 lol!
that was sad
@Agnes I loved this book. I read it so many years ago and had forgotten about it!
@Annette I remember when reading it I would think “.oh, he’s going to die.” But no, something even worse would happen!
@Agnes yes! I kept thinking what more can they go through! But, it was well written
anything by edith wharton …. grapes of wrath ….. anna karenina ….. fault in our stars … atonement … lovely bones… she’s come undone …. even hunger games with children dying …. too many to name!!! how about world war 2 novels? sarah’s key? lilac girls? night? ack. now i’m depressed.
Book thief
I was going to choose a memoir, like Angela’s Ashes or Glass Castle, and then I thought of Bastard out of Carolina, but I think maybe Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises may claim that title.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Beautiful book. The story of a man and his dog. From the dogs POV.
Flowers for Algernon
That is one of mine
The Grapes of Wrath, The Street (Ann Petry), and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
All of these!
@Kat I cried for HOURS after finishing The Street. I was saying, “Oh, no no no – she isn’t!” and then devastation. Oy.
@Sunny I read that for a literature class, and the discussion was so brutal.
Kate Chopin, The Awakening.
“The Man in the Iron Lung”, cried my eyes out. Of course, I was a teen so that explains that, lol!
Sophie’s Choice
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron. Also, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
The good earth
Me before you actually cried when I finished first time I ever did that
The Green Mile. A Monster Calls
Oh yeah, A Monster Calls nearly destroyed me. It’s hard cos the only time I get to read is on the bus for work! Did the film have the same effect?
I’m halfway through A Monster Calls right now and I’m not sure I’m ready for the emotional journey.
I love the surprise mention of The Green Mile. But you’re at least the second to say that!
Never Let Me Go and also Atonement.
Ah. Both so good.
PS I Love You was the first to make me cry and I think The Time Traveler’s Wife had the biggest emotional impact. I well up a lot, most recently reading Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.
Bastard Out of Carolina, The Lovely Bones, Sophie’s Choice. Lots.
Elsewhere
Love You Forever, children’s book, makes me cry ever time I read it…
Absolutely!
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegli.
The Dollmaker.
Angela’s Ashes. Literally sobbed reading that book.
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The lovely bones
The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Dogs Journey
I cried a lot at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5197.A_Lesson_Before_Dying
The Green Mile.. always cry like a baby!!
I’m putting never let me go into this list because that story was all kinds of wrong. But so beautifully painful.
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult.
The English Patient.
My Sisters Keeper
By Jodi Piccoult- stayed up late reading in bed to finish and had to stifle sobs in an attempt to not wake husband .
Oh, yes. Good choice.
Gut wrenching sobs over that Book.
Secret Life of Bees and The Lovely Bones. I was a mess after both of those and had a crying headache.
Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Me Before You.
A lot of the ones above were sad and I loved them but the book that made me cry the most was Where The Red Fern Grows when I read it in sixth grade. Nothing has hit me that hard since!
This and Charlotte’s Web; I’ve cried as an adult but nothing like the devastation I felt with those as a child.
@Karen yes!
We read it aloud as a family and at the end no one could read because we were all crying. I’ll never forget that experience.
Old Yeller, too.
The Fault in Our Stars killed me
Art of Racing in the Rain
A fine balance. I picked it up when I first found out I was pregnant with my daughter. After getting they 3 quarters of it I put it down. I simply could not handle it anymore. My daughter is just about six now and my book mark is still in it.
Who was the author?
@Noellie Rohinton Mistry.
@Brittany thank you!
Marley & Me, Tuesdays With Morrie, A Little Life
“The Color Purple”…bittersweet sad…
I always avoid sad story, but When Air Becomes Breathe did make me cry.
Flowers for Algernon. Destroyed me but loved it.
Bridge to tarabithia
This was the first book to destroy me.
It’s a tie: Water for Elephants or The Time Travelers Wife. I want to read P.S. I love you, but IDK if I’m emotionally stable enough
It will break your soul
@Erin That’s why I’ve been putting it off. lol
Do you know how many books have the title P.S. I Love You?!!!
@Lori https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/366522.P_S_I_Love_You
Thanks, @Katy!
Swamplandia
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly was pretty damn sad (and good), and for all it’s comical, satirical elements, I found Gogol’s short story “The Overcoat” desperately moving. Kafka’s Metamorphosis was deadly sad as well, the relief they felt when their poor monstrous son dies is near unpalatable…. I found it as sad as it was horrific.
The book thief
Sarah’s Key.
This has been on my tbr list for so long, but I never feel emotionally prepared.
Ps I love you
One of my favorites.
The Art of Racing in the Rain. Sad and happy too.
Over the past year or so . . .
A Little Life
Grief is the Thing with Feathers
When Breath Becomes Air
Gilead
Hunger
My Absolute Darling
But a T.C. Boyle short story called ‘Chicxulub’ – that GOT me. I was driving and listening to the New Yorker podcast where this story is read by Lionel Shriver and I had to pull the car over! https://ppab.player.fm/series/the-new-yorker-fiction-46/lionel-shriver-reads-t-c-boyle
The yearling. And black beauty.
Cathy lamb …the about the brother
My junior high yearbook
Sister Carrie.
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb.
Also, I read PS I Love You about a decade ago, loved it but had all the feels about it. My husband was killed a couple years ago, so I don’t think I’ll ever be able to read it again.
Had forgotten about Robin Hobb. I’ve also shed a lot of tears over them.
I’m so sorry to read that your husband was killed. I’m sure some books are just too difficult to read now.
Yea, there’s a whole slew of stuff off limits for the sake of my sanity now.
@Kethry so sorry
The fault in our stars.
Firefly Lane got me pretty teary. Ok, I ugly-cried.?
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Tears of a tiger
Come Away With Me @Karma and When Crickets Cry @Charles
When the Phone Rang. I was a freshman in high school. this book was selected by the teacher, as well as many others. it really made me cry after the 3 siblings lost their parents in a plane crash.
Sisters keeper
Hamlet
Nothing has gripped me as much as Where the Red Fern Grows and Bambi when I was young. Since then I’d say In the Shadow of the Banyon, by Vaddey Ratner, was the last book to make me sob.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
A Monster Calls by Peter Ness
The Time Traveller’s Wife
The Night by Eli Wiesel
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8621462-a-monster-calls?ac=1&from_search=true
Me before You
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3688715-sarah-s-key
I recently passed this along to my mother but told her not to read until she was prepared to cry.
And you never forget it! But a very good book and well written.
Sarah’s Key, The Lost Wife, Those Who Save Us, The Color Purple,
The Yearling
A child called “it”
The Diary of Anne Frank
Where the Red Fern Grows – it’s a book written for 9 – 11 year olds, but as many times as I have read this book aloud to my elementary students, I just can’t seem to get through the end without crying.
My classes are in tears as well.
My boyfriend isn’t from an English-speaking country and I told him about this book. His response, “WTF is wrong with you people?!? Why is that a kids’book? “
@Monica It does teach them about perseverance.
Al I remember are that the two dogs died. It’s been over 30 years though.
And sorry, that wasn’t meant as a judgement, it was just funny because we had the conversation last weekend and his reactions to my poor explanations are amusing…to me at least.
My daughter’s class read it last year in 5th, and she said the entire class was crying, including her teacher.
I read this to my 4th grade class, when I was teaching. I had a student take over reading at a certain point.
This is the saddest ending to any book that I have ever read. The death of the dogs is one thing, but then he starts to reminisce about getting them and all – killed me.
Stone Fox
Tortured by Victoria Spry, true story
We need to talk about Kevin.
Sophie’s Choice
Even a summary of the plot makes me cry. Don’t think I will ever read the book.
For sure don’t watch the movie, then. But it’s so good.
A Monster Calls made me ugly cry last week
Night by Eli Wiesel.
I keep this on my shelf. Read it for an English class in junior college and plan to read it again one day. Riveting.
I read it every few years and cry my eyes out.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
Beloved
Marley and me
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
My check book.
A Little Life
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
A little life
A Little Lifr.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oh I read that about 16 years ago and wept buckets!
That damn Angel!
Either I Swear by Lane Davis or We’ll Never be Apart by Emiko Jean. I hated I Swear because of the injustice, and I thought it devastating all the death and injustice that was in We’ll Never be Apart. If you read it, you’ll know why, too.
Ma, Jackser’s Dyin’ Alone by Martha @Long
Still Alice, by Lisa Genova
A monster calls by Patrick Ness tore me to pieces. It still has the power to bring tears to my eyes when I think of it now, a whole year later! Also, Sarah’s Key, the lovely bones, and my sister’s keeper. All of these were wonderful reads that have stayed with me, but all were utterly heart breaking.
I loved lovely bones
Sarah, I agree with ALL your choices. Just read A Monster Calls last weekend & it really moved me. Your other two were very meaningful to me too & I often say that Lovely Bones is one of my all time favorite books.
“A Summer to Die” by Lois Lowry wrecked me as a child. Same with “Bridge to Terabithia.”
The David series
Thousand splendid suns
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. It’s a follow up to Time after Time which I also loved, but you don’t have to read it first. There’s limited crossover, but it does add emotional context. Best books I’ve read that are set in England in WWII, although not really war stories. Time after Time has a harrowing description of the London blitz that I’ll never forget.
Yes! I read A God in Ruins over a year ago and I’m still not over it. I think the other one is called Life After Life, but I agree… that scene has stayed with me for years also! Loved both of those books.
Kendra, thanks for the correction. I read A God in Ruins when I was home visiting my 99yo father who’s now in a nursing home. He was a WWII pilot. You can understand why I’d chose it as my saddest. I think I’ve now read all of Atkinson’s books.
Me Before You
“Paula” by Isabel Allende
the Art of Racing in the Rain.
Three comrades
Little Women!
I’ve never cried for the book but the movie can make me sob out of control!
The bridges of Madison county
Boy in the Striped Pajamas
It
I’m currently listening to The Pecan Man and it is delightful BUT there are some VERY SAD parts in it. ?
Art of Racing in the Rain. I loved it anyway.
The Year of Magical Thinking
On my TBR list!
I didn’t find this emotional at all
@Shana I didn’t either. It kind of annoyed me how clinical it was.
I Know This Much is True
Out of the Dust
I’d have to go with Grapes of Wrath, Sophie’s Choice and most recently The Nightingale, but there are many many more that kicked me right in the gut.
Of Mice and Men— well written, of course and sad :((((
Oh i have totally forgotten about that book! It was a great read! Thanks for the reminder.
The Invisible Bridge or The Nightengale
Heading Out to Wonderful. It broke my heart.
The Red Bandana
Angela’s Ashes
White Oleander
The Book Thief, sad and at the same time uplifting
People of the Book
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and The Red Magician by Lisa Goldstein- both books made me cry ?
Tuesday’s with Morrie by Mitch Albom…
The 7 People You Meet in Heaven.
@Kat think it’s 5 people u meet in Heaven ?
@Kate you’re right! Trying to write with grandkids interrupting….
@Kat bless ya lol?
Stone Fox 😉
I read Stone Fox to all my children. Sad, but a gripping tale.
Where The Red Fern Grows
Native Son, The Road, A Child Called It
Tuesdays with Morrie and Marley and Me
Sophie’s Choice. Terms of Endearment.
The Book Thief
I cried rivers.
@Tatiana as did I. Then I watched the movie. More tears. ?
It has been along time since I read it but I think Sophie’s Choice.
Flowers for Algernon
The Color Purple or Roots
Halos by Kristen Heitzmann
I just finished When Breath Becomes Air. Very sad….
@Nancy But a good sad, right? I have this on my TBR.
We Have to Talk About Kevin was one.
Hmmmmph Me Before You. I am unable to pick up the sequel my heart is so weak!
A recent graphic novel titled Rosalie Lightning.
The Kite Runner
Sophie’s Choice. It still haunts me!
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Kicked me right in the feels.
A Little Life
Bluest Eye
Sarah’s Key
Where the Red Fern Grows
I didn’t read that book I told my son was in school. I cried
Platform
A more recent book “stay with me”. It was written so well, but I almost quit it because sad stuff keeps happening
I always cry when I read the children’s book, Love you Forever by Robert Munsch. Such a sweet book.
Atonement.
Lovely bones
Me Before You
The book thief, Where the red fern grows, Marley and me (this book KILLED ME) my sisters keeper, the fault in our stars, night by Elie Wiesel, reason to breathe (the first book in the breathing series by Rebecca Donovan)
Also can’t believe I didn’t mention one of my all time favorite books and movies. Atonement is so beautifully written but it is SAD.
Tess of the D’urbervilles
Tuesdays with Morrie. I criiiiied
Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
“The Little Match Girl”. I’d read it to my kids who would secretly take bets on which page I’d start crying. A good way to get out of doing tomorrow’s dishes ?
The Fault In Our Stars!
I cried in the middle of Birthday Parties in Heaven. I don’t know why more people haven’t read this…..I thought it was a wonderful book!
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
I finished A thousand Splendid Suns on an airplane and was sobbing so much it was embarrassing.
Where the red fern grows. I read it when I was 11 i still cry over it I’m 49 now. Lol?????
Death be not proud
Sophie’s Choice, probably. Although, I cried more with The Handmaid’s Tale…but that was more frightening than sad, if you know what I mean.
Johnny Got His Gun!
OMG…yes! That book destroyed me.
I think for me it would be Sarah’s Key.
This is what I was going to put when I saw your post. I’ve cried while reading many books but this one just tears your heart out and you feel like you’ve been punched in the gut
Night
Nocturnal Animals
A Little Life, Grapes of Wrath and Beloved
A Little Life was heartbreaking almost unbearable
@Laura Right! It left me completely distraught.
@Fatima , I had received it as a gift and had to chat with the person and clarify what light-hearted reading means for me lol
John Steinbeck’s The Pearl and The Grapes of Wrath.
The Book Thief
Angela’s Ashes
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
The last lecture
Sophie’s Choice, Boy in Striped Pajamas, My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece, Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, The Yearling, Sarah’s Key
Old Yeller!
Night – Weisel
The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns
Cried my eyes out! I never cry for a book
I haven’t read most of these because I tend to avoid sad. But I know sad can be really good. This is a great list for when I think I can handle sad.
Yes, me, too. Someone talked me into reading Khaled Hosseini.
Where the Red Fern Grows
Old Dan and Lil Ann ???
And The Yearling
Always books I read as a child
Where the Red Fern Grows! I tried to talk my son into reading it but no go.
I’ve never read it. I just can’t bring myself to do it.
It’s very sad but it’s a fantastic book.
There was a part of The Poisonwood Bible that brought me to tears.
The Green Mile
Good answer! Different from the movie in that you learn the ends of most of the other characters as well. One of my favorites.
The Notebook, Marley & Me and Merle’s Door.
A Monster Calls, Flowers For Algernon, The Book Thief
I cried for all
We Speak No Treason.
It makes me cry every time.
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is one of them. Another is David McCullough’s John Adams. Adams lived long and had to suffer the deaths of many who were very close to him. The timing of his and Thomas Jefferson’s deaths is legendary.
The Color Purple…
I didn’t think Marley and Me was that sad. Cause the dog died when he was old. And I was old when I read it ?
My Sister’s Keeper
Same
Life & Time of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee
The Kite Runner
Bridges Over Madison County!
Where the Red Fern Grows
Me Before You; I read it after my grandmothers passing. It was just to soon .
The Atomic Weight of Love
Beautiful book
I just finished Bastard Out of Carolina. It was sad. I loved it.
Story of My Father by Sue Miller.
When Bad Things Happen to Good People by (Rabbi) Harold Kushner (although it is also the wisest book I’ve ever read, and helps tremendously with grief, no matter what your religion or faith)
The Bluest Eye
Night. OH, and The Dogs of Babel 🙁
Anna Karenina
A Little Life made me sad for weeks
Goodnight Mister Tom. So bittersweet. So happy in many ways and yet so sad. That is THE saddest book I’ve read, but some others are- Carrie’s War, most of Charles Dickens’ books (Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, Tale of two Cities)
Tuesday’s With Morrie
The notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Bridges of Madison County
Me before You
The Book Thief
The Boy With the Stripped Pyjamas
I was shouting out ‘No, no, don’t go there!’ at the end – upsetting and it stayed with me for ages. Excellent book
@CarolAnne I know, it stayed with me for a while too. ?
Yes! This one also made me cry, but also made me so furious . I wrote the author to have a bit of a chat about it. That’s how upset I was.
A piece of cake, by cupcake brown. Heart breaking autobiography.
That was a great book!
most recent: Two Kisses for Maddy
One favorite beautiful and sad :God’s Bits of Wood
Sophie’s Choice
KNOCK KNOCK WHO’S THERE “JAMES HARDLY CHASE”
James Hardly Chase who?
I don’t get it!!?!?!?!?
Where the Red Fern Grows
Sophie’s Choice
“To Reign In Hell” by Steven Brust.
The book theif or The five stages of andrew brawley
Yes, I sobbed after reading The Book Thief
The Nightingale
Oh, I just started The Nightingale!
Also, The Knitting Circle.
Where the Red Fern Grows was the first book that made me cry as an adult! Also (embarrassed to admit!) A Walk to Remember.
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs ?I bawled!
bridges of madison county. i bawled my eyes out.
Old Yeller
Omg I had a PTSD type of moment…it was the Old Yelller movie, I wasn’t a reader as a child, and I remember crying , ugly crying, like it was yesterday…and I’m old!!!!!! Wonder what would happen if I read the book??? Seriously, just thinking about it makes me tear up!!!
I don’t think I saw the movie, been thinking of watching it recently. But the book had a powerful affect on me. It’s one of the first books I remember reading (at maybe 6-years-old) and was probably the first time I was aware of feeling empathy towards another person (in this case a character). It was probably where I learned books could teach me things about “the human condition” without knowing at the time that was what I was learning.
My husband is 67 and still refuses to watch the movie or read the book.
@Kristine because it’s so sad?????
@Polly Yes, and he loves dogs.
Bright Side
A Little Life
Of Mice and Men. Read it every year, cry every time.
Yep
Where the Red Fern Grows.
Charlotte’s web ?
Cassandra, I agree with you. Where the Red Fern Grows is so touching.
Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra ??
Letters from the Inside, by John Marsden. Young Adult book about two unhappy teenage girls in difficult circumstances who become pen pals. I foresaw some of what happened, some things surprised the hell out of me. And it was devastating. Absolutely devastating.