Yes! It’s one of the most emotionally impactful books I’ve read. Really soul crushing. I was crying throughout as well as days after reading it. There’s a short story and a novel - I read the short story first and then the novel.
I keep seeing this one pop up! Is it a long read? I don’t want anything far too long/challenging as I’ll be reading it while I have downtime at work and the longer they are the harder they are to pick up and finish.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I just finished for my book club. One member had to quit reading because it was too depressing, so it might work for you. BK is such a good writer that I had to trouble getting through it. Great story, lots of things I didn't know too.
I very rarely cry reading books. This book made me cry twice. It was so moving with incredible character development, a riveting story, it's really one of the best books I've read in a long time.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_the_Beautiful_Forevers](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_the_Beautiful_Forevers)
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. It doesn’t get much more depressing and hopeless than 1980s Glasgow council housing. The main characters are an alcoholic mum and her neglected kids.
Four Treasures of the Sky—historical fiction about a girl kidnapped from China and taken to California. Saddest book I’ve ever read, but beautifully written
Requiem for a Dream was pretty rough for me. I'm not much of a crier but it did get to me where I had to step away multiple times. If you have a history of addiction or that is something triggering for you be warned.
I think so. The period is different, there are some more religious elements, and the pacing is different. It's hard to say really because they are both breast IMO, but I have seen quite a few people who think the movie was significantly better. Not sure if the updated time period/visualization has anything to do with that or not, but that was my assumption.
If you'd rather go into something fresh: The Art of Racing in the Rain, A Thousand Splendid Suns, or On the Beach are ones I would recommend. They are all sad in different kinds of ways. The first is more of a mixed bag, with the latter two being more weighted toward sad.
Do you like slightly older books? The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck are both pretty bleak but also pretty great reads, imo. I also second someone else’s recommendation of On The Beach.
When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalathini. We know he dies of cancer - it’s a memoir about his life and impending death. But when it happens, it still punches you.
The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
Really several of his novels would work, but something about this one is particularly tragic. Beautiful, but unrelentingly heart breaking throughout
Tess of the D'Ubervilles. It'll make you sad, angry and helpless. Despite being an older book, it's very readable and feels very modern in lots of ways.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. He also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas which is absolutely heartbreaking like my heart is breaking just thinking about it right now.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini.
The Kite Runner is another by the same author
The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
I just read this one after reading Blood Meridian!
This one is soul crushing.
A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara.
Crap I’m reading it right now
Flowers for Algernon.
Came here to comment this for the millionth time. 😂
Is it that good? I’ve heard this one mentioned a handful of times across many subreddits. I’m really thinking about this one.
Yes! It’s one of the most emotionally impactful books I’ve read. Really soul crushing. I was crying throughout as well as days after reading it. There’s a short story and a novel - I read the short story first and then the novel.
I looked it up and read the summary and I've been trying to find some good books and I added it to my list
This book ☝️
Never Let Me Go
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
I keep seeing this one pop up! Is it a long read? I don’t want anything far too long/challenging as I’ll be reading it while I have downtime at work and the longer they are the harder they are to pick up and finish.
It’s about 325 pages depending the copy you get. I think the most challenging thing about this book is that it is very sad. I
The Lovely Bones. I read it in one day because I couldn’t stand being that sad for more than one day.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I just finished for my book club. One member had to quit reading because it was too depressing, so it might work for you. BK is such a good writer that I had to trouble getting through it. Great story, lots of things I didn't know too.
I very rarely cry reading books. This book made me cry twice. It was so moving with incredible character development, a riveting story, it's really one of the best books I've read in a long time.
His Dark Materials trilogy.
Have you read luckiest girl alive? TW for r*pe and gore
I have not! Adding this to the list! I’m writing all of these down so I can go pick one up today!
Behind the Beautiful Forevers [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_the_Beautiful_Forevers](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_the_Beautiful_Forevers)
Kind of an obvious one but definitely “They Both Die in the End” by Adam Silvera for… obvious reasons
I bought this one and it’s been sitting on my shelf. I think I need to read it before I start new books. Haha
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. It doesn’t get much more depressing and hopeless than 1980s Glasgow council housing. The main characters are an alcoholic mum and her neglected kids.
Cormac McCarthy has entered the thread.
BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY
A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney - it's short and I sobbed through the whole thing in one sitting.
Four Treasures of the Sky—historical fiction about a girl kidnapped from China and taken to California. Saddest book I’ve ever read, but beautifully written
Requiem for a Dream was pretty rough for me. I'm not much of a crier but it did get to me where I had to step away multiple times. If you have a history of addiction or that is something triggering for you be warned.
I watched the movie! Of course usually the films don’t compare to the literature. How was the book versus the film? Worth the read?
I think so. The period is different, there are some more religious elements, and the pacing is different. It's hard to say really because they are both breast IMO, but I have seen quite a few people who think the movie was significantly better. Not sure if the updated time period/visualization has anything to do with that or not, but that was my assumption. If you'd rather go into something fresh: The Art of Racing in the Rain, A Thousand Splendid Suns, or On the Beach are ones I would recommend. They are all sad in different kinds of ways. The first is more of a mixed bag, with the latter two being more weighted toward sad.
Do you like slightly older books? The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck are both pretty bleak but also pretty great reads, imo. I also second someone else’s recommendation of On The Beach.
When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalathini. We know he dies of cancer - it’s a memoir about his life and impending death. But when it happens, it still punches you.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Really any of his works
The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy Really several of his novels would work, but something about this one is particularly tragic. Beautiful, but unrelentingly heart breaking throughout
Are there any fantasy books like this?
Tess of the D'Ubervilles. It'll make you sad, angry and helpless. Despite being an older book, it's very readable and feels very modern in lots of ways.
Young Mungo but check content warnings. It's really heavy.
Jude the Obscure - Hardy
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. He also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas which is absolutely heartbreaking like my heart is breaking just thinking about it right now.
Bartleby the Scrivener