Any suggestions for a very emotional book?

Question

I am looking for a novel that is very sad (either happy or sad ending is fine, just don't tell me which!).

I haven't found a book that made me really sad yet, so any suggestions are welcome.

(I've already read A Child Called It - I know some people will suggest that!)

Thanks for your help :o)

Don't forget to include the authors!

Answer 1

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

As I read this book I realized I had never read anything like it before. It is both amazingly enthralling and sad. "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood," writes Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes. "Worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." Welcome, then, to the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. Here is a review from Amazon to explain.

Review from Amazon:

Frank McCourt piles on so many examples of the overwhelming poverty he experienced during his childhood that I almost put down the book in despair after reading just forty pages. I'm glad that I didn't.

Despite the misery of his childhood, McCourt's memoir includes a number of lively and humorous vignettes. Two of my favorites are his the account of his attempts at Irish dancing, and the hilarious description of Frank's ill-fated first Communion.

Nevertheless, McCourt does not mask his anger at the institutions that failed him and his dyfunctional family. School teachers (with one exception) were uninspiring, church people shut the door in his face or expected the poor to grovel for handouts, government officials lacked empathy.

McCourt doesn't fall into the trap of over-generalization, though. Most people, despite their flaws, have their redeeming qualities in McCourt's account. Most notably, his hard-drinking, criminally irresponsible father also told beautiful stories, regaling Frank with tales of Irish heroes. No hero himself, McCourt's father passed his gift for telling an enthralling story to his son.

Answer 2

All of Dostoyevsky's novel are emotional. Try starting with "Crime and Punishment" and go from there. Just make sure you give it a fair shake -- at least 10% of the novel (say it's 300 pages, go for at least the first 30 before you toss it).

"Le Grand Meaulnes," also know as "the Wanderer," by Alain-Fournier is also very emotional. Gorgeous, completely. There's also a really good film of it from 1968 called "The Wanderer."

"The Four Feathers" by A.E.W. Mason is also under-rated and emotionally wonderful. In my opinion, the emotions of the characters are more interesting because they're often protrayed strictly through the character's dialogue and actions.

"The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz-Zafon is a more recent one that's very emotionally gripping. The tale of a young man's adolescence is very well done, and it has lots of books in it!

And, my favorite emotion trip -- the Westmark trilogy by Lloyd Alexander. Alexander pulls off the rare trick of having something like a dozen main characters and making sure you both remember and care about every single one of them. He's brilliant. Starts with "Westmark," followed by "The Kestrel" and, lastly, "The Beggar Queen."

I hope this helps!

Answer 3

A child called it is a good sad book but it's not entertaining. Read, THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini. Don't let the title fool you like it almost fooled me. It sounds boring but it's a very enlightening read. I cried with happiness and sadness while reading this book. Once you get started you wont be able to put it down. There are a couple of twists in this book and you'll need some tissues when the secrets are revealed.

Answer 4

Hilary McKay's Casson family series: Saffy's Angel, Indigo's Star, Permanent Rose and Caddy Ever After.

Followed by... Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block.

In a different way, the new Annie Leibovitz photography book.

Answer 5

Marley and Me - both funny and sad.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - a good book in general from a boy's point of view on growing up.

Harry Potter - if you read through all the series, you learn to love the characters and it's sad to see them come and go.

It's Kind of a Funny Story - it's a book about a kid that tries committing suicide, but it actually is a hilarious book (so I guess that's not what you're looking for)

that's really all that comes to mind at the moment - good luck on your search!

Answer 6

The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Wednesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

Agree with previous posters about Marley and Me and Night.

Answer 7

Going Bovine by Libba Bray is one quite trippy e book, notwithstanding it evoked such quite some thoughts in me as I study it--I laughed, I cried, i had to throw the e book against the wall, haha. i could no longer supply up analyzing it. And there are such quite some diverse the thank you to interpret the journey the main character is going on--is it genuine? Is it a hallucination? Is he in 2 diverse dimensions at as quickly as, or is all of it basically a dream? It will enhance such quite some questions approximately existence and dying. I enjoyed it. (: listed right here are some greater sturdy books to study: 13 explanation why by Jay Asher finding for Alaska by John eco-friendly Unwind by Neal Shusterman The Knife of on no account Letting flow by Patrick Ness The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson Candor by Pam Bachorz (:

Answer 8

I second Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Lovely Bones.

Another good one is "The Magician Assitant" by Anne Pachett.

Answer 9

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Answer 10

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne