Which is the most depressing book that you have read. The diary of a young girl by anne frank, 1984 by george orwell, the road by cormac mccarthy, night by. The most depressing part about this for me is that there is no happy ending. What are the ten most depressing books youve ever read. Not so long ago we covered the most depressing songs ever recorded, but theres a big difference between depressing and sappy. Our edit of the best dystopian novels ever written, from classic.
Although the fate of winston smith in 1984 is very sad we know. Both can be depressing in their own ways, but my god the fixer was just another level. I suppose this is because in the poll we are only including amateur depressing books and that was a professional depressing book. What is the most depressing book you have ever read. What book do you think is the most depressing book that you have ever read. The books that ive read and loved have become a part of who i am, a part of myself which i nurture and cherish. The author on why all dystopian novels should end on a note of optimism. Happily ever after we dont believe anymore, but we can live with glimmers. Click here the brilliance of the novel is the authors foresight of the modern world. Thomas hardy, without dispute, wrote some of the most depressing stories in all literature. His most famous novels, animal farm and 1984 have influenced a generation of twentieth century political satirists and dystopian novelists. Depressing literature can be ironically lifeaffirming. There was nuclear fallout, the holocaust, government oppression, poverty, mental illness and the savage nature of humanity itself, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Because ive read lots of books that cause alarm, especially cynicalfuture books like the handmaids tale, 1984, or fahrenheit 451.
And the fact that nobody has even mentioned it after well over. Earlier this year abebooks asked you to identify your most depressing reads and you came up with some desperately bleak books. Theres no miracle cure for the earth or its inhabitants, theres no sanctuary, the future of. In his oscar winning role, casey affleck plays lee, a depressed handyman whos haunted by a tragic.
George orwell eric arthur blair was an accomplished social, political and literary commentator and essayist known for his nonfiction works the road to wigan pier and homage to catalonia. Robert mccrum tells the story of orwells feverish race to finish 1984, living in a. I have read depresing books before, but they just made me cry. What is george orwells 1984 about, when was the novel.
Its like blaming tolkien for the fact, that dragons dont exist. Dystopia novels seem to be more popular than ever these days. Those liberties were to the detriment of one of the most powerful and depressing books ever written. Were all reading 1984 wrong, according to margaret atwood cbc. The most depressing books ever worlds strongest librarian. George orwells 1984 in particular only seems to grow in relevance, and. See more ideas about george orwell, nineteen eighty four and books. Why does the novel 1984 have such a depressing ending. The books are listed according to the highest sales estimate as reported in reliable. Eightyfour, that crystal first line sounds as natural and compelling as ever. Well ill go with the flow and say 1984 was the most bleak book ive ever read, both in content and the writing style.
Unlike other dystopias 1984 is completely devoid of any sense of hope or progression to a better society. Any story that can be considered the best ever written on the most horrifying time the world has ever seen deserves a spot on this list. It is one of the most depressing books ever written. Death of a salesman is pretty depressing too, more so than anything on the. While critics universally agreed that last years manchester by the sea was a fantastic film, they also agreed that its a huge downer to sit through. I can state without hestitation that the bell jar is the most depressing book ive ever read. Between the handmaids tale and the hunger games and the disturbing resurgence of 1984, the dystopia is dominating science fiction on.
The best dystopian novels of all time pan macmillan. There are some books you pick up because you know theyll be tearjerkers, and youre not opposed to a good cry. Most depressing book of all time 1187 books goodreads. Here are 15 movies so depressing you can only watch them once. Clakes childhoods end, that wasnt depressing, certainly not up there with the most obvious example 1984 1984 is depressing just till you read huxley s brave new world.
What are the books that just really brought you down. There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. In the past i tended to skim over books that are bleak and depressing and 1984 is certainly that but it is much more. The story of a 12yearold girl, regan, being possessed by the devil certainly gets a spot on the list of most disturbing books. Then there are the books that suckerpunch you with a. Hey all,i am recently reading george orwells novel called 1984 and wow is all i have to say. Great liberties were taken with the story written by orwell and published in 1949, a year before orwell passed away. Bleak books the top 10 most depressing books abebooks. The year is, of course, 1984, and london is the capital of. I started crying at the end, and it made me so scared of the future. This page provides lists of bestselling individual books and book series to date and in any language. Like many teenagers before me, i first got into dystopian fiction in high school when we studied george orwells 1984.
One of the most depressing books i have ever read was the fixer by bernard malamud. What are the most depressing books you have ever read. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The 100 most depressing books of all time show list info. I cried over that last maximum ride book never moreat the end where max said she died. One of my english professors in college did a semester where we pretty much read malamud and hemingway. Discover and debate the 10 best dystopian novels for writers ever written with a few honorable mentions thrown in, according to writers digest senior editor robert lee brewer. The 100 most depressing books of all time list challenges. Much like the main character, you will feel trapped in a bleak world that is sure to leave you emotionally dead by the time you read the final sentence. The ideal set up by the party was something huge, terrible, and glitteringa world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weaponsa nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecutingthree hundred million people all. Also, ive read all of frank mccourts books, and angelas ashes is his bestthe movie is way more depressing than the book the scene where the babies are all sleeping together and what happens is a starting and so sad scene in the book, and doesnt deliver quite so well in the movie. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading 1984 classics to go. I think that gone with the wind is one of the most depressing books ever written.
Nineteen eightyfour revealed george orwell as one of the twentieth centurys greatest mythmakers. His insight on a totalitarian world of oceania is amazing. This book is the most depressing book i have ever read. Trust me, this is one of the best books ever written. Comics and textbooks are not included in this list. The most depressing book youve ever read the escapist. Best selling refers to the estimated number of copies sold of each book, rather than the number of books printed or currently owned. Is todays world close to the depiction in george orwells book 1984. Warburg recognised its qualities at once among the most terrifying books i have ever read and so did his colleagues. Humans have built a society that exists for no purpose but to be a boot grinding the individual into the ground. Brave new world on the other hand was familiar and as a very young person i would have found the concepts interesting. Here are 50 of the most saddest lines from literature that are heartbreaking and heartwarming, all at the same time. While the totalitarian system that provoked him into writing it has since passed into oblivion, his harrowing cautionary tale of a man trapped in a political nightmare has had the opposite fate. Reading those books for the first time really sparked some emotion throught the book.
The heroine of this particular story is a young, beautiful and incredibly unfortunate girl named tess durbeyfield, who, through the course of the novel, is the victim of so many emotional disasters that it almost beggars belief that any human being could. The year is, of course, 1984, and london is the capital of one of three world communities of oceania. The road was the most crushingly bleak book ive ever read, wrote tom. Tastes differ and its possible to critisize any book, but do it correctly and profoundly. Saddest books to read fiction, nonfiction sad stories. I agree with most comments above, ive been disappointed by the post because of its poor background. Its a story of the civil war told from the southern or losing point of view, so simply for that reason it is destined to be tragic. George orwells dystopian novel 1984 had doublegood sales after one of trumps advisers used the phrase alternative facts in an interview, and the saying has caught on. If you rebel in the smallest way, you wont be killed.
Can anyone recommend me extremely saddepressing books. I was 25 years old, in a new state, and doing 30 days. The masterpiece that killed george orwell books the. I read 1984 in high school and threw it across the room when i read the last line. Orwell answered this question himself, in one of the most famous quotations from the book. It became one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. Top ten top 10 most depressing quotes from orwells 1984.
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