Not so long ago we covered the most depressing songs ever recorded, but theres a big difference between depressing and sappy. The story of a 12yearold girl, regan, being possessed by the devil certainly gets a spot on the list of most disturbing books. The books that ive read and loved have become a part of who i am, a part of myself which i nurture and cherish. Then there are the books that suckerpunch you with a. 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. What are the books that just really brought you down.
I was 25 years old, in a new state, and doing 30 days. Happily ever after we dont believe anymore, but we can live with glimmers. Hey all,i am recently reading george orwells novel called 1984 and wow is all i have to say. 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. One of my english professors in college did a semester where we pretty much read malamud and hemingway. Unlike other dystopias 1984 is completely devoid of any sense of hope or progression to a better society. 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.
His insight on a totalitarian world of oceania is amazing. The books are listed according to the highest sales estimate as reported in reliable. The most depressing book youve ever read the escapist. Saddest books to read fiction, nonfiction sad stories. I can state without hestitation that the bell jar is the most depressing book ive ever read. Its like blaming tolkien for the fact, that dragons dont exist. The year is, of course, 1984, and london is the capital of. What are the ten most depressing books youve ever read. Death of a salesman is pretty depressing too, more so than anything on the. The most depressing part about this for me is that there is no happy ending.
What are the most depressing books you have ever read. See more ideas about george orwell, nineteen eighty four and books. I agree with most comments above, ive been disappointed by the post because of its poor background. It became one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. Our edit of the best dystopian novels ever written, from classic. Like many teenagers before me, i first got into dystopian fiction in high school when we studied george orwells 1984. Bleak books the top 10 most depressing books abebooks. In his oscar winning role, casey affleck plays lee, a depressed handyman whos haunted by a tragic. Here are 15 movies so depressing you can only watch them once. I suppose this is because in the poll we are only including amateur depressing books and that was a professional depressing book. The 100 most depressing books of all time show list info. Theres no miracle cure for the earth or its inhabitants, theres no sanctuary, the future of.
There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. Between the handmaids tale and the hunger games and the disturbing resurgence of 1984, the dystopia is dominating science fiction on. Orwell answered this question himself, in one of the most famous quotations from the book. The year is, of course, 1984, and london is the capital of one of three world communities of oceania. George orwells 1984 in particular only seems to grow in relevance, and. The best dystopian novels of all time pan macmillan. This page provides lists of bestselling individual books and book series to date and in any language. What is the most depressing book you have ever read. His most famous novels, animal farm and 1984 have influenced a generation of twentieth century political satirists and dystopian novelists. I have read depresing books before, but they just made me cry. Great liberties were taken with the story written by orwell and published in 1949, a year before orwell passed away. Those liberties were to the detriment of one of the most powerful and depressing books ever written.
There are some books you pick up because you know theyll be tearjerkers, and youre not opposed to a good cry. Why does the novel 1984 have such a depressing ending. I cried over that last maximum ride book never moreat the end where max said she died. 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. I think that gone with the wind is one of the most depressing books ever written. 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. 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. What is george orwells 1984 about, when was the novel. Trust me, this is one of the best books ever written. It is one of the most depressing books ever written. Reading those books for the first time really sparked some emotion throught the book. Most depressing book of all time 1187 books goodreads. 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.
I started crying at the end, and it made me so scared of the future. 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 most depressing books ever worlds strongest librarian. 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. Comics and textbooks are not included in this list. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading 1984 classics to go. Is todays world close to the depiction in george orwells book 1984. Because ive read lots of books that cause alarm, especially cynicalfuture books like the handmaids tale, 1984, or fahrenheit 451. Well ill go with the flow and say 1984 was the most bleak book ive ever read, both in content and the writing style. In the past i tended to skim over books that are bleak and depressing and 1984 is certainly that but it is much more. Warburg recognised its qualities at once among the most terrifying books i have ever read and so did his colleagues. This book is the most depressing book i have ever read.
Earlier this year abebooks asked you to identify your most depressing reads and you came up with some desperately bleak books. The 100 most depressing books of all time list challenges. What book do you think is the most depressing book that you have ever read. Robert mccrum tells the story of orwells feverish race to finish 1984, living in a. 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. If you rebel in the smallest way, you wont be killed. Although the fate of winston smith in 1984 is very sad we know. The author on why all dystopian novels should end on a note of optimism. Best selling refers to the estimated number of copies sold of each book, rather than the number of books printed or currently owned.
Both can be depressing in their own ways, but my god the fixer was just another level. Depressing literature can be ironically lifeaffirming. Can anyone recommend me extremely saddepressing books. Eightyfour, that crystal first line sounds as natural and compelling as ever. Humans have built a society that exists for no purpose but to be a boot grinding the individual into the ground. One of the most depressing books i have ever read was the fixer by bernard malamud. Which is the most depressing book that you have read. Click here the brilliance of the novel is the authors foresight of the modern world. Were all reading 1984 wrong, according to margaret atwood cbc.
Thomas hardy, without dispute, wrote some of the most depressing stories in all literature. Tastes differ and its possible to critisize any book, but do it correctly and profoundly. Dystopia novels seem to be more popular than ever these days. Top ten top 10 most depressing quotes from orwells 1984. The diary of a young girl by anne frank, 1984 by george orwell, the road by cormac mccarthy, night by. 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. Brave new world on the other hand was familiar and as a very young person i would have found the concepts interesting. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The masterpiece that killed george orwell books the. The road was the most crushingly bleak book ive ever read, wrote tom. And the fact that nobody has even mentioned it after well over. 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. 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. Here are 50 of the most saddest lines from literature that are heartbreaking and heartwarming, all at the same time.
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