A weekly meme hosted by Jennifer @ The Broke & the Bookish.
This week's topic is:
Top Ten Books That Made You Cry
An interesting topic...It's somewhat difficult for me, as I can feel sad while reading but rarely cry. I cry more at movies & an occasional commercial (ever seen the Alzheimer's awareness ones? Hoo boy). So, these choices may be more related to sadness than full-blown sobbing.
*SPOILERS MAY ENSUE*
1) Anne of Green Gables- L.M. Montgomery
When Matthew died. Even in the TV movie version, I cried at the same part.
2) Annie John- Jamaica Kincaid
At the end as Annie's mother runs alongside the train waving goodbye to her. Such a poignant moment.
3) The Book of Ruth- Jane Hamilton
The end is so shocking and sad, I felt it down to my core and it stayed with me so long afterward.
4) The Color Purple- Alice Walker
When Celie is reunited with her family at the end. The same part in the movie was just as tearful.
5) One True Thing- Anna Quindlen
I knew how it would end as I saw the movie prior to reading it but I couldn't help it anyway!
6) Marley & Me- John Grogan
I figured the book would end this way but I sobbed anyway.
7) Death of a Salesman- Arthur Miller
At the end, you feel like you've lost a strange yet happy-go-lucky friend.
8) Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe
At the end, when the colonization occurs & the white missionaries write off the entire tribe's history is just devastating.
9) The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold
I cried a bit throughout this book given the circumstances of Susie Salmon and her tragic end, but also at the end because a little bit of hope lives on through Lindsay's baby girl.
10) The Lord of the Flies- William Goldman
When Piggy dies and at the end when the young boy mouths "help me" to the rescuer.
The Lovely Bones was definitely sad, it didn't make me cry though.
ReplyDeleteI have Things Fall Apart on my shelf -- I'll be prepared when I read it.
#1 - geez, Matthew's death gets me every time. And Anne has a great line at that point too. Something like, just let me cry, don't try to make me happy. I just need to grieve.
ReplyDeleteYou have a spoiler warning and I still read too much!
ReplyDeleteThe Lovely Bones is an amazing story and made my list. I didn't even think of The Color Purple! I don't know if I'll ever read Marley and Me. Too many people have told me what happens in the book and the movie, I think some of it would be lost on me.
Great list!! A book that recently made me cry like a baby was Stiltsville.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne~ Things Fall Apart is very powerful. There are many tragedies in it but it is very worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteAvid Reader~ Yes, I remember that line. Anne is probably my favourite literary character ever!
Loni~ Sorry, it was hard to avoid naming a book without explaining how it was sad to me! Marley & Me is actually funny most of the time, just a couple of tearjerker moments & the ending, of course. I highly recommend it :)
Oh I always get teary when Matthew dies in the movie!! Especially when he says, "You'll always be my little girl," to Anne. Matthew was such an amazing character.
ReplyDeleteNIce list. I didn't enjoy The Lovely Bones, though the whole story itself is sad.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the others on your list.
Here's my list
I forgot about The Lovely Bones when I made this list! And I totally get what you mean about Death of a Salesman! I read that in college and was surprised at how moved I was!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I just cannot read Marley and Me. There aren't enough tissues....
ReplyDeleteI like a good cry. I've only read #9 and have #6 ...I'll have to check the others out. ~Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about Anne of Green Gables-when Matthew died I was inconsolable
ReplyDeleteA great list. I agree with you on The Lovely Bones, which was also a strangely beautiful book. Dogs make me cry almost automatically because something *might* happen to them!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Jane Hamilton and Anna Quindlen are authors that make me cry, too. I was so caught up in our elections that I didn't go visit anyone's blog to make comments yesterday. But here I am today.
ReplyDelete-Anne
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