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