Thursday, September 24, 2009

Boo hoo!

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What’s the saddest book you’ve read recently?

I had to think pretty hard to remember these, I guess my memory wears rose colored glasses. Herman Hesse's Beneath the Wheel is certainly the most tragic story I have read lately (within the past two years) and The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst also features a tragic central character who is drawn into a web of immense superficiality. They both are gripping narratives with compelling stories to tell. I also cry about the many unread books sitting on piles throughout my house begging to be read - those might be the saddest books of all!

8 comments:

Jo said...

I thought The Line of Beauty was sad, but I did think it was the other characters that provided the sadness and tragedy. I swing towards seeing Nick as pathetic rather than tragic. (think I'm in the minority there though)

Anonymous said...

Haha, I don't cry about my unread books but I do feel a sad feeling of regret at not getting around to them. Although I have hope that I will some day!

gautami tripathy said...

I am not a crier but I do feel intensely after reading certain books. I think I will check out both.

Booking through Sad Ones

Matt said...

What is up with Alan Hollinghurst? Does he stop writing? The Line of Beauty is lined up for re-read.

Lisa (Southern Girl Reads) said...

I love your answer!! I am not familiar with the books you mentioned, but I am familiar with the piles of unread books sitting waiting to be read! :)

Ted said...

Jo - Interesting perspective, I found Nick almost dispicable, despite his naivete, as I write in my linked review. Fabulous book, but I don't admire his superficiality.

Novel - I guess I'm passionate about my books!

GT - I think you would find both interesting and well written. It's a good example, to my mind, of what Hesse was all about. A very compassionate writer.

Matt - Did you read The Folding Star? I don't know of other works by him.

Lisa - Aren't we all!

Smriti said...

I have read only Siddharth by Herman Hesse...not familiar with the other one!
The only book that moved me to the verge of tears was Eric Segal's Love Story! That was years ago!
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy) was quite sad too.
But among my more recent ones, I'd say La Prisonniere by Malika Oufkir.

Isabella K said...

Oh no! I have Beneath the Wheel sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor right now, cuz I pulled it out of a box of books I'd stored, thinking I might give them away, and I honestly can't remember if I've read it or not, but I do remember my cousin gave it to me like in the early 90s, and he died tragically young just a couple years ago, so the book is thoroughly wrapped up in sad and I feel like I owe it to him to read it properly, but now you tell me the book is actually sad, and I don't think I'm ready for that.