"When I finished it, my wife asked me what was wrong and why I was crying. I just went to sit in the backyard to appreciate flowers and birds and butterflies."View Entire Post ›
I may be a bit of a soft touch, but I've cried at more books than I can count. Most recently, I had a series of little cries over Emily St John Mandel's new novel Exit Party, which is definitely the book of the fall in my humble opinion.
Recently on Reddit, u/Brrbew confessed that they had never cried over a book, and asked people to recommend titles that they thought could change that. Here are some of the best responses:
1.
"Recently, Prophet Song won the Booker Prize. This is the book you're looking for. It's a speculative novel about a (fictitious) slow creeping fascism that begins to exert its power in a near-future Ireland. The ending is one I wish I could forget. But I consider it as important to read as 1984. While 1984 showed how fascism operates in its full power, Prophet Song shows how it rises to full power in small, irreversible steps, even in countries where it might seem absurd to imagine that authoritarianism could take hold."
3.
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It's a true account of an Everest expedition gone wrong. It had me crying on the train."
5.
"The Broken Earth series by NK Jemisin. The main character makes tough decisions that are tragic but still make sense in context, or they're given proof of receiving what they needed but never asked for. I cried near the end of all three books."
10.
"Snow Falling on Cedars. A murder mystery/courtroom drama set in 1950s Washington state about a Japanese-American fisherman accused of killing another fisherman. Deeply moving reflections on love, death, race, and war."
14.
"My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult had me sobbing when I was 14. Still one of my most memorable reads, and it’s been 15 years. The book isn’t like the movie for those who have seen the movie but not read the book."
15.
"The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. You won't cry because of the main character. You will cry because you will reflect on all the opportunities that you let pass by in your life. All the shots you did not take. If you don't cry, you are probably still young and haven't lived life much yet."
16.
"All Quiet on the Western Front. I tear up sometimes, but that's the only book that has ever made me weep. It's short, so I was able to really lock in to the story and finish it in a day or two."
17.
"Atonement. I openly sobbed on a public bus after finishing it."
19.
"The only book that has ever made me cry is The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. I cried ugly tears. My friend warned me before reading, but I brushed it off. She was right."
20.
"The Green Mile made me cry while in the library. I wasn't expecting that."
21.
"Pachinko. A multi-generational story of a Korean family living in Japan, and the many hardships they face as a result of racism, poverty, and war. A frequently heartbreaking book, but in a very believable and real way, and not in a way that feels like the author is simply trying to emotionally manipulate you."
22.
"The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah destroyed me emotionally and mentally."
23.
"The Road by Cormac McCarthy made me cry."
In conclusion, this Redditor put it best when they responded, "I don't know what's happened to me, but just reading the title of some of the books in this list has made my eyes watery. What magic is in the words of some of these wonderful books!! A sentiment so powerful that it lingers in you for years, sometimes for the rest of your life."
—Substantial-Novel392
Is there a book you would add to this list? Tell me all about it in the comments while I try to figure out who's been cutting onions in here.
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