These ten novels, ranging from the late 19th century to the last couple. Whatever problems you may have, at least you arent stuck in a concentration camp or a dystopian future. Jun 20, 2019 there are certain books that are always on lists of books you must read and the like, and these books are generally two things. What book do you think is the most depressing book that you have ever read. Who was the most depressing writer of the 19th century, and. Surviving january the most depressing month of the year. Jude the obscure, thomas hardy jude the obscure, the last completed novel by thomas hardy, began as a magazine serial in december 1894 and was first published in book form in 1895.
Jan 07, 2015 january 24th is on record as being the most depressing day of the year. As the art world flourished in 19th century france, so did literary works. This story focuses on four characters, one of which is on a mission to prove the existence of the supernatural in hill house. The diary of a young girl by anne frank, 1984 by george orwell, the road by cormac mccarthy, night by. Great works of russian literature everyone should read. The wonderful wizard of oz, published in 1900, is the first fantasy written by an american to enjoy an immediate success upon publication. What is the most depressing book you have ever read. The book inspired many bolsheviks, including vladimir lenin.
Germinal by emile zola picking the most downbeat of the 20 novels of emile zolas rougonmacquart novelcycle, one is faced with an embarrassment of riches, but germinal 1885, the story of the. One of the books many bleak themes is governmentsponsored suicide in the face of radiation. The best part of this book is the very beginning and the ending. Seven types of atheism by john gray the most depressing book i have read by john carey it refers to various famous atheists, but essentially it is an account of the course of human history as gray understands it, and it goes, broadly speaking, something like this. Nor are you the ghost of a murdered child or a woman with sixteen personalities or.
Williamss beautiful prose manages to make the whole. And yes, jude, even in the pantheon of hardy books, is a particularly depressing book, what with the. The bills come in from all those generous gifts you gave back when the holiday spirit had. Jan 18, 2009 if you woke up feeling blue today then the chances are you are not alone. One of the most outrageous books on this list is also one of the oldest. The title already exudes depressing atmosphere, but the first line of the main story is the kicker. Much of the literature written with a political aim, even when not of intrinsic value, became part of italys national heritage and inspired not only those for whom it. This means that the movietv versions of wuthering heights bore people who havent read the book and irritate those who have. No connection for the 4 friends of the murder club, the story goes off on strange unrelated parts. The third monday in january is supposedly the gloomiest day of the year as people come down from holidayhighs and look towards the distant light of summer. This book really brought the life in the concentration camps vividly to the reader. Most depressing book of all time 1189 books goodreads.
The 100 most depressing books of all time show list info. The title already exudes depressing atmosphere, but the first. The author daniel keyes just died this past sunday. 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.
Italian literature literary trends of the 19th century. Theyve all got pretty bleak endings, they all paint a pretty grim picture of humankind, but theyve all got an important story. Saddest books to read fiction, nonfiction sad stories refinery29. Sep 18, 2015 this book has the dubious distinction of having displaced the god of small things as the most depressing book i have ever read so consider yourself warned. The brutal killings portrayed in this novel certainly make it one of the most disturbing books ever written. So powerful was its effect on the american imagination, so evocative its use of the forces of nature in its plots, so charming its invitation to children of all ages to look for the element of wonder in the world around them that author l. So, i think the most depressing book i can think of off the top of my head is lord of the flies, because the author was basically saying that were hardwired to be brutal, cruel, and visceral. Known to the reader only as the kid, he continues to travel through eastern texas by his lonesome on his mule. Bleak books the top 10 most depressing books abebooks. Which is the most depressing book that you have read. Jan 20, 2020 it came about after dr cliff arnall was asked to work out the most depressing day of the year.
Poe was a victim of circumstances in that his life was plagued by illhealth, financial troubles and a series of traged. Sylvia plaths own suicide shortly after the publication of her semiautobiographical novel, the bell jar, adds a depressing note of realism to the appearance of this particular book on the list. Not all stories have happy endings, and im more than okay with that. The road, a heartbreaking novel of unending postapocalyptic horror including cannibalism and. Then i read another post about poe and began to compare the two. Most depressing book of all time what book do you think is the most depressing book that you have ever read. Women better represented in victorian novels than modern. The 100 most depressing books of all time list challenges. In the 19th century, authors in the united kingdom we are counting authors.
So here are of the most deeply depressing books youll ever read. Mar 11, 2014 the 50 greatest british novels of the 19th century. Mad men season fives most depressing moments rolling stone. I actually fell asleep twice, in the daytime sitting up, in the middle of this book. This book is so terrifying it made it onto stephen kings list of the best horror novels ever written, which certainly makes it strong enough to earn a spot on the list of the most disturbing books. Pecanic february 12, 2019 these are the 5 most depressing books ive ever read. So many of the great books of the 1800s take place in london, yet gaskells. The industrys vermin is a hiphop track about the way the industry, we all know to be corrupt, treats. I can state without hestitation that the bell jar is the most depressing book ive ever read. Combination of postchristmas finances, bad weather and long wait for summer combine for blue monday researchers have dubbed january 18 as blue. For monday, january 19, 2009 is going to be the most depressing day in history, according to experts.
Nobel prizewinning author gunter grass most famous novel is not the. Depressing literature can be ironically lifeaffirming. What are the books that just really brought you down. Who was the most depressing writer of the 19th century. The most depressing books ever worlds strongest librarian. Seven types of atheism by john gray the most depressing. The 50 greatest british novels of the 19th century flavorwire. After all, this weeks hot new bestseller is often an easy read for the simple reason that its part of the current zeitgeist you dont have to work very hard to get the references and understand the relationships more or less intuitively. We will be discussing some very sad endings to books you may not have read yet. Jun 17, 2016 the book is poetry, and when you boil it down, the plot is pretty melodramatic plus theres a complicated timeline and framing device that most filmmakers fuck up. The 19th century was a period of political ferment leading to italian unification, and many outstanding writers were involved in public affairs. Ive read multiple memoirs of people who have survived the death camps and so far this one is beyond the most tragic of them all.
Earlier this year abebooks asked you to identify your most depressing reads and you came up with some desperately bleak books. An intense portrayal of addiction although there is a messy love affair thrown in for good measure. Bbc culture contributor jane ciabattari polled 82 book critics from. Most of the time, we read books as a way to escape our real lives for a few hours, and vanish into a magical world thats much more exciting. Bukowskis opening to post office is very memorable to me and the final scene of ham on rye is the most memorable ending to a book i have ever read. At the end, when the rescuer a member of the navy blithely assumes the boys have been having a great time playing, it hit me like a hammer. This novel follows an adolescent runaway from tennessee, with a taste for violence, in the middle of the 19th century.
Depressing russian literature isnt always about war, politics and romance gone wrong, in this book dostoevsky details how gambling can ruin your life. One of the most complex novels ever written, dealing subtly with issues of sin. The top 20 most depressing video games of all time tech digest. Suckers for punishment will be able enjoy endure the movie version of mccarthys novel in november. Mar 05, 20 here tech digest rundown the top 20 most depressing video games of all time, depressing not because they were bad the games on this list are almost uniformly excellent but because they have a dark heart, examining some of the more shadowy or painful sides of the human condition. A lot of books are depressing but fictionial, but this one is real. You really cant discuss 19thcentury american literature without. No longer human by osamu dazai has to be the most depressing book i have ever picked up. Nathaniel hawthorne is better known as a novelist today, especially for the scarlet letter and the house of the seven gables, but he was also a talented poet, as the poem above attests. Italian literature italian literature literary trends of the 19th century. The road was the most crushingly bleak book i ve ever.
Apr 06, 2016 stoner is what i loved most to handsell when i was a booksellerits a sad, dark little book about one professors depressing life. Thomas hardy, without dispute, wrote some of the most depressing stories in all literature. Blue monday 2020 what is it and why is today the most. I cant recommend that you read any of them, except for one. January 18th dubbed blue monday for being the most depressing. Jun 07, 2012 mad men hasnt really been known for making its audiences feel warm and fuzzy inside, but this season has been especially dark its peppy, zou bisou bisousoundtracked opening episode. Herman melville dedicated his most famous book, mobydick, to hawthorne. Feb 19, 2018 in early 19thcentury novels, men were more likely to have houses and countries, while women had private chambers, apartments, or rooms.
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