BOOKS that have made you cry

[cayman shen]

I see we have a recently jedifyfed (I hope it was anyway :lol) thread on movies that make you cry. Have we ever done a BOOKS that make you cry list? I did a search but couldn't seem to find one. I live in fear of an imminent jedifyfing if I am wrong...

Anyway, there have only been a few books that have made me cry. And here they are in the order I read them. I think this is it. And I mean CRY, not well up or get emotional or feel a hitch in my throat. I mean :cry

1. For Whom the Bell Tolls: Ernest Hemingway
2. A Lesson Before Dying: Ernest Gaines
3. The Dark Tower VII: Stephen King
4. The Road: Cormac McCarthy
5. The Toy Collector: James Gunn

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there were others.

 

[jcoffman99]

I had to read Bridge to Terabithia for my young adult lit class in college. Sobbed like a baby. Felt so stupid. I couldn't believe how they marked the movie when it came out. I wonder how many parents didn't know what they were taking their kids to.

 

[dayspringxo]

The shack made me weepy.

 

[kalkamel]

Felt my eyes tear up at the end of Gates of Fire.

 

[cayman shen]

I had to read Bridge to Terabithia for my young adult lit class in college. Sobbed like a baby. Felt so stupid. I couldn't believe how they marked the movie when it came out. I wonder how many parents didn't know what they were taking their kids to.

Oh crap, I forgot about books from when I was a kid (I read Bridge in sixth grade maybe). Ok, add Where the Red Fern Grows to the list then.

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

There are none in my case, though I've been deeply affected by novels and am a pretty voracious reader. As a medium, for me, the novel is just not sufficiently viscerally equipped as cinema is to jerk tears. That doesn't mean cinema is a superior art form, though. Far from it.

 

[Art Andrews]

Cujo by Stephen King.

 

[firesprite]

Most recent examples I can think of:

Harry Potter series
* The Order of the Phoenix: When Sirius dies, I just lost it. I loved Sirius.
* The Half-Blood Prince: When Dumbledore died. It was MUCH more powerful in the book than in the movie because Harry was right there the whole time, watching but unable to act to save his mentor
* The Deathly Hallows: When Hedwig dies. OMG, my husband actually came into the bedroom from the office to see if I was okay on this one.

Stephen King Books
* Dark Tower Series: LOTS of instances of the waterworks coming on, but especially when Oy sacrifices himself.
* The Green Mile: When John sees the chair for the first time and says that they're still in there and he can hear them screaming... :cry

Other stuff
* Watchers by Dean Koontz: Of course when Einstein is sick and might die, but also during the recounting of the 'interview' with the Outsider. It was so heartrending to realize that this monstrous creature that was so utterly terrifying was also intelligent and emotional enough to be aware of its effect and lament the dread it inspired.
* The Dark Glory War by Michael Stackpole: The whole book is great, but the end had me in tears of both sorrow and anger at the hero's situation.

I'm sure there are others I can't think of off-hand.

 

[Probe Droid]

To each their own, but what exactly about For Whom the Bell Tolls made you cry?

 

[CB2001]

Vivienne by Richard Hoyt (in fact I had a delayed reaction before I finally cried. When I read it a second time, I cried right at the ending. The third time was the only time I didn't cry).

 

[Jedi2016]

... especially when Oy sacrifices himself.

I managed to get that bit spoiled for me before I read it, I was pissed.

That's definitely one. A number of instances in the Harry Potter books. That's really about it, to be honest. Most of the stuff I read doesn't really lend itself very well to waterworks.

 

[ONEYE]

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Tuesdays With Morrie

 

[Contec]

"time travelers wife" by Audrey Niffenegger
"jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" Susanna Clarke
"Harry potter books"

 

[fuzzylover]

I, too, am sure I could think of more in time, but for now-

A second for Where the Red Fern Grows.

And Interview With the Vampire- the part where Claudia laments the life she'll never live and the body she'll never attain. It was much more powerful in the book for me.

 

[Bobtherocker]

time traveller's wife
my friend Leonard - James Frey

 

[sapper36]

Lord of the Rings...

Started reading my sons the Hobbit when they were 7 & 8. We got all the way to the end of Return of the King after a couple years. Got to Frodo & Bilbos goodbyes at the end & realized that would be the end of that adventure with my son's too. Kids think Dad's a wimp!

 

[binkleywalker]

Ditto Tuesdays With Morrie- I handed out copies years ago to friends and family. What a book.

Also Marley and Me- I had to put it down several times and walk away from it. At the end when the guy is deciding what to bury him in. Trash bag is too impersonal. Oh, man, as good as the movie was, the book was just so much worse(better).

Brian

 

[Paul Andrew]

Wheel of Time 12 - When Rand finally reunites with Tam. For those of us who've been with the series for nearly two decades I've been waiting for that scene for a long time. Of course, it would have to happen about a year after my own dad passed.

 

[benhs1898]

Strongest emotional reaction was to 2001: A Space Odyssey, but not tears. Just overwhelmed.

 

[Crank729]

I had to read Bridge to Terabithia for my young adult lit class in college. Sobbed like a baby. Felt so stupid. I couldn't believe how they marked the movie when it came out. I wonder how many parents didn't know what they were taking their kids to.

me too