# The most depressing book you've ever read, but was still a good book (spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070 "2012-05-25T15:33:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bannedit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Bannedit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bannedit)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/1 "2012-05-25T15:33:55Z")
For me it was Angela’s Ashes. It took me several tries to get through it. Every time one of the kids died I had to put it down. I hoped for a happy ending and both Frank and I got one! Is the movie worth watching? What about you? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/2 "2012-05-25T15:51:00Z")
Have you read any Franz Kafka? ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/3 "2012-05-25T15:55:09Z")
I will go with three of my faves… _**Jude the Obscure Germinal Therese Raquin**_ ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/4 "2012-05-25T15:55:39Z")
Where the Red Fern Grows was a real downer for me in 5th grade. Old Yeller is supposed to be the standard for a depressing story for kids about that age but WTRFG beats it easily. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/5 "2012-05-25T15:57:16Z")
If you don’t count dead-dog books, I had to put _Let the Right One In_ down because it was so damned bleak. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/6 "2012-05-25T16:00:46Z")
The Road. With especial reference to the campfire scene. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/7 "2012-05-25T16:04:35Z")
_Steps_ by Jerzy Kosinski. Blegh. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/8 "2012-05-25T16:09:13Z")
Where the Red Fern Grows is certainly right up there for me too. So is The Yearling, and The Red Pony. More recently, I read a book called Beem, originally written in Russian about a Gordon Setter. I had tried to find that book literally for YEARS and was so thrilled to find it. It was supposedly a true story about the dog, named Beem, whose owner was hospitalized for a lenghty period, and Beem escaped to go looking for him. After all the trial the dog went thru, he finally made it home, shortly after his wner came home… and was picked up by the dog catcher. Someone saw this and the next day, told the owner, who went to pick his beloved dog up. I was all set for a happy reunion, but… Beem was dead when he got there. I was reading this at work on my lunch break and broke down sobbing hysterically. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/9 "2012-05-25T16:11:39Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > The Road. With especial reference to the campfire scene. And I came in to nominate [Outer Dark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Dark), by the same author. Kafka’s a pretty good candidate, but I read all of that when I was a teenager and impossible to depress. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/10 "2012-05-25T16:14:47Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > I will go with three of my faves… > > _**Jude the Obscure > Germinal > Therese Raquin**_ Sticking with Thomas Hardy, there’s _ **The Mayor of Casterbridge** _ Also Arthur Koestler’s _ **Darkness at Noon.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/11 "2012-05-25T16:17:27Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Where the Red Fern Grows was a real downer for me in 5th grade. Old Yeller is supposed to be the standard for a depressing story for kids about that age but WTRFG beats it easily. I came in to mention this one. I cried for so long after finishing **Where The Red Fern Grows** as a kid. Part of me wants to reread it to see how it holds up, but I just can’t bring myself to pick it up. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/12 "2012-05-25T16:22:11Z")
**The Art of Racing in the Rain** I won’t give away the ending, but there is a dog in it. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/13 "2012-05-25T16:24:57Z")
The most depressing book is probably _Animal Farm_. The most depressing story is definitely “The Steadfast Tin Soldier.” ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/14 "2012-05-25T16:25:39Z")
_Flowers for Algernon_. I have an autistic sister so it hit me especially hard. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/15 "2012-05-25T16:28:30Z")
Neville Shute’s _On the Beach_ isn’t exactly a cheery barrel of laughs. I haven’t read it since I was a young teenager though, so maybe it doesn’t hold up, but at the time ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/16 "2012-05-25T16:34:48Z")
I don’t know if _A Tale of Two Cities_ counts, since it’s kind of an uplifting sadness, but it sure depressed me back when I first read it. _Atonement_ as well. Otherwise, it’s hard to beat _Where the Red Fern Grows_ or _Jude the Obscure_. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/17 "2012-05-25T16:36:39Z")
It’s going to be hard to top _Where the Red Fern Grows._ Why this is considered a kid’s book is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/18 "2012-05-25T16:38:50Z")
It’s White Oleander for me. Totally depressing and not my typical read, but that author can really put a sentence together. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/19 "2012-05-25T16:41:50Z")
Rohinton Mistry’s _A Fine Balance_. Was that depressing or what? In the young adult fiction category, I recommend _I am the cheese_. > **[I Am the Cheese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_the_Cheese)** > > I Am the Cheese is a young adult novel by the American writer Robert Cormier, published in 1977. > The novel opens with protagonist Adam Farmer biking from his home in the fictional town of Monument, Massachusetts, (based on Cormier's hometown of Leominster, Massachusetts\[citation needed\]) to visit his father in the fictional town of Rutterburg, Vermont. The story alternates with transcripts of tapes between a "subject" and Brint. The subject receives psychotherapy and is interrogated by Brint. > A... [spoiler]The protagonist believes he is taking a great, adventurous journey to save his family from government baddies. It is gradually revealed that the government baddies have in fact already murdered his whole family and are using drugs to make him hallucinate his adventure in the hope he will reveal some useful intel - all of the people he encounters in his alleged adventure are other inmate/prisoners. In the end, realizing the kid knows nothing, they kill him, too. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070/20 "2012-05-25T16:46:27Z")
> [@Yumblie](#): > > _Flowers for Algernon_. I have an autistic sister so it hit me especially hard. This is the one for me. There’s just absolutely nothing uplifting in it, just heartache and despair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-depressing-book-youve-ever-read-but-was-still-a-good-book-spoilers/623070.md?page=2)