Biggest tear-jerking scene you've read in a book?

[Ski the Swift]

There were two separate scenes in Raymond E Feist's Prince of the Blood

Firstly when Locky is killed off screen, he had been a major character that was built up in previous books and then for Ray to kill him so unceremoniously off screen really got me going. In a later edition of the same book Ray apparently (as I haven't purchased it) added a scene detailing his death. But for me he was a young kid who had grown up with me and then killed, it was hard.

In the same book a new character is introduced, Suli Abul. A young thief who befriends and helps the main character throughout the entire book and shows so much loyalty and bravery, to also die in the closing scenes of the book. Only wanted to be remembered as the main characters (who is of royal blood) loyal servant and friend. Really emotional stuff.

There is also a scene in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows but it isn't really out of sadness

When Harry tells Neville that some one has to kill Voldermort's snake and Neville's loyalty to Harry and his cause and then killing the snake, I definitely had a few tears in that scene.

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

I think I will go with the whole scene in Tigana

when Brandin and Dianora die

There is also a somewhat similar scene in House of Chains

when Tavore kills Felisin

which works equally well for me.

[Exa Inova]

A few options; either I dont read enough, or I only read manly man books or Im an insensitive prick because I cant remember ever getting misty eyed or worse and I only know one scene described until this point (the dragonlance scenes, I know I only read quality works :smug: )

[Ski the Swift]

A few options; either I dont read enough, or I only read manly man books or Im an insensitive prick because I cant remember ever getting misty eyed or worse and I only know one scene described until this point (the dragonlance scenes, I know I only read quality works :smug: )

I saw that you had posted in this thread and my immediate thought was "I bet Exa says he only reads manly books and never sheds tears over a story,"

Good to know I wasn't far fro the mark. :smoking:

[Kat]

It's funny, because people IRL have called me an emotionless robot at times but if they knew how many bawl-worthy scenes I've shed tears over in books, maybe they wouldn't be so hasty. <_<

Bridge To Terabithia. You know the scene.

Naturally. Everyone told me before I read the book (when I was 9 or whatever) that it was sad. I didn't realize it would be that sad. Damn these people manipulating the emotions of poor defenseless children.

Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb

The part where Fitz finds the Fool's body on the garbage heap.

Waaaaaaaah. Yes. The saddest part of that series. There were some scenes in Liveships that were also real tear-jerkers, but nothing comes close to that scene.

Aah WAH?????? I felt sadder when

Hedwig died

I read that scene on a sunny day at the park and I was crying like a baby, I think the only time I cried during any Harry Potter book.

Lots of good ones in Erikson. Including:

- the deaths of all the Bridgeburners in MoI

- the terrible fate of Hetan :crying:

Oh man. Memories of Ice is one of the saddest books I've ever read. For me, the worst part was

Korlat and others mourning Whiskeyjack

Also from The Bonehunters

T'Amber's fate

- The drabbles at the end of Bujold's Cryoburn.

- Classic one from the past - James Agee's A Death in the Family. Heartbreaking throughout.

Argh, the end of Cryoburn. I wasn't that impressed with the book compared to previous ones in the series, and then I read the epilogue. :( :(

I'm not big on poetry, but Agee's poetry is heartbreakingly moving.

There is also a scene in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows but it isn't really out of sadness

When Harry tells Neville that some one has to kill Voldermort's snake and Neville's loyalty to Harry and his cause and then killing the snake, I definitely had a few tears in that scene.

Displays of loyalty often get me.

Some others:

from ROTK:

Denethor building a funeral pyre for Faramir. Tragic.

from Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy:

The ending of Ann and Sax's love story. Lots of tears! Even though I didn't particularly like this pairing in the beginning of the series.

The Golden Compass

That poor kid wandering around looking for his Ratter :bawl:

Also, it's been a couple years since I read it, but I vaguely recall Pratchett's Night Watch being just about the saddest and most moving book he's written. I can't recall the exact scene, but chances are if you've read it you know what I'm talking about.

[MinDonner]

Oh man. Memories of Ice is one of the saddest books I've ever read. For me, the worst part was

Korlat and others mourning Whiskeyjack

And another bit I'd forgotten:

Itkovian, especially where the army are all building his barrow.

Also, it's been a couple years since I read it, but I vaguely recall Pratchett's Night Watch being just about the saddest and most moving book he's written. I can't recall the exact scene, but chances are if you've read it you know what I'm talking about.

This, also. It's one of the most moving books, though I can't remember a specific scene.

[nan1973]

Well I'm pretty much a wimp and have cried in a number of scenes in a number of books but the one book that made me a weeping mess was A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. The ending scene was just too much.

As far as a ASOIAF goes I was seriously upset with: (SPOILER)

A certain misleading developement having to do with Bran, Rickon and Theon.

[Exa Inova]

I saw that you had posted in this thread and my immediate thought was "I bet Exa says he only reads manly books and never sheds tears over a story,"

Good to know I wasn't far fro the mark. :smoking:

Maybe Ive cried once out of frustration after reading a Yeard book........

[Gertrude]

My favorite young adult books that can still make me cry when I read them is The Prydain Chronicles.

Pretty much the last half of the last book. Fflewder burning his harp especially got to me as the last harp string broke. The fact that although it was a 'happy' ending, they all had their own paths to follow and the thought of Taran and Eilonwy not being together was too much to bear.

[fitheach]

The end of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro- for heartbreaking (sooo heartbreaking! :bawl:), and the end of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz- for both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

[Talleyrand]

The death of Jaim Grymauch in David Gemmell's ravenheart

[Xanrn]

Yeah David Gemmell was an expert on manly tear making.

The Crippled God. Has a nice follow up to Tavore killing Fesilin.

Ganoes and Tavore finally meet up again and she almost kills him and then when she realises its him, breaks down in his arms sobbing "I lost her".

[Underfoot]

Because I'm still a noob, I dont' know how to do Spoiler things, so yeah, ****SPOILERS!!!****

I cry shamelessly when Nosey and Smithy die in Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice. I think I probably cried for hours when Nighteyes dies in the later Fitz series. Lady's death is also really bad. Oh, and the ending of Where the Red Fern Grows . Also, Hedwig.

I don't know what it is with me an animals, but I just can't handle it when they die.

[RobMRobM]

Gertrude - I'm a bit confused by your post. I had a different recollection of the end as it involved T and E. Hmmn.

Underfoot - re Hobbs, you do recall that one of your objects of sadness didn't quite have the sad ending you expected, right?

Actually, the story that really gets me every time in Shiras' novella In Hiding, a classic tale from the early 1950s that has been collected in several "best of" collections. The tale revolves around Timmy, an orphan living with his grandparents who is sent by them to see a psychiatrist because they sense something is not quite right this this thoughtful, polite, bright 12? year old boy. The psychiatrist is able to figure out things, which shall remain unspoken here, and one of the final bits is Timmy asking the psychiatrist if he'll still be Timmy's friend. Incredibly powerful in the context of the story and tears me up thinking of it now.

Final one - Flowers for Algernon. Enough said. Good God.

Rob

[Maysek22]

Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay really, that guy writes the most emotionally charged fantasy ever! In particular:

When Kevin plays "Rachels Song" in The Summer Tree, leading Paul his destiny

Kevins sacrifice on dun maura in The Wandering Fire

Diarmuid fighting Urgach in The Darkest Road - "For the honour of the Black Boar!" one of my favorite lines ever, and chokes me up every time.

Crispin giving Stylianne a way out in Lord of Emperors

and many many more Kay scenes - If you like to get choked up by powerfull writing, no one beats Kay IMO

[Gertrude]

Gertrude - I'm a bit confused by your post. I had a different recollection of the end as it involved T and E. Hmmn.

They actually do end up together, but it's set up so that you think Eilonwy is leaving. It's technically a happy ending, but sacrifices are made and friends are parted forever, so I still bawl like a little girl.

And my god yes, Kay. Damn. The Finovar Tapestry wasn't my favorite of his, but certain parts of it are absolutely heartwrenching. The last battle in the Lions of Al-Rassan is horrible to read.

[RobMRobM]

They actually do end up together, but it's set up so that you think Eilonwy is leaving. It's technically a happy ending, but sacrifices are made and friends are parted forever, so I still bawl like a little girl.

Thanks for the clarification. Understood. Mine from the books comes earlier, at fate of a particular character who had found a particular animal in a particular place and had brought it back to a particular farm.

Rob

[Nearly Headless Ned]

Not a scene but the whole of the 'Scholar's Tale' in Dan Simmons Hyperion is pretty heartbreaking.

[Nearly Headless Ned]

The ending of True Grit. That adventure had a true cost and though the narrator is too much of a puritan and a hard ass to admit it you know she feels wistful.

[TheEvilKing]

A few of the deaths toward the end of Paul Kearney's The Ten Thousand had a tear in my eye. Especially

Jason's

Also, the charyou tree scene in King's Wizard And Glass.