Most Depressing Book of all time (676 books)

Most Depressing Book of all time

What book do you think is the most depressing book that you have ever read?

1	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 901,680 ratings score: 31,930, and 323 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 273,700 ratings score: 25,159, and 255 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 163,801 ratings score: 24,385, and 246 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	1984 by George Orwell 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 907,015 ratings score: 23,131, and 234 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) by Elie Wiesel 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 320,612 ratings score: 21,022, and 216 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 145,948 ratings score: 15,780, and 160 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 avg rating — 858,293 ratings score: 15,344, and 158 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 442,833 ratings score: 14,994, and 154 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 avg rating — 794,968 ratings score: 14,847, and 154 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt 4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 211,298 ratings score: 13,475, and 138 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 avg rating — 907,288 ratings score: 13,414, and 140 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer 4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 154,836 ratings score: 12,435, and 127 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen 4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 7,273 ratings score: 12,425, and 127 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein 4.37 of 5 stars 4.37 avg rating — 352,866 ratings score: 11,214, and 115 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 198,830 ratings score: 11,021, and 114 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 140,683 ratings score: 10,868, and 113 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 267,651 ratings score: 10,271, and 106 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 875,160 ratings score: 9,818, and 101 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 427,917 ratings score: 8,733, and 91 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 144,125 ratings score: 8,521, and 89 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 1,093,238 ratings score: 8,135, and 85 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author) 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 690,525 ratings score: 7,973, and 83 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Goodreads Author) 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 144,409 ratings score: 7,945, and 82 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 107,139 ratings score: 7,945, and 82 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Truly, Madly, Deeply by Faraaz Kazi (Goodreads Author) 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 1,054 ratings score: 7,680, and 77 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 386,988 ratings score: 7,587, and 79 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 547,442 ratings score: 7,504, and 80 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 24,443 ratings score: 7,190, and 74 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Sophie's Choice by William Styron 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 34,328 ratings score: 7,052, and 73 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton 3.27 of 5 stars 3.27 avg rating — 43,502 ratings score: 6,982, and 73 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 416,986 ratings score: 6,954, and 72 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 1,151,441 ratings score: 6,427, and 68 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy 3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 avg rating — 82,473 ratings score: 6,356, and 67 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 530,062 ratings score: 6,247, and 65 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 3.41 of 5 stars 3.41 avg rating — 76,012 ratings score: 6,127, and 65 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams 4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 avg rating — 99,770 ratings score: 5,802, and 61 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Old Yeller (Old Yeller, #1) by Fred Gipson 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 31,781 ratings score: 5,773, and 61 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 avg rating — 912,375 ratings score: 5,563, and 60 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads Author) 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 148,238 ratings score: 5,432, and 57 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 250,255 ratings score: 5,155, and 55 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Animal Farm by George Orwell 3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 avg rating — 981,167 ratings score: 5,093, and 56 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.3 of 5 stars 3.30 avg rating — 272,330 ratings score: 4,963, and 53 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 35,981 ratings score: 4,708, and 49 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 avg rating — 302,741 ratings score: 4,591, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	New Moon (Twilight, #2) by Stephenie Meyer 3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 avg rating — 752,087 ratings score: 4,506, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 214,497 ratings score: 4,501, and 50 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Stranger by Albert Camus 3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 avg rating — 192,297 ratings score: 4,496, and 49 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 110,817 ratings score: 4,458, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 161,836 ratings score: 4,250, and 46 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 1,395,479 ratings score: 4,240, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 838,629 ratings score: 4,048, and 42 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 54,770 ratings score: 4,031, and 43 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 avg rating — 1,575,006 ratings score: 3,891, and 41 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 51,582 ratings score: 3,707, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 231,313 ratings score: 3,651, and 42 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	On the Beach by Nevil Shute 3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 14,354 ratings score: 3,557, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 65,756 ratings score: 3,517, and 36 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 463,039 ratings score: 3,510, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Hamlet by William Shakespeare 3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 274,735 ratings score: 3,497, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Beloved by Toni Morrison 3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 avg rating — 135,483 ratings score: 3,415, and 37 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Pearl by John Steinbeck 3.3 of 5 stars 3.30 avg rating — 75,764 ratings score: 3,324, and 37 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb 3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 avg rating — 154,351 ratings score: 3,267, and 35 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (as "Anonymous") 3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 avg rating — 103,548 ratings score: 3,170, and 34 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	A Separate Peace by John Knowles 3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 avg rating — 88,693 ratings score: 3,166, and 34 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 129,851 ratings score: 3,138, and 33 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 191,218 ratings score: 2,946, and 32 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 311,147 ratings score: 2,928, and 33 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 87,819 ratings score: 2,912, and 31 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 avg rating — 105,899 ratings score: 2,867, and 31 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Animal Farm & 1984 by George Orwell 4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 27,881 ratings score: 2,807, and 31 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 97,158 ratings score: 2,735, and 31 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 avg rating — 227,680 ratings score: 2,627, and 29 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 465,040 ratings score: 2,513, and 29 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Pact by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 127,380 ratings score: 2,505, and 27 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 284,438 ratings score: 2,505, and 29 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Blindness (Blindness, #1) by José Saramago 3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 61,767 ratings score: 2,469, and 27 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III 3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 avg rating — 50,581 ratings score: 2,452, and 26 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams 3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 avg rating — 46,150 ratings score: 2,423, and 28 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Sybil: The Classic True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 38,696 ratings score: 2,415, and 27 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 36,498 ratings score: 2,249, and 25 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 106,561 ratings score: 2,239, and 25 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 646,453 ratings score: 2,222, and 24 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Hours by Michael Cunningham 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 62,721 ratings score: 2,059, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 37,558 ratings score: 2,050, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 479,628 ratings score: 2,047, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver 4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 43,947 ratings score: 2,024, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	King Lear by William Shakespeare 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 82,223 ratings score: 1,961, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Love Story (Love Story, #1) by Erich Segal 3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 avg rating — 23,568 ratings score: 1,956, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 39,626 ratings score: 1,928, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 183,004 ratings score: 1,921, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 53,508 ratings score: 1,898, and 21 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins 4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 avg rating — 921,854 ratings score: 1,886, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski 3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 avg rating — 53,339 ratings score: 1,831, and 19 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosiński 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 7,421 ratings score: 1,782, and 19 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire 3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 avg rating — 307,849 ratings score: 1,742, and 19 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 41,399 ratings score: 1,721, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Othello by William Shakespeare 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 136,237 ratings score: 1,697, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 136,510 ratings score: 1,659, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	My Story by Dave Pelzer 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 5,510 ratings score: 1,621, and 17 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Trial by Franz Kafka 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 64,659 ratings score: 1,523, and 17 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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676 books · 2,031 voters · list created November 29th, 2008 by Leila (votes) .

Tags: angst, anxiety, awful, best, depressing, depression, depressive, sad, worst

like 43 likes

Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds.

People Who Voted On This List (2031)

Leila
547 books
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Miss Chai
241 books
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D.L.
603 books
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Hanna
331 books
7 friends

Wilhelmina
1408 books
255 friends

Neil
161 books
10 friends

Ashley
163 books
13 friends

Susanna
2107 books
373 friends

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Comments (showing 1-50 of 66) (66 new)

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message 1: by jo (last edited Jan 09, 2009 05:44pm) (new)

Jan 09, 2009 05:42pm

a fine balance wins the prize, hands down.

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message 2: by jo (new)

Jan 09, 2009 07:44pm

oh, mike, you put one book there, and, since it's only one book, it climbs right to the top. that's rigging the system, man.

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message 3: by Gabrielle (new)

Jul 21, 2009 10:58pm

But why is Endgame not on here?

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message 4: by Susanna (new)

Jul 22, 2009 01:51pm

Oooh, good question!

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message 5: by Leila (new)

Jul 22, 2009 02:03pm

I thought Bridge to Terabithia was a fun childrens book (haven't read it) with all the adventure and stuff. I had no idea that I was so depressing!

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message 6: by Jen (new)

Jul 22, 2009 02:36pm

Ralph and Sarah,

I must know. What is so depressing about the soccer field being empty? Those two guys there on it look like they're doing okay.

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message 7: by Thom (new)

Sep 22, 2009 05:42am

After putting up several titles and adding a bunch more, I suddenly realized this list of depressing books was nearly identical to my list of favorite books. Shit.

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message 8: by Lobstergirl (new)

Sep 22, 2009 04:21pm

The way the question is framed, aren't we supposed to pick just one book?

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message 9: by Thom (new)

Sep 22, 2009 06:31pm

Yes, Lobs, I think you are probably correct, but I can't decide..."Depressing" books are, for some reason, the ones I come to love the most and to re-read...And I am not a gloomy person, just the opposite. I guess the "dark night of the soul" is the greatest adventure, challenge, or some such. Lucky me: I'm a lover, not a sufferer.

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message 10: by Leila (new)

Sep 23, 2009 03:18am

It's fine to add several books if you like though if you can pinpoint the most depressing book for you, then do add just one :) If you can't decide however (most books are very different), then it's perfectly okay to add several :)

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message 11: by Susanna (new)

Sep 23, 2009 09:02am

I voted for two I find equally depressing, though they are certainly very different books.

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message 12: by Thom (new)

Sep 23, 2009 09:52am

There is a bottom line to "sad" Beckett's Endgame is so abyssmal it has to be comic.....I remember as a Sophomore being upset with Candide because I had a hard time getting past the "soldiers who ripped the girls' bellies open"....my girlfriend of the time was laughing like hell reading Candide and I just didn't get it. Incidentally, recently saw magnificent production of Bernstein et. al. Candide in the Berkshires. I laughed like hell.

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message 13: by Mandy (new)

Oct 03, 2009 02:07pm

Why isn't Les Miserables by Victor Hugo on this list?! JK, I'm not angry...just...surprised. I mean, it has the word "miserable" in the title. Even if you're not pronouncing it. I don't know, just think about it.

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message 14: by Ally (new)

Oct 05, 2009 07:44am

I really thought Plath's the Bell jar would make it on this list!

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message 15: by Lobstergirl (new)

Oct 05, 2009 04:46pm

Mandy wrote: "Why isn't Les Miserables by Victor Hugo on this list?! JK, I'm not angry...just...surprised. I mean, it has the word "miserable" in the title. Even if you're not pronouncing it. I don't know, just ..."

Because you didn't add it?

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message 16: by [deleted user] (new)

Oct 05, 2009 05:50pm

Ally wrote: "I really thought Plath's the Bell jar would make it on this list!"

Odd, I had added it along with 7 other depressing books but then deleted it as I was only supposed to chose one. I still have 2 up. I consider that book too depressing to read again altho I bought myself an old paperback of it for NE quiz questions. No wonder she killed herself!

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message 17: by Ally (new)

Oct 05, 2009 11:09pm

Canary wrote: Odd, I had added it along with 7 other depressing books but then deleted it as I was only supposed to chose one. ..."
I had a very ambitious to read list when I was in school, but after The Bell Jar I decided to rather read books I enjoy and not books other people thought I should read. I agree though, I would not read it again

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message 18: by Lynn (new)

Oct 19, 2009 04:57am

jo wrote: "a fine balance wins the prize, hands down."

Well, I put it second to Angela's Ashes. I read this for a book group and at the end it seemed like nothing, absolutely nothing, had changed. Very depressing!

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message 19: by Lynn (new)

Oct 19, 2009 04:57am

Ally wrote: "Canary wrote: Odd, I had added it along with 7 other depressing books but then deleted it as I was only supposed to chose one. ..."
I had a very ambitious to read list when I was in school, but aft..."

Actually, I think you can post five, but you have to put them in order of depressingness.

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message 20: by Jessa (new)

Oct 26, 2009 06:05am

Sybil The True and Extraordinary Story of a Woman Possessed By Sixteen Separate Personalities

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message 21: by Graham (new)

Oct 28, 2009 02:33am

Last Exit to Brooklyn

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message 22: by Thom (new)

Oct 28, 2009 04:54am

Lynn wrote: "jo wrote: "a fine balance wins the prize, hands down."

Well, I put it second to Angela's Ashes. I read this for a book group and at the end it seemed like nothing, absolutely nothing,..."

Is "realism" depression ? Doth Reality bite ? I'd like to ask Frank McCourt, but alas ! he's dead--and I find THAT depressing.

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message 23: by Adam (new)

Oct 30, 2009 02:32pm

the giver, the hunger games, anne frank, and bridge to teribithia are the winners for me.
AND WHY THE HECK IS TWILIGHT HERE????
ABSOLUTLY NOT DEPRESSING.

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message 24: by Adam (new)

Oct 30, 2009 02:33pm

Leila wrote: "I thought Bridge to Terabithia was a fun childrens book (haven't read it) with all the adventure and stuff. I had no idea that I was so depressing! "

I havent read it either (i want to) but saw the movie and i was bawling at the end! it is soooo sad! and just to let you know i am a teenage boy.

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message 25: by Mary Ellen (new)

Nov 10, 2009 08:51am

Whoa... I sure have read a lot of depressing books. When I taught junior high, most every book dealt with a death to either a person, a pet, or a marriage.

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message 26: by Lynn (new)

Nov 10, 2009 09:15am

My sister once took an adult education class on Modern Women British Writers. She decided it must have been sponsored by Prozac.

Mary Ellen wrote: "Whoa... I sure have read a lot of depressing books. When I taught junior high, most every book dealt with a death to either a person, a pet, or a marriage. "

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message 27: by Adam (new)

Nov 10, 2009 02:22pm

this is actually not a bad list! unlike most of them in goodreads...

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message 28: by Reed (new)

Nov 11, 2009 03:31pm

why are the twilight books on here?

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message 29: by Reed (new)

Nov 11, 2009 03:32pm

hunger games made me cry when someone died(its a spoiler not gonna say!) and im about 14 so yeah, real men do cry.

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message 30: by Reed (new)

Nov 11, 2009 03:33pm

i wonder y its like way down on the list though.

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message 31: by Suzanne (new)

Nov 11, 2009 04:25pm

Fall on Your Knees

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message 32: by Suzanne (new)

Nov 11, 2009 04:26pm

Adam wrote: "this is actually not a bad list! unlike most of them in goodreads..."

I agree. Some of my favorite books are on this list!

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message 33: by Adam (new)

Nov 11, 2009 05:23pm

Reed wrote: "hunger games made me cry when someone died(its a spoiler not gonna say!) and im about 14 so yeah, real men do cry.

"

REED U AINT 14! U R 12.

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message 34: by Rem (new)

Jan 20, 2010 11:22pm

I just realized something...Alot of the books I think are depressing are my favourites, lol that is kinda scaring me.

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message 35: by Jaclyn (new)

Jan 28, 2010 12:43pm

Why is it that we're taught in school that good = sad?
'course I found Candide hilarious, and I thought that The Giver turned its self around so much at the end that I found it uplifting.

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message 36: by Mark (last edited Jan 29, 2010 12:25pm) (new)

Jan 29, 2010 11:52am

If people think The Road and Bridge to Terebithia are depressing, they have some reading to do (unless they want to remain happy people, which I highly recommend for some people). Tess of the d'Urbervilles has to be like five octillion times as depressing as either of those. Personally, I think there's a huge difference between a depressing book and a sad book.

I wouldn't call The Road a sad book, though. I can see how some people can think it was depressing, but I didn't come away from it feeling that way, personally.

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message 37: by Susanna (new)

Jan 30, 2010 10:42am

Yeah, it's hard to argue with Hardy for depressing. (Jude the Obscure was my top choice.)

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message 38: by Alex (new)

Feb 09, 2010 01:05pm

The hollow is most deffinitally the most boring depressing feel bad book ever! i cant believe i had to add it

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message 39: by Will (new)

Mar 13, 2010 05:54pm

Where is "Johnny got his Gun" Hands down most depressing

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message 40: by Susanna (new)

Mar 14, 2010 12:07pm

The form to add books to the list is over at the right-hand side of the page.

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message 41: by Janal (new)

Apr 28, 2010 08:44am

The Joy Luck book is the most depressing book i have ever read.

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message 42: by Sara (new)

May 22, 2010 10:05pm

I'm surprised I had to add Giovanni's Room myself! Although I agreed with the other books I've read that made it onto the list. And it was hard to pinpoint the fine line between depressing and intensely sad...

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message 43: by Katie (new)

May 26, 2010 04:40pm

The end of "The Road" made me cry for over 5 minutes. The entire book is pretty bleak.

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message 44: by BMaire (new)

Jul 11, 2010 12:37pm

Go ask Alice never seems to loose relevance in our society.

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message 45: by ɐzzıɹʞ ɐzzıɹʞ (new)

Jul 14, 2010 12:52am

Bridge to Terabithia? Depressing?
I can't believe it.

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message 46: by Mary (new)

Aug 31, 2010 03:33pm

mockingjay HAS to be in there.

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message 47: by Coralie (new)

Aug 31, 2010 05:46pm

I feel that there is a vast difference between sad and depressing.

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message 48: by Emily (new)

Aug 31, 2010 06:23pm

Coralie wrote: "I feel that there is a vast difference between sad and depressing."

Yes I agree. That's why Wuthering Heights and The Hunger Games should not be on this list.

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message 49: by Namida... (new)

Feb 04, 2011 03:06pm

i don't think books that have a good character dying all of a sudden in them should be called depressing, they're just momentarily sad. That's why i don't think the vampire academy series should be here, nor the hunger games AnD DeFiNaTeLy NOT twilight, why do i find this abominable saga in every list! also to kill a mocking bird is neither sad nor depressing for me. but wuthering heights yeah, it's gothic and freaky sometimes but it is damned depressing. somehow i find virginia woolf's books depressing too, mrs dalloway and the waves had me sobbing all night.
but hey that's just me ^^

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message 50: by Isaac (new)

Jul 24, 2011 07:10pm

brideshead revisited imo

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