Hello hello, people of the internet. As you can probably tell from the title, today I’m going to talk about books that made me cry. Overall, I’m not someone who usually cries with books. For a book or film to make me cry, I have to really believe in the characters or be emotionally attached to them, which is something that does not happen often. I’m not easy to impress, what can I say?
So, I only have two books and two honourable mentions (for book with which I on the verge of crying). I know it’s not much, but you know it’s what we have got to work with.
Let’s start with the ugly cry:
First, we have My Sweet Orange Tree by José Mauro de Vasconcelos. This book is about Zezé, a five-year-old who lives in Rio de Janeiro, in a forgotten slump in great poverty. I’m pretty sure this is a Brazilian classic, and if it isn’t, it should be. There is a lot to say about this book, and I should probably reread it someday. It’s a sad book due to what it is about, but there are some happy moments, and the Orange Tree is a whole character (obviously). Just read it, please, so I don’t have to be sad alone. (Keep in mind, I read My Sweet Orange Tree when I was around 10 or 11, so it might not be that aggressively sad for an adult mind. Who knows?)
The second book is Guardian of the Dawn by Richard Zimler. The main purpose of Guardian of the Dawn is to bring light to the terror brought by the Portuguese Inquisition to Goa. It follows Tiago Zarco, his sister Sofia, his father and their housemaid Nupi, as they live in Goa during the end of the 16th century. The book is heartbreaking, not only that but a very much real one given the historical context.
Now, the honourable mentions (two Russian classics, who’s shocked?):
Let’s start with Mother by Maxim Gorky. This book has a lot of meaning to me, not only because of the story but also history and family history. My copy of this book is probably one of the most valuable things I have and I can’t believe I almost lost it trying to send it home from Barcelona. If you want to read about the non-story part, I wrote about it in my review, which is here. The book itself is about the radicalization of an uneducated woman and mother as she witnesses her son taking part in the revolution. The message behind this book is just so powerful and relevant. I highly recommend it to everyone who cares about revolutions or politics.
The last book I’m mentioning today is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Honestly, I don’t know what to say except that if someone hadn’t spoiled the end for me I would have cried my eyes out. We get invested in all the characters, there’s this tragic atmosphere, and then the end hits you like a slap on the face. WHY? WHY? Tolstoy was like: “I’m a literary genius so let me just play with their feeling for a while.”
Well, I hope you found this entertaining. It was interesting for me to look back at these books and try remembering what about them made me cry or sob. What books have made you cry? Please let me know because, as you can see, I need recommendations.
Bye, keep on reading.
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