Most tragic deaths in literature?

As the title says, what are the most tragic deaths you've read in a book? Please remember to put spoilers on any stories where everyone doesn't already know the outcome. For example, talking about Romeo and Juliet hardly needs to be put in a spoiler because everyone knows how it turns out. :biggrin:

Here are mine.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Spoiler

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Spoiler

The Hunger Games trilogy

Spoiler

Definitely have to agree with The High Lord, such a sad ending. :frown:

Spoiler

I'll add more as I think of them. Believe me, there are plenty.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1

Dreamseeker

The only death (so far) in literature that has literally made me put the book down and gone wide-eyed is the 'Red Wedding' in Book 3 (I think) of the Song of Ice and Fire series, by George R. R. Martin.

Reply 2

caiitlinz

13

SPECIALS.

YES.

He was on one hand the most annoying character, on the other my favourite.

STILL. Thumbs :biggrin:

Not enough people have read these books.

Reply 3

CherryCherryBoomBoom

21

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Spoiler

Great story and series nevertheless :yep:

Reply 4

aja89

17

John Coffey in The Green Mile. Wrecked me reading it. :frown:

Reply 5

Sorani

16

Of Mice and Men. All he wanted was to pet those soft rabbits :frown:

Reply 6

gingerrama

14

I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Book Thief

Spoiler

Reply 7

LadyRowena

9

Jo's death in Bleak House had me crying me eyes out. The Mill on the Floss was also very tragic. Basically, most Victorian literature is going to have some tragic deaths.

Reply 8

medbh4805

20

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

:cry2:

Reply 9

PonchoKid

20

Original post by Sorani

Of Mice and Men. All he wanted was to pet those soft rabbits :frown:

i first read this in GCSE english, and the tears were rolling throughout our class i think!

still gets me

Reply 10

Jen_App

Othello!! < that's what insecurity does to

Also The animals in Animal farm..especially the horse...that was TRAGIC

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 11

Melanie-v

10

Original post by NaturalDisaster

As the title says, what are the most tragic deaths you've read in a book? Please remember to put spoilers on any stories where everyone doesn't already know the outcome. For example, talking about Romeo and Juliet hardly needs to be put in a spoiler because everyone knows how it turns out. :biggrin:

Here are mine.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Spoiler

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Spoiler

The Hunger Games trilogy

Spoiler

I'll add more as I think of them. Believe me, there are plenty.

Yes to the first two, I don't know the last one.

Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Spoiler

Great story and series nevertheless :yep:

I'm lucky I saw your post, I couldn't figure out how to spoiler it till I quoted you.

This. :cry2:

I think I was seven or eight when I read it. I cried and banished the book to the back of my shelf, literally burying it under whatever other books I could find, because I couldn't make myself throw it away. :colondollar:

In the 'black magician' series by Trudi Canavan

Spoiler

That also made me wail. :frown:

In Abhorsen,

Spoiler

This one's mild by comparison:
in the Eragon series,

Spoiler

Reply 12

Darren-M

10

A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

Spoiler

Black Magician - Trudi Canavan

Spoiler

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 13

lampshade1

6

Original post by gingerrama

I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Book Thief

Spoiler

I was going to say the Book Theif, cried my eyes out!

A brilliant story, made me feel so much emotion, a proper journey as it were! :P

Reply 14

lampshade1

6

Oh, for of Mice and Men, I cried when the dog got shot more than Lennie.... :frown:

Reply 15

lampshade1

6

One book which should be mentioned, All My Sons.

You see it coming, but it doesn't stop it having an impact.

Reply 16

ilyking

the death of lennie in Of Mice and Men :frown:

Reply 17

IPlayThePiccolo

15

Romeo and Juliet is probs one of my faves
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.. for a while afterwards I cried just thinking about it. Hunger Games and Noughts and Crosses as well. My Sister's Keeper. TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE! Mockingbird when Tom Robinson dies. and Bob Ewell but that was a kind of YEAH WE KILLED THE BAD GUY death.

Reply 18

[Shea]

Hedwig

She was such a loyal owl.

Reply 19

Ulo

2

Original post by IPlayThePiccolo

Romeo and Juliet is probs one of my faves
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.. for a while afterwards I cried just thinking about it. Hunger Games and Noughts and Crosses as well. My Sister's Keeper. TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE! Mockingbird when Tom Robinson dies. and Bob Ewell but that was a kind of YEAH WE KILLED THE BAD GUY death.

I was like "WHOOO!" when Bob died. Though I did feel sorry for him. Anyhoo, Ikemefuna in Things Fall Apart. Both Arthur Jarvis and Absalom Kumalo in Cry, the Beloved Country. Helen Burns in Jane Eyre. Anthills of the Savannah. Oh, and I read The Diary of Anne Frank when I was really young, not knowing that she died at the end of it all (not a bright child) - I was distraught for days!

Most tragic deaths in literature?

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