Have A Good Cry

Books for tears.

I’m a big fan of a good cry and when Jess Trevakis sent me her interview for Well-Read and called out her love of “read really big, really sad novels”, I made a mental note to write something about books for tears. But when my former housemate, Lou (Hi, Lou!) emailed me telling me she’d loved Jess’s recommendations and was “a slut for heavy, sad emotional books,” it shot to the top of my list.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of books to read if you want to have a good cry, but my inbox is always open if you want to share some recommendations.

Earlier

Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

These two won’t be to everyone’s taste but I loved these stories from Elizabeth Strout, which centre on the miserable 70-something Olive Kitteridge (and those in her orbit). Before I read these I don’t think I’d ever picked up a book about someone over the age of 35, which says something about me but also maybe publishing (?). There’s so much about grief, loss, love, etc. but there’s also so much to unwrap about ageing and what that means for the people you love and yourself.

Now

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Easily one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read; the writing is something else and almost like poetry in parts. Written as a letter from son to mother, this novel has is a meditation on war and generational trauma, as well as race, abuse, and displacement.

Later

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

I have wanted to read this for so long but I’ve been putting it off because I know it will be a tough one. Leila, the central character, is dying and the story tracks the memories that pass through her mind as she slowly leaves this world…

Enjoy!