Books That Make You Cry: Top 10 Tearjerkers

The Huffington Post Canada  |  Posted:

You might be able to divide books that make you cry into two categories, those you know will have you weeping from start to finish, and the creepers that unexpectedly leave you sniffling on the subway, trying to keep from wiping your nose on your sleeve.

But while embarrassing, the emotional release of sobbing at the end (or middle, or even beginning) of a book can be healthy for both the mind and body -- especially when it comes to the eyes.

Tears play an important role in maintaining the eyes' optimal condition, helping to clear bacteria and get rid of toxins, notes PsychCentral, in addition to boosting moods and lowering stress.

So in honour of Vision Health Month, author Tish Cohen -- whose books are known for their weepy endings -- is touring Canada to talk to people about dry eye disease, and has come up with a list of the top tearjerker books to help.

SEE: The top 10 tearjerker books, as chosen by Tish Cohen and Harper Collins Canada. What do you think of the list? Let us know which books you'd add in the comments, or at @HuffPostCaLiv.

Loading Slideshow...
  • #10: To Kill A Mockingbird

  • #9: Charlotte's Web

  • #8: The Thorn Birds

  • #7: My Sister's Keeper

  • #6: Of Mice And Men

  • #5: Gone With The Wind

  • #4: Doctor Zhivago

  • #3: Romeo And Juliet

  • #2: The Notebook

  • #1: Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl

#10: To Kill A Mockingbird

#9: Charlotte's Web

#8: The Thorn Birds

#7: My Sister's Keeper

#6: Of Mice And Men

#5: Gone With The Wind

#4: Doctor Zhivago

#3: Romeo And Juliet

#2: The Notebook

#1: Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl

FOLLOW CANADA LIVING

You might be able to divide books that make you cry into two categories, those you know will have you weeping from start to finish, and the creepers that unexpectedly leave you sniffling on the subway...
You might be able to divide books that make you cry into two categories, those you know will have you weeping from start to finish, and the creepers that unexpectedly leave you sniffling on the subway...
 
 
  • Comments
  • 66
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Post Comment Preview Comment
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2 3 4  Next ›  Last »  (4 total)
11:47 PM on 05/28/2012
'The Diary of a Young Girl' is to this day the only book that's made me cry as if I just got a beating. And of course I just had to be reading the ending on a public bus.
11:13 PM on 05/28/2012
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Beautifully written and illustrated, and I bawled the entire time.
07:00 PM on 05/28/2012
I wept and wept when I read On the Beach by Nevil Shute. Awaiting death from atomic war and going aout their everyday activities like gardening and pushing their babies in their carriages. The sheer hopelessness of it all, the total lack of hope....
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
AGarcia
04:34 PM on 05/28/2012
"Animal Farm"... when the horse gets it, really got to me all of a sudden as a kid. Sez a lot about why I ended up posting here on HP, lol.
11:56 AM on 05/28/2012
Airstreaming by Tom Schabarum
04:37 AM on 05/27/2012
I literally wept after finishing "The Kite Runner" and also "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas".

From the list only "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Of Mice and Men" came close. Ashamed to admit, I've never read "The Diary of Anne Frank", it would probably make me cry too.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
signgrrl
design & production
02:47 PM on 05/27/2012
if i remember correctly, the last line of anne frank will definitely do it. you have to read the whole thing first tho, for context.
12:34 PM on 05/25/2012
The Iliad.

When Hector makes his son cry because he's wearing his warrior's helmet, and has to take it off to be recognized, and especially when Priam begs for the body of his slain son in Achilles' tent, I weep like a child.
12:06 PM on 05/25/2012
How about dark comedies like "The School Of Beauty and Charm" By Melanie Sumner. It's supposed to be humorous, and it is, but I found myself crying over some parts...Or this other book that I just discovered randomly..It's an audiobook,on a website called rusted teacups.com The book is named" What The Universe Said" By K.M.Simms. And This book is written with dark Humor in mind, but the story is so sad, it's like funny sad? ...I Think it's so contradictory, which is what makes these two book awesome.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Jennifer Kley
Sloppy Cubicle Rebel in search of Freedom
03:05 PM on 05/24/2012
"Finding Fish" by Antoine Fisher which became that movie starring Denzel Washington. I related to it for so many personal reasons. I sobbed. Was so glad I was alone in my apartment while reading it and then off from work for an extended period of time so that I could really deal with the emotions it stirred up.
02:39 PM on 05/24/2012
When I was a kid, I read all the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. When I read Ramona Forever, I remember leaving big teardrops all over the page when I read the chapter in which the family cat Picky-Picky dies. I didn't realize until then that my own pet cat wouldn't be around forever, but she did live twice as long as Picky-Picky.
01:18 PM on 05/24/2012
"Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin. I've read it four times and I can't even read it again - crying fits every two or three pages! (The fourth time was after my grandmother died.)
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Dawnz67
Mom of four wonderful kids & small business owner
01:17 PM on 05/24/2012
"Ordinary People", Judith Guest
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Dawnz67
Mom of four wonderful kids & small business owner
01:16 PM on 05/24/2012
"The Road", by Cormac McCarthy.
04:39 AM on 05/27/2012
I didn't cry, reading "The Road"; I threw it across the room at one point. That book scared the c.r.@.p. outta me!
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
sabelmouse
i love to tumble , ask me why .
11:03 AM on 05/27/2012
me too, because i was bored and annoyed that i'd bought it. of all the books to not get from the library.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
Olderandwiser55
getting older and wiser....
09:56 PM on 05/27/2012
I bought The Road (used at least) after hearing people rave. It's on my list of "most disappointing books" now...
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ivytwine97
Mornings...not my favorite time of day..
10:25 AM on 05/24/2012
Watership Down
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
HermaO
Conservatism is intellectual laziness.
10:06 AM on 05/24/2012
Gone with the wind. I read ot first when I was 10, to young to really get the tragedy playing in the end. When I reread it at 13, I started remembering and understanding and cried for the last 200 pages.