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I'm currently reading Alexander Dolgun's Story, An American In The Gulag.
I knew, in advance, this would be a test for me, how long could I endure reading this horror story, and I decided if it got too depressing, after a chapter or 2, I'd quit reading it.
But, curiosity took over, and knowing he finally extracted himself from this hellish nightmare, I've decided to read all the way through it!
I can't imagine my spending even a half-day going through this hell, like the forced interrogation methods alone of deprived sleep/beatings to extract a confession, day after day, and I look upon these people as aliens from outer space! How can they possibly be human to survive all this? Can Hope alone get you through this hell?
What do I gain from this? Thankfulness for the life I've led and am leading currently, like just having a ceiling over my head!
I've also read other horrifying stories and, always the same, so, so, so thankful for the life I have!
Like the book on the Sudanese refugees, resorting to eating grass to survive! I think of that book, often, even when I make a sandwich!
How about you? Do you shy away from reading depressing books? Scared to read them? And what have you gained from reading seemingly depressing books that keeps you reading other depressing books? And what's the most depressing book you've read that you'll always be haunted by?
I willingly read depressing books and go to depressing movies.
I never thought to analyze it, but I'd probably be happy to read a depressing book if either:
1. I'd learn something, gain some understanding, from it.
2. It's certifiably "great" literature.
I'll confess, though: I had a copy of The Rape of Nanking, which was supposedly so intense that the author committed suicide. I leafed through the book, scanning it at random, and finally decided, no, I can't deal with this.
By the way, there are Syrians eating grass now, too, and, yes, it's haunting me.
Knowledge, which reminds me that the world is not a happy place for everyone and that I might be able to do something about it. Even if I can't do anything about it, just knowing about it matters.
I'll second Cida's post: great literature and something to learn from it. The world is not a happy place for many. But along with Rubi3, I read enough about the Holocaust years ago and now the only books about that subject that would interest me are books coming from a different aspect than the usual. I read one and post about it some time ago. I can't remember the title but it was about a Jewish girl who went underground and passed. It was a completely different take on it than usual.
There's nothing wrong with feeling things other than excitement and happiness. Avoiding "bad" feelings/emotions just leaves you unfulfilled since the "good" feelings have no meaning. Life in meaningless without death, happiness is meaningless without sadness, etc.
Real life is not all sunny and happy so yes I do read some depressing books. I find them very informative and eye opening. If I didn't read about some of the problems and issues in the real world then how can I learn about them. They help me learn and grow as a person and have a better understanding of others.
In the quest for a good story, I sometimes stumble onto a depressing one, but I wouldn't intentionally choose one. I find Sue Monk Kidd books always seem to have a darkness.
I don't think I will ever recover from A Little Life by Yanagihara. That book wrecked me but I am so glad I read it because it is an exceptional book and yet a very depressing one.
Thinking back to childhood I was also wrecked by The Yearling, Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller and a few others of that genre. So, I've read depressing books all my life but I've read many "happy" books, too.
My theories, some people think they might learn why bad things happen, but never underestimate the human capacity to wallow in misery, even vicariously. lol
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Can Hope alone get you through this hell?
