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9 Love Stories with Tragic Endings

Many of the most compelling love stories are tragic ones. From Romeo and Juliet to Ennis and Jack, here’s a look at nine romances that have had the opposite of happy endings. How many have left you in tears?

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina appears to have the perfect happy family with her husband, a wealthy bureaucrat, and their son, until she begins what becomes a very public affair with a handsome count. Their relationship quickly dissolves, along with her place in society. Disgraced, shamed, and heartbroken, Anna meets her death on the Russian railroad.

West Side Story

In this musical adaptation of Romeo & Juliet set in 1950s New York City, the love of teenagers Maria and Tony is doomed by their affiliations with rival gangs. They carry on a secret romance as tension between the gangs escalates and ends in tragedy.

Madame Bovary

In Gustave Flaubert’s novel , Emma Bovary is bored and dissatisfied with her marriage to a country doctor. Her escapes into fantasy and infidelity lead her to financial ruin and, ultimately, a tragic end.

Brokeback Mountain

In E. Annie Proulx’s short story, which later became an Academy Award-winning film, ranch hands Ennis and Jack fall for each other in rural Wyoming and begin a long-term love affair. An unaccepting culture compels them to keep their love secret, however, and they live apart while each secretly pines for the man he truly loves.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is Victor Hugo ’s tale of the unrequited love of hunchbacked bell ringer Quasimodo for the beautiful, kind-hearted street performer Esmeralda. When Esmeralda’s jealous stalker stabs the man with whom she is trysting, she is blamed for the crime and eventually hangs. Years later, the skeleton of a hunchback is found embracing her skeleton in its tomb.

Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë’ s Wuthering Heights is among the most dramatic romantic tragedies in literature. Societal constraints and personal pride prevent Cathy from being with Heathcliff, and she eventually marries another man. Heathcliff, heartbroken, remains bitter through the rest of his life, which he commits to seeking revenge on the forces that kept him apart from Cathy. When she dies in childbirth, he directs his fury at her remaining family (as well as his own).

In James Cameron ’s 1997 film , upper-class Rose meets working-class Jack aboard the Titanic . Jack offers an alternative to Rose’s fiancé, with whom she is not in love, and her sheltered life, which bores her. Their plans to run away together are thwarted when the ship sinks following a collision with an iceberg. While Jack perishes in the icy waters of the Atlantic, Rose goes on to live a long, rich life influenced by her brief time with Jack.

Romeo & Juliet

The love of Romeo and Juliet , Shakespeare ’s star-crossed lovers, is doomed by their feuding families. The two fall in love at first sight and secretly marry but are prevented from being together for fear of their families’ disapproval. Seeking a way to be together, Juliet fakes her own death, with devastating consequences. Romeo & Juliet is the quintessential tragic love story, as evidenced by its countless stagings and numerous film adaptations.

Tristan and Isolde

One of the classic romances of Western literature, Tristan & Isolde is the tale of a princess who, pledged to marry a king, instead becomes involved with his nephew, Tristan. The two are, of course, eventually separated and years of pining ensue; the story culminates in a thwarted reunion. Originally a 12th-century legend, the story has been adapted countless times, most notably as Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde .

How to Write a Sad Story: 33 Best Tips + Examples

Writing a sad story requires the mastery of various literary techniques, the ability to express emotion convincingly, and the skill to create characters and situations that resonate with readers.

Here is how to write a sad story:

Write a sad story by developing empathetic characters, crafting a tragic backstory, using detailed descriptive language, creating high stakes, and incorporating a fitting setting. Effective use of literary devices like symbolism, metaphors, and flashbacks can enhance the emotional depth.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore 33 techniques that can help you write a compelling sad story.

Tip 1: Develop Empathetic Characters

Table of Contents

To create a story that genuinely moves readers, it’s essential to develop characters that they can empathize with.

Spend time developing your characters—understand their backgrounds, their motivations, their strengths, and weaknesses.

The more real your characters feel, the more readers will care about what happens to them.

For example, in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the characters George and Lennie are portrayed with such depth that their struggles and ultimate downfall are deeply affecting to the reader.

Tip 2: Use Show Don’t Tell

“Show, don’t tell” is a classic writing advice that applies excellently when writing a sad story.

Instead of telling readers how a character feels, show it through their actions, dialogues, or reactions. This method involves readers more deeply as it lets them infer the emotional state of the characters.

Take as an example J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of Phoeni x.

Instead of saying “Harry was angry,” she shows it: “ Harry was silent. His fists were clenched in his pockets. He seemed to be chewing the interior of his mouth. “

Tip 3: Craft a Tragic Backstory

Creating a tragic backstory for your character can evoke sympathy from the reader.

This backstory can be slowly revealed through the narrative, increasing reader’s investment in the character’s fate.

For instance, in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the protagonist Amir’s guilt over his past actions towards his friend Hassan lends a heartbreaking undertone to the entire story.

Tip 4: Use Symbolism and Foreshadowing

Symbolism and foreshadowing can be used effectively to deepen the sadness in a story.

Symbols can represent a character’s emotions or foreshadow their fate, and foreshadowing can create a sense of impending doom that enhances the tragic atmosphere.

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the green light stands for dreams that Gatsby can’t reach. It hints of his eventual tragedy are sprinkled throughout the book.

Tip 5: Create High Stakes

High stakes can make a story more gripping and its sad moments more impactful.

Make sure something significant is at risk – whether it’s the character’s life, their loved ones, or their cherished dreams.

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is a prime example.

Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the deadly Hunger Games to save her sister, making the stakes extremely high.

Tip 6: Use Detailed Descriptive Language

Using detailed descriptive language can help convey the emotional tone of a scene and make readers feel the sadness more acutely.

Describe not just what’s happening, but also the sensory details and the character’s internal thoughts.

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout’s detailed narration of events brings a potent sense of innocence lost, making the unfairness and sadness of the story even more poignant.

Tip 7: Evoke Pathos

Pathos is a rhetorical device that appeals to the reader’s emotions.

Use it to create a strong emotional connection between the reader and your characters. This can be achieved through the portrayal of universal human experiences and raw emotions that the reader can relate to.

Consider Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arm s, where the protagonist’s despair and loss in war evoke deep pathos.

Tip 8: Write Realistic Dialogue

Well-written dialogue can reveal a character’s emotions, making the sadness in your story more real and relatable.

Ensure the dialogue feels natural and true to the character, and avoid melodramatic speeches that may come off as insincere.

In The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, the dialogue between Hazel and Gus is filled with raw emotion, making their tragic story even more heartbreaking.

Tip 9: Use Contrast

Contrasting happy moments with sad ones can make the tragic elements of your story stand out more.

This can be done by contrasting scenes, characters, or moods. The sudden shift from joy to sorrow can intensify the emotional impact.

An example is in Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, where the joyous moments only serve to highlight the tragic circumstances of the characters’ lives.

Tip 10: Choose a Fitting Setting

Create an atmosphere of sadness.

The setting of your story can contribute to the overall mood. A gloomy, desolate, or oppressive setting can reinforce the sad tone of your story.

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights uses the bleak moorland setting to mirror the tragic and passionate story of Heathcliff and Cathy.

Tip 11: Use Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes can be used to depict emotions in a creative and impactful way.

They can offer fresh perspectives and deeper insights into a character’s feelings.

For example, in 1984 by George Orwell, the metaphor “His heart seemed to be frozen” vividly conveys the character’s despair.

Tip 12: Use Internal Monologue

There are few techniques more visceral than when you dive into the character’s mind.

Internal monologue can give readers a direct insight into a character’s thoughts, feelings, and struggles. This can make the emotional journey more personal and touching.

An example is in Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, where the characters’ stream of consciousness provides a poignant look into their inner lives.

Tip 13: Create Relatable Characters

In other words, make your characters human.

Ensure your characters are relatable and have human flaws.

Readers are more likely to feel for characters who are believable and imperfect, rather than idealized or one-dimensional.

In A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, the characters’ struggles with their personal demons are so human and raw that it’s impossible not to be moved by their story.

Tip 14: Use Irony

Irony, especially tragic irony, can enhance the sadness in a story.

It occurs when a character’s actions have the opposite effect of what was intended, or when the reader is aware of information that the character isn’t.

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is a classic example, in a situation where Oedipus, without his knowledge, makes a prophecy come true by ending up killing his father and marrying his mother, leading to his ultimate downfall.

Tip 15: Ramp Up Conflict and Tension

Conflict and tension are the driving forces of any story.

They keep readers engaged and invested in the characters’ journeys. The more the characters struggle, the more tragic their failures or losses will feel.

In Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Scarlett O’Hara’s constant struggles and conflicts, both external and internal, lend a tragic undertone to the entire story, making her eventual losses deeply affecting.

Tip 16: Write from the Heart

Let your own raw emotions flow into and through the story.

Writing a sad story requires a certain amount of emotional investment. Don’t shy away from channeling your own feelings into the narrative.

Genuine emotion can make a story resonate more deeply with readers.

In Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, the author’s real-life experiences and emotions about his mentor’s illness give the story a heartfelt and moving quality.

Tip 17: Use Pacing Effectively

You want to control the emotional intensity.

Pacing plays a crucial role in managing the emotional intensity of your story. Too much sadness can be overwhelming, while too little can feel underwhelming.

Strike a balance by interspersing sad moments with lighter ones, and build up to the most emotional scenes gradually.

The pacing in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is masterfully done.

The story unfolds slowly, building tension and emotional intensity until it culminates in a deeply affecting climax.

Tip 18: Use Imagery

As the author of a sad story, create a vivid emotional landscape.

Imagery is a powerful tool for evoking emotion. Use it to create a vivid emotional landscape that reflects the characters’ feelings.

This can be done through descriptions of the physical environment, the characters’ actions, or symbolic images.

Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse is renowned for its emotive imagery.

The recurring image of the distant lighthouse, for instance, mirrors the characters’ yearning for connection and their sense of isolation.

Tip 19: Deepen Emotional Impact With Flashbacks

Flashbacks can be used to reveal a character’s past, deepen their characterization, and increase the emotional impact of the story.

They can offer insights into why a character feels a certain way, making their emotions more understandable and poignant.

In Beloved by Toni Morrison, flashbacks to the characters’ traumatic experiences during slavery add a profound layer of sadness to the story.

Tip 20: Don’t Overdo the Drama

While it’s important to evoke strong emotions, be careful not to overdo the drama.

Excessive melodrama can come off as manipulative or insincere.

The key is to keep the emotions and reactions of your characters believable and relatable.

In The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the post-apocalyptic world is bleak and the father and son’s struggle to survive is heart-wrenching, yet their emotions and reactions are so realistically portrayed that the sadness feels genuine and profound.

Tip 21: Heighten Your Prose With a Poetic Writing Style

A poetic writing style can lend a certain emotional intensity to your story.

This can be achieved through the use of rhythmic sentences, beautiful metaphors, and evocative language.

The writing style in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is notably poetic.

Her beautiful and evocative descriptions of the protagonist’s depression make the story all the more heartbreaking.

Tip 22: Create a Sense of Loss

Loss is a universal human experience that can evoke strong emotions.

By creating a sense of loss in your story, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a dream, or innocence, you can tap into the readers’ emotions.

You make them feel the sadness more acutely (and, if you do your job right, even desperately ).

In Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, the sudden loss of a dear friend leads to a profound sense of grief, making the story deeply sad and moving.

Tip 23: Use Emotional Honesty

Emotional honesty is crucial when writing a sad story.

Don’t shy away from portraying the raw, messy, and sometimes ugly side of emotions. The more honest you are in depicting emotions, the more readers will resonate with your story.

The emotionally honest portrayal of grief in The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion is deeply affecting.

Her unflinching look at the reality of losing a loved one makes the book a poignant exploration of grief.

Tip 24: Let Characters Grow and Change

Characters who grow and change in response to tragic events can make a story more meaningful and impactful.

Show how the characters are affected by the sad events, how they cope, and how they change as a result.

This can make the tragedy feel more real and significant.

In Atonement by Ian McEwan, the characters’ lives are profoundly affected by a tragic event, and their subsequent growth and change add depth and poignancy to the story.

Tip 25: Create a Bittersweet Ending

A bittersweet ending, where there’s some joy but also sadness, can leave a lasting emotional impact. It can make readers reflect on the story long after they’ve finished reading.

In “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks, the ending is bittersweet. The couple is finally together, but the circumstances are far from ideal, leaving readers with a mix of joy and sorrow.

Tip 26: Use a Limited Point of View

Enhance the emotional intensity.

A limited point of view can make the emotions in your story more immediate and intense.

By limiting the perspective to one character, you can dive deeper into their thoughts and feelings.

Also, you can make readers feel more connected to them.

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye , we only see things from the protagonist’s perspective. Holden Caulfield allows readers to experience his alienation and sadness firsthand.

Tip 27: Use Repetition for Emphasis

Another important tip is to highlight important emotional themes.

Repetition can be used to emphasize important emotional themes or symbols in your story.

By repeating certain words, phrases, or images, you can create a pattern that reinforces the sad tone of your story.

In Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, the repetition of the term “donors” and “completing” serves as a constant reminder of the characters’ tragic fate, adding a sense of dread and sadness to the narrative.

Tip 28: Use Silence and Pauses

Silence and pauses can be used effectively to create emotional impact.

A pause in dialogue, a moment of silence, or an absence can speak volumes about a character’s emotional state and enhance the sad atmosphere.

In The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, the protagonist’s silences and pauses reveal his repressed emotions and regrets, making the story subtly tragic.

Tip 29: Use Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony is a situation where the audience has more information about what’s happening than the characters in the story.

And it can be used to increase the emotional tension and sadness in your story.

This can make readers more engaged as they anticipate the tragic outcomes the characters are unaware of.

A classic example is in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, where the audience knows about the tragic miscommunications and misunderstandings before the characters do.

By doing so, you make the ending all the more heartbreaking.

Tip 30: Give the Reader a Tragic Hero

A tragic hero, a protagonist with a fatal flaw that leads to their downfall, can make your story more emotionally compelling.

The hero’s struggle against their fate and their eventual downfall can evoke a sense of pity and sadness.

Jay Gatsby is depicted as a doomed hero in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby .

His obsession with the past and an unattainable dream leads to his tragic end, making the story deeply sad.

Tip 31: Apply a Ticking Clock

A ticking clock, a deadline that the characters are racing against, can increase the tension and urgency in your story.

The fear of not making it in time can make the stakes higher and the tragic outcomes more poignant.

In On the Beach by Nevil Shute, the imminent arrival of deadly radiation increases the tension and urgency, making the characters’ attempts to live normally in their final days deeply tragic.

Tip 32: Keep Readers Guessing an Unreliable Narrator

An unreliable narrator, who is not entirely trustworthy or truthful, can make your story more intriguing and emotionally complex.

The uncertainty and the eventual revelation of the truth can add an element of sadness.

In the context of a sad story, an unreliable narrator can indirectly reveal their emotional turmoil, mental instability, or personal biases, which might be the sources of their sadness.

Their skewed perceptions of reality can gradually unfold to the reader.

For example, if the narrator minimizes their pain or grief, readers might only come to realize the extent of the narrator’s suffering as the story progresses.

Or, the narrator might misinterpret events due to their depressive or anxious state, leading to tragic misunderstandings or decisions.

Tip 33: Master the Art of Subtext

Subtext, what’s implied but not directly stated, can be a powerful tool for conveying emotions indirectly.

It can make the dialogue more realistic and the emotions more nuanced.

In Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, the subtext in the dialogue between the couple reveals the tension and sadness beneath the surface, making the story emotionally resonant despite its brevity.

Here is a good video about how to write a sad story:

Summary Chart of Tips for Writing a Sad Story

Final Thoughts: How to Write a Sad Story

Writing a sad story is an art that requires sensitivity, skill, and a deep understanding of human emotions.

By using these tips, you can create a story that touches readers’ hearts and leaves a lasting emotional impact.

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Super, Sad, True Love Story Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
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Written by Gary Shteyngart, Super, Sad, True Love Story is a dystopian scientific fiction with Lenny Abramov as the main character in the story. He works in a future New York City with a company that deals with increasing longevity through artificial and dietary means. Lenny’s boss is a 70-year old man but looks younger while Lenny is getting older and desperate.

Lenny falls in love with a beautiful much younger, 24-year old woman, Eunice Park who loves to communicate with her friends and family on her Global Teens account, an all-encompassing social network with slang filled messages while Lenny prefers to make daily diary entries and has the habit of reading physical copies of books. He opens his diary with the declaration of his love for Eunice who is a well-educated woman with a major in Images and a minor in Assertiveness.

However, both of them have trouble writing and Lenny has to re-train himself to write. Lenny has great love for his country; America, even as it collapses around him. His age allows him to develop friendships with male friends despite the rest of the world turning to technology communication and friendships.

Many political world events takes place during this period until eventually America falls apart. The author criticizes the twittering society by introducing the APPARAT as the possible progression of the current technology. The APPARAT device gets for shopping, scanning, and pornographic information from people over the “Global Teens” Network.

This makes individual privacy impossible as the device allows sexual preferences, credit ratings, and cholesterol levels using this advanced technology . Satire is apparent in Lenny’s struggle to fit in a technology-filled world while still holding on to the old way s of doing things. However, later the disasters of these technologies become obvious.

Sarcasm and Satire

The book depicts sarcasm in the way technology has advanced. Everybody has embraces the technology creating a hyper-sexualized culture as a way of establishing friendship connections while at the same time adversely affecting the actual community and intimacy. The Blackberries have evolved into APPARAT that people employ for sharing pornographic information including their sexual preferences and the “Fuckability ratings” over the Global Teens network.

Sarcasm in this book comes through lack of literary values in the way Lenny is devoted to reading smelly old books in a technology-based culture. Lenny’s devotion to physical copies surprises Eunice and even comments on Global Teens network. Her friend reply implies the poor reading culture. The New York Lifestyle Times political analyses are sometimes dropped for stories of new products implying lack of importance attached to issues affecting the public.

Morals standards are so low that a naked muscled man presents the news while being sodomized. At one time, the entire New York loses APPARAT services and many people become depressed. During this time, Eunice ironically, resorts to writing letters to correspond with her friends and family. She has to rediscover her writing down her thoughts since she could not communicate through e-mail.

Despite the great technological advancements, healthcare, education, and transportation remain affected by the new technologies and policies. The currency value fluctuates and the credit markets become unstable affecting the lives of citizens. The poor and the old evacuation give room for exclusive Lifestyle Hubs showing the government’s lack of concern for the welfare of its citizens, which is one of its primary roles.

Gary explores how ironically the society is becoming consumed by techno-lifestyles forgetting the basic principles of a healthy community. Sarcastically, after the APPARAT fails in New York, people start relearning the ‘old ways’ of doing things. In other words, Gary is saying, “stop this madness about technology for very soon it will plunge you into miry mud where you cannot pull yourself out after the systems fail!”

• Earth by Deepa Mehta. When the state is falling apart.
• The Expression of Sarcasm in The Odyssey
• “The Unredeemed Captive” by John Putnam Demos.
• “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
• “The Mysterious Stranger” by Mark Twain
• Trends in “Love is a Fallacy”
• Harry Houdini
• The Power of Women in the Society
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, August 15). Super, Sad, True Love Story. https://ivypanda.com/essays/super-sad-true-love-story/

"Super, Sad, True Love Story." IvyPanda , 15 Aug. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/super-sad-true-love-story/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Super, Sad, True Love Story'. 15 August.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Super, Sad, True Love Story." August 15, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/super-sad-true-love-story/.

1. IvyPanda . "Super, Sad, True Love Story." August 15, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/super-sad-true-love-story/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Super, Sad, True Love Story." August 15, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/super-sad-true-love-story/.

Get your tissues ready.

Love stories don't always have a happy ending. You might fall for someone who doesn't return your phone calls or dates your best friend or simply doesn't feel the same way you do. DW, heartbreak won't stop you from moving on and pursuing new relationships. But before you get a happy fairytale ending, there's a chance you'll collect a sad love story or two along the way. Sorry to be a downer, friends, but it's true. A sad story is sometimes the best love story.

The end of a relationship doesn't necessarily include betrayal and big blowups. Sometimes, a relationship reaches a quiet conclusion, which can be even more painful than a messy split. People move away, change their priorities, find new careers, and — on the path to finding themselves — they may find their partner doesn't fit into the equation.

Though losing a lover can be an isolating experience, it might make you feel better to know that you're not alone. I came across an AskReddit thread inviting Reddit users to share the most heartbreaking story from their love lives, and hundreds of brokenhearted people replied with their tales of love gone wrong . I hope you have some tissues handy because these sad stories might just make you ugly cry.

My boyfriend and I broke up over religion. We were in a relationship for four years and a couple of months ago, both his parents (who are Jewish) and my parents (who are Hindu) made us break up with each other because both families believed that there was no future for us.

His Jewish parents didn't want a Hindu daughter-in-law and my parents felt the same about him. Although we had tried for the past four years to get our parents to accept the other, they never did, which always led to arguments.

We continue to remain friends now and it breaks my heart every time I see him because I still love him immensely.

— /u/honeycomb29

We dated for over a year and were each other's best friends, we completely understand each other, and we are still madly in love with each other, but it was best for us to break up because we weren't in the same place. She's 20 and wants to be married and have kids soon, and I'm 21 and wanted to date her for a while and get married and have kids around age 30.

It was mutual and we both knew it was best for us, so we decided one day to break up. On the last day of our relationship, I decided to take her out on one last date night. We spent the entire date thinking back and talking about favorite times together, things we'll miss about each other, how we've affected each other's life in so many good ways. I bought her flowers, took her to a nice romantic restaurant with live music, and went to see The Hobbit, through all of which we held hands. It was one of the most perfect, romantic, happy, and yet heartbreaking date we ever had.

At the end of the night, we said our goodbyes as we hugged and kissed passionately for one last time and went our separate ways, never to see each other again. It was the hardest thing I've had to do to this date, but I wouldn't want it to end any other way. It was as perfect as a heartbreak could be.

— /u/hamdalore510

I had a bit of a thing for this girl Caitlin for over a year back in school. I used to speak to her whenever I could — I'd help her with her English homework, sit next to her on the bus, etc. The typical teenage romance crap.

Caitlin and I both had a liking for this local band who had made it relatively big, so for her birthday, I got two tickets to see them at a homecoming show as a way of asking her out. I put the tickets in her card and wrote some crap about looking forward to taking her.

Her birthday comes around, I give her the card, watch her open it, get a hug and a massive thank you, etc., but that was about it. [I] didn't think too much of the lack of comments regarding the 'asking out' part.

Concert day rolls around, I text her asking when she wants to get pick up. She doesn't understand what I mean [and] tells me she's already on her way there with *****.

Turns out she went with another guy. They started dating for a year or two.

— /u/MrAmsterdammit

My first boyfriend of two years dumped me near the beginning of college for another girl and stopped speaking to me cold turkey. Left me friendless in a new place. Didn't even acknowledge me when we passed on the same staircase in campus. Two years together and I was dead to him in a day.

— /u/Mandelish

[I] fell in love with a guy. In an attempt to get closer to him, we became best friends. I fell harder and harder in love with him. We shared everything — we went on trips together, he taught me how to change the oil on my car, I introduced him to some great books/movies/music.

I watched him marry the girl of his dreams. It wasn't me.

— /u/whengaysattack

I met her in college and I fell instantly for her on our first date. We were together for about a year and a half before she got accepted into a grad school across the country. We discussed whether or not we were to have a long-distance relationship and we decided not to since it would be easier on both of us. I've been miserable ever since she's left. It's been about four months since she's been gone. We spent time together over break and it was as if she never left. It was wonderful until she said that she had started dating again.

I couldn't be mad at her because we weren't together. I think the overwhelming shock that the girl I had meant to propose to was already moving on with her life after having such a wonderful relationship with me is what is making me sick to my stomach every day. Every single day I wish that things were different, that she hadn't moved away, and that we were still together.

— /u/cloudy_pants

I realized that I had fallen madly in love with him completely by accident, so I broke up with my boyfriend so I could be with him. He was thrilled with this, and we spent a couple absolutely blissful weeks together where we sang love songs to each other, cooked meals together, danced like crazy, watched old Disney movies, developed hilarious inside jokes (making a duck face every time Skyfall is mentioned, due to Daniel Craig's face), complimented each other every few minutes... He was so wonderfully happy, I was so wonderfully happy, and everyone around us thought we were an amazing couple. Those were a couple of the happiest weeks of my life.

Fast forward another two weeks and he realizes he's not in a position where he can commit to a serious relationship. Feels too young, feels like he wants to explore the world, scared of commitment, etc. He decides he'll try to push aside the doubts because he thinks I'm amazing and that we have something really special going on. We kiss like we're in the movies and everything is great again. One week later, the doubts are back and I can't handle always being afraid he'll end it any minute, so we end it and go back to being friends.

Except that I'm still madly in love with him. But secretly.

— /u/go-with-the-flow

I loved a girl for two years. She was beautiful, and I still think about her every now and then. We were pretty good friends and she told me everything. But last year, she told me she's in love with my best friend. My best friend is a pretty oblivious person, so he often doesn't know anything happening around him. ...And I made one of the stupidest mistakes. I didn't want her to be sad, so I helped her and my best friend to get closer. It ended up [with] them being together, and I was just loner. I have always regretted for not being brave enough to confess to her that I love her. One thing that I feel most jealous of is that my best friend is still a very uncaring person, but she's so tolerant for him, and seeing them everyday at school, I sometimes imagine myself as if I was my best friend.

— /u/justinwongtop

I was 22 when I had my first girlfriend. I loved her a great deal. I had just moved to California (I'm originally from Texas) where she lived after several months of long-distance dating, so getting to spend time with her was great, but I couldn't support myself there and wound up having to move back to Texas. It was heart-breaking for me and I couldn't bear doing the long-distance thing again so I broke up with her. We're still in contact everyday and she has moved on, where I haven't. I've been there for her through every ill-advised relationship, always the shoulder to cry on and the voice of reason to listen to. I used to tell myself that I was over her, but if I'm truly honest, I guess I never will be.

— /u/Nathrie

Sophomore year of high school I was determined to ask my bright-eyed auburn-haired crush (who I spoke to daily) to homecoming. Each day I'd say I'd do it during/after our class together, but each day my nerves would get the better of me. Then, one day, it was different. I was going to ask her today, dammit. The whole day I was brimming with confidence, I was super excited — nervous, but in a good way.

Then during class I hear her talking to her friends and make out what I think is them talking about how some guy had asked her that morning. Crushed, but not yet defeated by some half-heard gossip, I decided to approach her after class and casually ask if anybody had asked her to homecoming yet. She looked a little bit stunned/embarrassed (I guess she knew why I was asking) and told me that she had been asked that morning.

She went with him, and the two have been dating (on and off) ever since (we're seniors in college now).

— /u/Cool-Zip

In my sophomore year of high school, I met a girl at my friend's birthday party. I thought she was amazing. And she liked me enough. We agreed that, since we didn't live that close together or go to the same school, it wouldn't make sense to date, but we did strike a deal. In college, we would go on a date. It doesn't sound like anything now, but at the time it was fantastic. We would talk about what we would do, discuss our plans for the future, essentially plan our lives together. I honestly think I loved this girl, if only for a time.

However, plans never hold up to real life, people grow up, and grow apart. We stopped talking after a long while, never dated, and she's married now.

It's not heartbreaking in a way that makes me sad or has left a scar or anything. Just heartbreaking to think about these emotions that I had, and now they're gone. Not because of her, but simply because of life.

— /u/toaster_waffle

After starting high school and feeling completely out of place for the first year, I finally found the kind of friends that actually made me happy. We all grew really close in the first year we knew each other, and apparently, I managed to charm one of them enough that she fell for me. Pressure from all sides forced me into eventually confronting this fact, and we started dating at the end of that year. The only problem was, I am gay.

I didn't want to start a facade, so I had to just let it die. In two weeks it was over, and both of us were hurt. I know this isn't as tragic as some of the other stories, and she's certainly moved on by now, but what hurts me the most is that I lost one of my best friends. We were both part of a large circle of friends so we regularly came into contact for the rest of high school. Our moms also became best friends, which didn't help. And every time we see each other there's this awful silent barrier between us. I pretend I don't care, and she certainly doesn't, but for some reason I just can't let go. Despite my sexuality, I think I could have loved her, and I think I still do.

We met again at a New Years party. We exchanged a few meaningless words at the beginning, but even excessive drinking didn't take us past that. Since then I keep having dreams about her. In the dreams we're friends again, just enjoying each others company with others. I feel incredibly warm and comforted. But I'll never actually have that again.

— /u/Hcxujhde

Every happy love story probably involves encountering some form of heartbreak along the way. Just remember this: You're not alone in your pain, and you're not any less deserving of a happy ending. The more painful the heartbreak in your past, the more satisfying true love may be when you find it in the future.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated by Elite Daily Staff.

This article was originally published on 10.09.19

25+ Sad Stories That Will Break Your Heart (And Make You Think About Life)

Sad stories will make you cry, but they will also make you contemplate life in a way that can be very rewarding. A strong sad story will make you feel less alone—more aware of the fact that no one’s experience of this world is all rainbows and unicorns. We all have to trudge through the darker aspects of existence. Read these sad stories because they’re beautiful, and because they reflect real life.

18 Two-Sentence Sad Stories From Reddit

Language is a wonderful medium. In just two carefully crafted sentences, you can tug at a person’s heart strings. Make them think. Move them deeply. In the below sad stories, so much emotion is conveyed with so few words. Brace yourself and read on—if you have the strength.

I found the love of my life. She didn’t.

He promised he would wait for her forever. She kept him to his word.

It was a lot. It just wasn’t enough.

He woke up, rolled over, and reached for her. She wasn’t there, and never would be again.

They told me they could save either my wife or my son. They were wrong.

After months of waiting he finally saw his wife. He’d never been happier but he knew he’d have to wake up soon.

He never wanted to leave his wife. But it was getting late and the graveyard gates were about to be closed.

My owner won’t wake up. My food bowl has been empty for so long.

I pick up your little collar and leash, and I almost expect you to come running at the sound.I will never get used to the awful silence.

I rock my baby in my arms and sing softly to her. It helps me pretend she is only sleeping.

I had carried her to the hospital, half conscious and overdosed, but alive. I was the only one who waited with her for her recovery, and every day she would reiterate how much she loathed me for it.

I became an EMT to save people’s lives. Twenty minutes of CPR on my dad proved that was a lie.

The heart monitor chimed its final tune. Come the end there was no applause.

I told her she would be okay. That was the first lie I ever told.

“He’s not coming, is he?” I asked, squeezing my mother’s hand, the multi-colored party hat on my head slipping down. My mother squeezed back, and without a word walked back inside the house.

9 months of excitement came to an end. She never cried.

I kept the ultrasound. Someone I never met.

Mommy promised her the monsters weren’t real. But mommy didn’t know that daddy was the monster.

10 Tragic Love Stories From Literature That Will Break Your Heart

But V-Day’s contemporary style is as far removed from its origins as your family’s Thanksgiving dinner is from your syphilis-sharing Pilgrim predecessors. Valentine’s Day is rooted in violence and loss. Brutality. Death. The punishment of the innocent. V-Day’s always had love notes and flowers. It’s just that they were written moments before slaughter and placed carefully next to a cracked skull and a fresh grave.

So in the true spirit of Valentine’s Day, here are 10 Tragic Love Stories that Will Break Your Heart. Because as St. Valentine knew better than anyone, the best romances don’t end happily, and the greatest love stories are tragedies above all.

1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Yes, it’s creepy. But it’s also a tragic love story. Perhaps one of the greatest ever written. A pedophiliac road trip that turns into a suburban farce, it features an entirely unreliable, endlessly nauseating, yet inexplicably compelling narrator–a middle-aged lit professor in love with a 12 year old girl. After causing the death of her mother, then driving her across an American wilderness, Humbert Humbert is part Walter White, part Kevin Spacey in  American Beauty.  And he’s Nabokov’s most magical accomplishment: an at-once pathetic, frustratingly endearing, unquestionably disgusting figure. His final act–to kill a man who has taken advantage of his now-grown Lolita–is both satisfying and ironic. The story ends as you’d imagine: in complete ruination of everyone involved.

2. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Skip the movie–despite Carrie Mulligan and Kiera Knightley.  Read the book. Ishiguro’s sleight of hand will astonish you, and 100 pages in you’ll feel your stomach drop. Then you’ll fly to the end. Teenagers in England, growing up as friends in a strange kind of boarding school, are forced to confront the meaning of their short lives and imagine the possibility that love and friendship can make their years mean more than their commodotized bodies. This novel will crush you. And the pleasure of that pain will make you want to read it again.

3. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

I read  Giovanni’s Room  for a literature class in college. It is the one novel that has stayed with me after all these years (there is no shortage of good quotes). No one gets closer to the essence of human emotion than Baldwin does—he claws at it, pokes and prods at it, fully exposes it. He understands pain, forces his reader to feel every last ounce of it along with the characters. It’s an intense, fearless love story involving three different people. You’ll fall in love with all of them.

4. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Astonishingly contemporary for a book written 110 years ago, Wharton’s breakout novel features a young, hot Lily Bart, who might as well be a millennial in modern-day midtown Manhattan. Caught in a sticky social web of wealth and infidelity, Lily clumsily traverses a world of elite parties and stock market gamesmanship, engaging in an endless series of missed connections with the man she’s meant to be with. Scandals in New York lead to scandals in Europe. Millions are lost and gained. Yacht trips are taken. This is Gatsby before F Scott. The moral vacuum of the Manhattanite elite before Wolfe was born to write it. Eventually Lilly has her moral awakening. And the man of her dreams realizes he loves her as she him. But in a master-stroke of love eternally unrequited, he arrives to tell her so mere hours after she has expired from an overdose of sleeping pills. Ouch.

5. This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

This novel, like Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , features our favorite reckless bad boy, Yunior. While Diaz’s two other novels focus mainly on Yunior’s childhood and formidable years, in This is How You Lose Her , we zoom in on his tumultuous and confused love life. It’s a side of Diaz that isn’t quite exposed in his other books—we are witness to a different type of hurt, caused by Yunior’s careless/selfish decisions in his encounters with various women.  My favorite line: “And that’s when I know it’s over. As soon as you start thinking about the beginning, it’s the end.”

6. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

If you haven’t yet read or seen the movie, I suggest you do, either by yourself or with a loved one—it’s by far, Nicholas Sparks’ best novel. It’s a story filled with love and loss, and finding love again, and with characters that you find yourself becoming so completely attached to that you refuse to accept anything but a happy ending. You’ll cry—a lot. So keep that pile of tissues close.

7. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

This is a book in which nothing happens. And that’s why it’s magic. For anyone who has ever felt like they are living on “the treadmill of the ordinary” in “a cage built of convention and consumerism and obligation and fear,” this book gives you a mirror. A broken woman, lost in her regrets and addicted to replaying the inequities of the past, offers a picture of the invisible, inconsequential person we all fear we’ll become. Reading it forces you to climb deep inside the castle of your own insecurities. Close it and you come back out again, broken and motivated, eyes open to the small tragedies of the lives that stride past you on the snowy sidewalk.

8. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James

If you thought  House of Mirth  harnessed melodrama to drive a dagger through your heart, just wait until Henry James introduces you to Milly Theale. Pristine in every way, wealthy beyond belief, Milly’s flaws number only one: she is dying. Tragic news on its own terms, but more tragic still when the news reaches Densher, the handsome Londoner that Milly has fallen in love with. But Densher, lacking in money or social standing, is in love with Kate, who is no better off than he. You can guess the plan: Densher will trick Milly into thinking he loves her. They’ll marry. She’ll die. And Voila! Densher will inherit her cash and then he’ll marry Kate. Happily ever after. The brilliant plan failed to account for one detail: Milly’s unshakeable kindness, her unflappable spirit. As the con plays out, Densher is won over by the dying woman’s moral brilliance, and after her death he presents Kate with a terrible choice: turn down all the money and marry him, or take all the money and lose him. Few novels ask the reader more directly to imagine which they’d choose: money or love.

9. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I know, The Bell Jar isn’t your typical lovey-dovey, romance novel–it’s way beyond that. This novel is the closest we’ll ever get to the true Sylvia Plath. But more than that, it’s a twisted coming of age story of a young girl trying to chase her dreams in the city known for its glamour, wealth, and fame. I view it as being about the importance of learning to love yourself, and I don’t think Sylvia Plath’s Esther Greenwood ever had that chance. Instead, she was locked away in a psych ward, essentially pushed into her insanity.

10. Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen

I had the privilege of reading Under the Jeweled Sky while it was still in draft form, and I hadn’t read such a brilliant and beautiful, emotionally-charged love story in so long. I followed the main character Sophie from her gardens in India to the gloom of London, and back again. It’s a deep exploration into forbidden love, scandal, and leaving a beloved and magical place behind. You’ll be teary-eyed at the end but you’ll have become attached to Sophie, and you’ll be better for it.

Meta Bonus: 14 Thought Catalog Articles That Will Make You Cry

Over the years, life will give you many reasons to just sit around and do some soul searching, quiet reflection, read a little, and maybe get a little emotional and let it all out. Words are powerful, and they can help us heal broken hearts and broken spirits. Here are some of the best Thought Catalog articles for a good cry. 

1.  How To Emotionally Detach Yourself From The Person You Love  — Koty Neelis

“So you’ll end it because you know it’s for the best, it’s the right thing to do. You’ll separate your things into his and her boxes and silently wonder how you’re ever going to feel whole again. You’ll convince yourself you two will stay friends while secretly knowing you’re simply lying to yourself to pass the time.”

2.  38 Gut-Wrenching Photos That Will Leave You Speechless   — Erin Cosetta

“‘If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that’s a good picture’ -Eddie Adams (a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist)”

3.  What It Feels Like To Be In Love When You Don’t Believe You Are Worth Loving  — Jamie Varon

“You will study your face in the mirror and you will replay conversations in your mind and you will try to find the thing that makes them love you. You will doubt their love so completely and so arduously that they will tire of your doubts and your jealousy. You will not blame them. You will be the first to call off the relationship. You will feel sad but also relieved each time you two break up because, at least now you don’t have to hold out some false belief that you’re worth loving.”

4.  What It’s Like To Grow Up With An Autistic Sibling  — Crissy Milazzo

“When you grow up with an autistic sibling, you learn patience, with strangers, your parents, and the world at large. You hold your sibling when they cry, or you try to. You learn not to cry when they pull your hair on a long car ride. You stop comparing yourself to them.”

5.  Ode To Bucky Goad  — Jim Goad

“Johnny says that with the way Bucky was treated, it’s a miracle he never became a serial killer. But he says Bucky never acted bitter, mean, or violent. Time and time again after being tricked, robbed, shit on, and abused, he merely dusted himself off and came back naively seeking kindness.”

6.  What It Means To Date A Girl Without A Father  — Ari Eastman

“She will shy away from discussing problems. She tiptoes when you wish she would just walk. You don’t understand how someone so feisty, so full of opinions and fire, can go mute when confrontation approaches. She is flight when you would have been sure she’d fight. You get too close, things get too real, and she runs. She has tennis shoes on stand by.”

7.  Deprived Of Romantic Love  — Kovie Biakolo

“No, this sadness would be for desperate people. No, you’re supposed to put a smile on your face and tell everyone that every  single  day is such a beautiful, wonderful day to fall in love with yourself. Even on the days you feel numb inside from the performance of it all. You don’t want to perform – you just want to cry and be intoxicated with feeling empty but full, intense yet devoid of anything real; that cliché of feeling everything and then nothing all at once. And then maybe cry some more.”

8.  One Sentence Love Story  — Nick Cox

“Sometimes when you think you love something what you really love is not the thing itself but just some small and inessential part of it: you think you love banana splits but really you just love the maraschino cherry on top and you think you love autumn but really you just love getting a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks and you think you love  Shrek  but really you just love that montage near the end after Shrek and Fiona have their falling out when he’s sitting in his swamp all alone and she’s getting ready for her wedding and Rufus Wainwright’s cover of “Hallelujah” is playing in the background,”

9.  Reflections On Seeing My Ex-Lover’s Novel For Sale At The Mall  — Oliver MIller

“I experienced all the expected thoughts of failure and jealousy. My cheap new shirt was still in my backpack; suddenly it seemed very cheap and very new. I thought about my ex-lover, who now had a movie coming out. She did not have to live in a house with a bunch of alcoholics; she had met famous actors and did not have to buy cheap shirts.”

10.  Long-Distance Relationships Mean Always Getting to Say Hello  — Ted Pillow

“She’s much braver than me, at a new school in a new state, making new friends, away from her family and her home. How does she do it? I get anxious when it’s time to change the clocks forward an hour for daylight saving time – I could never make it.”

11.  Why Do I Hate My Body?  — Jamie Varon

“To be hot is to be everything. To be hot is to be afforded the luxury of having not be anything else. Female hotness is the ultimate aspiration. And. I. hate. it. Maybe I would hate it less if I were hot, if I was profiting off the system, the game. But, you know, I think I could be hot. I could devote my life to being hot. There are means. There are ways.”

12.  A Letter To My Dead Father  — Ari Eastman

“I closed my eyes, tried to quiet the rest of the world. I took a deep breath. I saw your smile. The gap in between your two front teeth, just like mine. The reason I won’t allow the cosmetic surgeon to touch it. This imperfection in my smile that reminds me of you. But I couldn’t hear your laugh. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hear it, Dad. I tried, I  really  did. I feel like it’s not so much to ask that I just hear it once more. Just  once.”

13.  The One Who Cares Less  — Kovie Biakolo

“What people don’t seem to realize about the person who cares less or acts like they care less is that they’re usually the one who ends up being hurt the most. It is human to want love and to want to be taken care of and to want to take care of someone else. To deny that, is simply to deny one’s humanity.”

14.  The Soulmate You Deserve  — Cody Gohl

About the author

January Nelson

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.

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Super Sad True Love Story

Super sad true love story compared and the threat of american dystopia christopher paul gosselin college.

In Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story novel we are introduced to a dystopian society that is eerily similar to our present United States of America. The story revolves around the complicated, paradoxical relationship of Lenny Abramov and Eunice Park. Lenny is an old soul lost in a fast moving society, yet Eunice is the typical insecure young person lost in her conscience. The novel has a melancholic feel to it because the country is in total disarray. The aspects displayed in the story are similar to our society, and they do not represent progress. Nevertheless, this story should be a warning sign of things to come if we continue on the path we are on. What are the forces that have lead to the dystopian society, and how can present day America avoid it?

Lack of privacy is a common theme throughout the novel. However, it is also one of the vital components of the demise of the country. In our society, we have social media accounts that we can message and publicize pictures of ourselves. Nevertheless, we do some control who sees it, but we have the choice not to use them at all. In the future, dystopian society people carry around apparatus that display every single thing about themselves. Whether it is rating how you...

GradeSaver provides access to 2355 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11005 literature essays, 2762 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

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9550+ Sad Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest . Do you ever need to break your own heart? We see you. Grab a tub of ice cream or a box of tissues and settle down with some of the best, really sad short stories to make you cry.

🏆 Winning stories

“ one thousand and three wishes ” by maria adamkiewicz.

🏆 Winner of Contest #253

One thousand and three wishes He found it on his way to work. He liked to visit the old antique store before getting sucked into the whirlwind of unnecessary emails, long meetings and pointless discussions. The lamp looked weird and useless, yet he was drawn to it. He threw it in his bag with other pieces that had caught his eye, fought for a better price and won, and left the shop happy. Well, not really. Satisfied is a better word for it. He hadn’t felt happy in a long time.The day went by acceptably fast, considering the fact th...

“ Surrender ” by Adam Perschbacher

🏆 Winner of Contest #251

NOTE: This story alludes to suicide or suicidal thoughts. In addition, there is one swear I felt necessary to include, but it's entirely in reference to animal feces. * * * * *Our town was baptized in the flood that year and the swelling of the river unearthed relics from long before men settled in these parts. That same year I buried my wife and infant son, both lost in birth. Months after they were gone, our train of ragged coaches met the elbow of that great river, and upon our manifest of provisions and mouths, we would continue no furth...

“ Five Turns of the Hourglass ” by Weronika L

🏆 Winner of Contest #238

I tow my dead father with me to the scorched heart of a desert. His body guilts down my shoulders, heavier each time he doesn't tell me that I took the wrong turn, that I need to straighten my elbows, that I never do anything the right way so why does he even bother. My jeep sputters and chokes under our weight as it brings us to the parking lot in front of the hotel. Vipassana, reads the sign above the glass door, melted open at the hinges. The Silent Retreat. Heat slaps me across the face. I backpack my father around my waist and march to ...

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“ injury time ” by melissa van rensburg.

Submitted to Contest #256

Trigger warning: Domestic abuse, rapeThalia wipes down the pristine kitchen countertops, impatient for the game to start. She glances at the clock, then her eye catches the pile of bills on the table. The radio blares pre-match commentary filled with praise for the footballers. She turns down the volume so it won’t wake little Gabbi. She takes a seat at the kitchen table with a sigh. Another hard shift at the hospital is behind her, but it was always worth it in the end. Today, an elderly woman hugged her and gave her a peppermint. “As ...

“ Wardrobe Space ” by Sharon Williams

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #255

As she drove down the slip road onto the dual carriageway Nic said,           ‘Pick a space. Accelerate or slow down into it.’With a little hesitation, she joined the stream of traffic and was wedged between a white transit behind her and a mini in front, other vehicles moved rapidly past in the fast lane.           ‘Only a couple of junctions and then you reach the turn-off.’She was gripping the steering wheel tightly and could feel...

“ Never counted on wishes (breaks a man to see what he misses) ” by Fletcher Fox

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #253

“I wish we could stay here forever.” Of course, everyone says that their first year of university. The excitement, the freedom of being away from home, the longing for an impermanent state to be permanent - that wish is genuine, yet rarely was it quite as potent as it was for you. You didn’t know at the time just how fleeting here would be - weeks later, you would again return to your childhood bedroom, a pandemic having closed down your new barely existent friendships, never again to be as easy to maintain as they had at that dinner table w...

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“ a different kind of defeat ” by sloan plourde.

Tick, tick, tick. The handle on our kitchen clock keeps drudging forward, almost as if taunting me. I tear my eyes away and sigh as I look back down to my half-eaten dinner of roast chicken and rice. Micheal was supposed to be home from work at 5:30, it is now 6:15 and the dinner I cooked for us is cold. He's late with no text or call; I would honestly accept a letter via carrier pigeon at this point. I wish I could say I am surprised by his lateness, or that this is something out of the ordinary, a one-time thing, if you will. But as much a...

“ Paul ” by Jess Davis

October 31, 1915 Somme, France Nurse Clara's Private Writings I took down the crucifix that hung above my bed today. What a meaningless little trinket it seems in this foreign land, in this strange and hideous hall of hell. I felt guilty when I did it. Please understand that. I did it anyway, but I nearly felt I would cry. Yet, why today? Of all the days there are, marching before the last like tiny toy soldiers, why did I take it off the wall today? What was the fateful straw that broke the camel's back? It was this: I watched a f...

“ The Moment of Life ” by Patrick H

With my gym bag slung over my shoulder, I boarded the Express bus to the city.  I found an empty window and placed my bag on the floor and sighed, trying to wrestle with butterflies in my stomach coupling with the sizzling elation.  Hard as I tried, I could only get maybe four hours of sleep the night before competition day.  While the bus was idling heavily, I watched as the black soot passed by my window, momentarily obscuring my apartment complex. I smiled at the memories of all the training I had done w...

“ Don't Abuse Mercy ” by Sophia Csulak

Fiddling with the ring on my pointer finger, I looked at Darcy across from me. There was nothing concrete to warrant our meeting here, if you asked me again, I’d tell you that it was spontaneous. This pastiche mockery of a friendship is enough for us to meet on occasion and why we are still connected at all. “How is she?” I spoke first. Apart from our hellos and him mentioning his switch from cappuccinos to straight black coffee, we’ve let the strangers make all the noise. “More of the same. Doctors are hoping she dies soon so the ...

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The Best Sad Short Stories

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many of us like a nice Nicholas-Sparks-level cry from time to time (sharpens those empathy skills, no?). Reading sad short stories can help you release your own emotions, and make you feel more connected to the world around you. Narratives of separation, pain, heartbreak, nostalgia, and loss are undeniably important in bringing people together.

It’s strange but true that reading sad short stories when you’re wallowing in your own negative emotions can actually provide some much-needed comfort. Maybe it’s that we recognize that others have felt our feelings before, in a sort of literary camaraderie; maybe it’s just that we feel validated. Either way, a good sad short story (especially a sad love story!) can be balm for the soul.

You’ve come to the right place

On this page, you can read all the sad short stories submitted to our weekly writing contest — and we’ve put winning or shortlisted stories up top for your convenience. They’re written by a diverse group of writers and are guaranteed to hit you right in the feels. Whatever kind of sadness you’re looking for, we’ll have a story for you. And since this is quite a broad category, you can also look out for additional tags on every story you click on, so you can easily determine which stories suit your mood. You can also find our favorite stories from across genres anthologised in Prompted , our new literary magazine — be sure to pick up your free copy!

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Sample details

• Literature,
• Philosophy,
• Love stories

Related Topics

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• Character Analysis
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Sad Love Story: My Love and Broken Heart

Life can be very cruel when you aren’t expecting it. Have you ever been so immersed in a specific situation to the point you thought nothing could ever beat it? Everyone usually does, and to this, I am no exception. We as humans are not perfect despite our intent to be. I thought I had everything figured out, but life was going to teach me that I didn’t really know anything about love at all.

I met him when I was just starting middle school, as naive as that may be. I found myself to be captivated by the way he held himself in the presence of others and how it all crumbled a bit when others weren’t there. That same sense of self along with the charm he was blessed with kept me hooked and captivated for the years to follow. I was blinded by it all as it developed over the years of our progressing friendship. That friendship soon blossomed into romance during our sophomore year in high school. I was so happy, content with what had been presented to me. That is until he wasn’t so happy.

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He grew to think I was not enough like I had become an overused toy. He wanted an upgrade, the better opportunities in like he had said to me that fateful day. Hearing this made me notice how he was really behaving; he was resentful, rude you could even call it and didn’t try as hard as I ever did. Yet, despite this treatment, I was blinded by what I believe to be love. I thought what we had was the real love you read about in books. 7 years of my young life dedicated to this love, only for him to decide it wasn’t long-term like I had planned.

I spent the rest of high school trying to find myself. I had wasted a large portion of my time devoted to him, so I didn’t pay attention to my own needs the way my peers had. It was difficult since I was so accustomed to the one mindset of him and I. I know now that we were never “the one” for each other, it was bound to end sometime. As fate may have it, the road is kind to those who seek its help. Like led me to amazing people who I love more than I ever loved him. They don’t make me sad, and I don’t cry for him anymore. I had changed into a better person.

The events circling around him were a big milestone in my life. I know his face will never truly leave my mind, but I’ve been taught to be grateful it was even there in the first place. I know that if I had never come to the realization that he wasn’t the best thing for me I would not be the woman I am today. This is the person I was always meant to be. Although I thought everything was meant to be, I learned that life can be a bumpy ride and totally unexpected.

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36 Six-Word Stories That Will Take You On An Emotional Rollercoaster

"It's still you. Always will be."

BuzzFeed Staff

It's a widely accepted truth that great things can come in small packages. Quality over quantity!

Don't believe it? Consider Ernest Hemingway's famous short story that managed to convey heartbreak and loss in just six words: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Bearing that in mind, we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share some of their own six-word stories . Here are some of our favorites:

1. "She fell asleep at the cemetery."

— angrycoyote201

2. "'It's better this way,' she lied."

— sineadddx

3. "Life's more than just a chore."

— gracyndaughety

4. "A cry rings out. Life begins."

5. "he died happy, knowing he lived.".

—Alexander Hoffman, Facebook

6. "Head on a pillow, not sleeping."

— hunterm4d6e07f48

7. "The cuts healed; her heart didn't."

—Hannah Lambach, Facebook

8. "The universe is big. She's lonely."

—Katie Sklaver, Facebook

9. "A lover of all things beautiful."

— madhumitameka01

10. "He left and then I flew."

— elizabethsoren

11. "I remember tomorrow, but not yesterday."

— davidr129

12. "It’s still you. Always will be."

13. "i always belong to myself first.".

— sajeershaikh95

14. "The war is over, isn’t it?"

— kdisalvatore3

15. "Lies tangle a web unimaginable within."

— elisabethw424fe4966

16. "Her kindness is her favorite superpower."

17. "realists live with fear of disappointment.", 18. "incessant imagination, bubbling creativity, she wrote.".

— capricededivi

19. "Being pretty is not your job."

— ViolaHastings

20. "Alone and lost, she became strong."

21. "we are all made of stars.".

— joellenleigh

22. "She felt caged, but also free."

— Clairewest85

23. "I pushed him. He didn’t fall."

24. "I saw and I stayed quiet."

— Cassiopeia16

25. "Tomorrow I leave, he said again."

scottf4c2ff9eaa

26. "She loved herself when others wouldn’t."

— Margaret S

27. "Painfully, he changed 'is' to 'was.'"

— blaithin03

28. "Within the light was a lie."

— 99fishface

29. "I no longer survive. I live."

30. "i returned the unopened present.".

— emmab4937834cb

31. "I thought I could trust you."

32. "passion demolishes all in its path.".

33. "Her eyes summoned poetry; his, music."

—Mo Bashir, Facebook

34. "She wasn’t allowed to love her."

35. "you and i almost made it.".

— ashleycaitlinh

36. "He got diagnosed; we got married."

— malfunctionr

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Dystopia — Dystopian Society in “Super Sad True Love Story”

Dystopian Society in "Super Sad True Love Story"

• Categories: Dystopia

About this sample

Words: 1668 |

Published: Jul 17, 2018

Words: 1668 | Pages: 4 | 9 min read

Works Cited

• Shteyngart, Gary. Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2010 print.

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