Most emotional moment in a Book? may contain spoilers

[Sir Degrader]

What to you was the most emotional moment in a book? What was your reaction to it? Mine was probably when the wolf Nighteyes died, in the Fools Errand (Tawny Man, Book 1). I was reading it in the plane and sat stunned for the rest of the flight. Tears came to my eyes. I was shocked that Robin Hobb would kill one of my favourite characters in fantasy novels.

[Luvian]

Without spoiling, that would have to be in Sara Douglass's Axis's Trilogy and Wayfarer: Redemption Trilogy series.

George R.R. Martin also pissed me off a lot when he killed one of my favorite character. I skimmed the whole book and the one after that to see if that character was really dead. My motivation to keep reading was to see those *&(?&/"$ pay for what they did.

[Arnabas]

I think my most emotional moment goes back a number of years to when Sturm died in Dragonlance. He was perhaps my favourite character in that series.
I haven't really been moved by any recent books.

[Nerull]

Mine was probably the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He paints this incredible picture of a world of magic, elves, and heroes. They have to destroy the ring, but in so doing they destroy all of that wonder that is a part of their world, leading to the Age of Men (i.e. our age). They succeed, but lose so much in doing so. That really struck me when I read the trilogy, that sense of loss despite having succeeded in saving Middle Earth.

[DameonRules]

<font color=green>I have a few emotional moments. like do you mean where wheni got done reading the book i wanted to throw it across the room becuase i thought it ended to abruptly then that would be wheel of time winters heart. but if you are talking about loss of characters then that would be fiests rift war saga when he kills all of the characters i had known and loved throughout the series arthura, jimmy, martin, locklear, i could go on and on about the characters he killed. it pained me so much to see those people die.</font>

[Barry the Sprout]

Iain Banks spoilers...

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A dead heat between Ken's death in The Crow Road and Cenuij's death in Against a Dark Background. Both of them come completely out of the blue, and they're such vivid characters that you can't help but feel slightly cheated when they're gone. Also they both have very complicated relationships with the respective protaganists of the stories (Prentice and Sharrow). Overall I'd probably go with Ken dying, because on a certain level its quite obvious from the start of Against a Dark Background that Cenuij is going to die so its marginally less of a shock when he does. But trust me... read both these books and judge for yourself. Its like being hit with a sledgehammer when it comes...

[Melusine]

Barry, I totally agree!! Those are both good examples of just how nasty Banks can be. Especially Ken's death really shocked me. I thought the ending of Consider Phlebas was awful too, though - especially with Yalson being pregnant.

But the two most emotional moments in books for me are two others. They're the only two instances I can recall where I cried over a book. I think I'm more of a visual person - with movies, it's easier to cry for me - even though I prefer reading over watching movies, and even though most books I read were "deeper" and more poignant than most movies.

Anyway, SPOILERS AHEAD concerning Peake's Gormenghast and Pullman's The Subtle Knife.
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The two (or actually, three) character deaths that touched me most are
Fuchsia's death in Gormenghast and the deaths of Lee Scoresby and Hester in The Subtle Knife. I cried after both of these. Especially Fuchsia is one of the most likeable, life-like, sympathetic and realistic characters ever created.

[Barry the Sprout]

Fuchsia dying is a really moving section of the book - but its Prunesquallor's response to that that makes it really emotional as far as I'm concerned. He's a really tragic character... god, its been years since I read those books...

[Melusine]

I know - I'm not talking about the moment of her death alone, but the whole episode. Prunesquallor undergoes quite a transformation in the books I think. He loses a lot of the clownesque weirdness and becomes so likeable and sweet. His relationship to Fuchsia is indeed part of what makes her death so tragic - the fact that Prunesquallor has to live with her being dead.
Peake's whole trilogy has a tragic feel to it, I think. Steerpike's plotting is just so bloody ruthless! The thing with the monkey, remember that? The way he tricks the Aunts, the way he plots to become master of ceremonies... Also, the part where Flay is forced to flee.
One of the greatest series I ever read, still. It's been a while ago for me too, and I never finished Titus Alone - perhaps I'll give it a re-read soon. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Moiraine]

SPOILER about Anne McCaffrey
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My most emotional moment in a book - the only time I actually cried - is the death of Master Robinton in Anne McCaffrey's Pern series.

[ 07-05-2003, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Moiraine ]