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A moment of silence please. Sniff-sniff.
This past week on Guiding Light, the show’s writers saw fit in all of their infinite wisdom to kill off one half of my favorite soap couple, Jonathan and Tammy. (Wah!) In an attempt to rid himself of Jonathan for good, GL’s resident villain paid an assassin to try and mow Jon down with a car. Of course, in true soap opera fashion, Tammy pushed the love of her life out of the way at the last minute and was hit instead. She died in the hospital with Jon at her side, and I bawled like a baby. Watching him climb up onto the gurney with her, crying and begging her to come back, was utterly heartbreaking and just about wrecked me. This star-crossed duo just got married after ten months of misery, and they got two days of happiness before tragedy struck.
Now, never mind the fact that both of these actors were leaving the show and the powers that be had the perfect opportunity to write them off together with a happily-ever-after ending. Given Jon and Tammy’s status as a forbidden, Romeo-and-Juliet-type pair, I can understand why the writers believed this was a more suitable farewell for this couple. But you know how much I crave my happy endings, and this reminded me of all the reasons I quit watching soaps the first time around. Grumble grumble. That’s a rant for another blog, however. Instead, I want to focus on the one thing that I feel like the writers succeeded in doing well with this storyline: They created characters that truly made me care. And because I care, Tammy’s death scene affected me on a personal level. So much so that I feel as if I have lost a real friend with her passing.
In the past two years, I have come to know these characters almost as well as I know the members of my family. I’ve laughed with them, shared the good times and the bad times with them, and have rooted for them to be together every step of the way, despite the controversy brought about by the fact that they were half-cousins. Partly, it is a testament to the acting skills of Tom Pelphrey, who played Jon and who is destined to go on to bigger and better things, IMO. But it is also because the writers know that it is human nature to root for the underdog. The more the characters suffer, the more road blocks that are thrown in their way, the more we identify with them and want to see things work out for them. And the more we care.
It made me think about the writers who have succeeded in writing characters that have truly touched my heart though the years. Characters who have overcome great odds and major road blocks in order to be together. Who have brought my emotions to the surface and made me cry when I usually don’t cry very easily at all. Sharon Sala is one author who does this well. Catherine Anderson is another. Both of these ladies are experts at tugging at the heartstrings and delivering a deeply emotional tale.
What about you? What books or authors have touched your heart? Have succeeded in making you cry your eyes out? Tell me all about it, and don’t forget to pass the kleenex please! 
Filed in: Jaunty Post
Jan 28th
2007
2:24 pm
Helen Sibbritt Said:
The only book that I can remember that has made me really sob was a book that I read when I was 15 which was an awfully long time ago and that was Love Story and everytime I see the movie still I cry my eyes out. There have been many books that have brought tears to my eyes because of happy endings but none that have made me cry like Love Story.
Have Fun
Helen
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Jan 28th
2007
3:10 pm
AndreaW Said:
I tear up a lot while reading, but the last time I bawled like a baby was while reading Be Mine Tonight by Kathryn Smith. OMG, I must have gone through 10 tissues…I was a mess. Great, great book!
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Jan 28th
2007
3:33 pm
Pat L. Said:
On the Young and The Restless, about a year ago they killed off 15 year old Cassie, I sobbed and sobbed and for days.
Books: Barbara Delinsky – Three Wishes – I cried for a half an hour.
Most of Nicolas Sparks’ books, especially The Notebook, and Message in a Bottle.
Very touching stories were:
A Rose for Maggie by Kathleen Korbel and Linda Howard’s Sarah’s Child – wonderful but gut wrenching stories.
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Jan 28th
2007
3:38 pm
brownone Said:
The one book that totally changed me was The Handmaiden’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. This book made me cry in the end too.
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Jan 28th
2007
3:55 pm
Lois Said:
Oh geez, normally I just watched the parts of the Jon and Tammy stuff when Alan was around because I like him, but I was watching for the past week since I knew it was coming, because I just wanted to know what would happen, and boy, was it emotional. So was when Reva was dying – whether you liked the whole cancer story or not, there was plenty of great emotional scenes there, especially towards the end or not the end. LOL Whatever.
I don’t remember the last book that had me tearing up though (sorry! LOL). . . but there also have been plenty of comedies that had me crying from laughter! LOL
Lois
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Jan 28th
2007
4:14 pm
Shana Said:
I think Susan Elizabeth Phillips writes characters that i always care about. They’re not perfect, and I don’t like everything they do, but I always care.
And, Kim, don’t be too sad. The characters will probably be back in a few years. They will have miraculously survived or something.
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Jan 28th
2007
6:20 pm
Kimberly Logan Said:
Oh, Andrea, I cried over Be Mine Tonight as well! Yes, it’s a wonderful and very emotional book. I just loved it.
Pat, I’m not a Y&R fan, but my mom is. I remember her being very upset over Cassie’s death and going on at length about how unnecessary it was to the show. But that sort of thing does make for great drama.
Oh, Lois, that whole Reva thing just made me so angry. Yes, the scenes were very emotional, but I felt like we got put through the wringer for nothing. And boy, this past week has been wrenching with Jon and Tammy. Since both actors were leaving anyway, I hate that the writers couldn’t just let them leave town together and happy. Something tells me it is going to be a while before I can bring myself to watch again.
I agree about SEP, Shane. I remember just bawling over Kiss an Angel. And yep, soaps are notorious for bringing people back from the dead, so I suppose we might see Tammy again someday. I doubt we’ll see Jonathan unless he is recast though. I really think Tom P’s career is going to take off and I doubt he’ll deign to appear on a soap again.
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Jan 28th
2007
6:21 pm
Clarisse Said:
It’s been a lot of years since I was a soap fan (although a recent 3 day flu made we realize that I could catch up on the stories in no time flat). As for books, I second Kathryn Smith’s BE MINE TONIGHT which actually made me skip to the end at one point just to make sure it would all turn out okay.
I also love widows who really loved their first husband and are struggling with the guilt at falling in love a second time around too. Jenna P’s recent DESIRE NEVER DIES really captured that bittersweet heartrending sadness as did my favorite Julia Quinn, WHEN HE WAS WICKED. Poor Michael longing for a woman he can never have just hurts when you are reading it.
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Jan 28th
2007
6:39 pm
Robyn DeHart Said:
I’m not a soap fan at all, they make me nuts for exactly the reason you’re blogging about today, Kim.
I’m one that gets VERY attached to characters so I’m generally careful about what I read or watch so that I don’t get too emotional. The book I think I cried the most in was Stephanie Mittman’s The Wedding Bed – I swear I started crying in chapter one and didn’t stop until I finished the book. Teresa M. almost always makes me cry a little. Jennifer Weiner is another one that makes me cry a lot.
But I cry in all kinds of things – peanut butter commercials, songs, TV shows – Brothers & Sisters makes me cry almost every week. I cried through The Sixth Sense the first time I saw it – that little boy just broke my heart. I’m a sappy one, that’s for sure.
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Jan 28th
2007
6:40 pm
Robyn DeHart Said:
Oh, one more thing to add – really wish we could edit our coments once they’re there – but I cry when I’m writing sometimes. Or sometimes when I go back to read for revisions certain scenes will catch me. That’s usually when I know for sure the emotion is authentic.
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Jan 28th
2007
9:00 pm
Julie Kornhausl Said:
Diana Gabaldon was the first author who got me to cry. I didn’t cry during Outlander. However, Dragonfly in Amber had me bawling my eyes out! The part of the book the touched me was when Claire had her miscarriage, and then when she was newly reunited with Jamie and there was soo much tension between them. I can still “hear” Jamie say, “Claire, it was my baby, too”. Then, of course, when Jamie made Claire go back through the stones at the end of the book. Oh God, I cried like a baby! The next book in the series, Voyager, had soo many touching scenes in it, I actually felt drained after reading it.
But I’m not complaining! I can’t think of anything better than having an author move me – whether it be moving me to tears, or making me laugh so hard I have to put the book down!
There was another book that really touched me and it is called Rekindled by Tamara Alexander. It is a touching and emotional love story that had me tears through almost the whole book! If you ever come across it, it’s a must read!
I love being moved by an author!
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Jan 28th
2007
10:36 pm
Laura Said:
They’re doing the same thing over on All My Children this week. I hate that!
As for books, Nicholas Sparks has a knack for tapping into emotions that make me cry. I know there are others but at the moment I’m drawing a blank. *sigh*
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Jan 29th
2007
10:58 am
Dena Said:
I am such a baby,I cry over Hallmark commercials. A lot of books have touched me,too many to list. A few are some of Bertrice Small books. Also Karen Marie Moning’s book The Immortal Highlander,this book had me laughing and crying at the ending,I loved it!!!
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Jan 29th
2007
12:27 pm
Kimberly Logan Said:
Laura, since I check out One Life to Live every once in a while, I have caught enough of All My Children to know what is going on and who the characters are, and I used to love Tad and Dixie back at the height of their popularity. Poor Dixie. They bring her back, only to do this.
And Robyn, I know what you mean. I get way too invested in these characters and it makes me really disgusted with soaps. I have to admit I’m on the verge of quitting cold turkey again. It’s just too painful to watch.
Julie, I’ve heard of Tamara Alexander, but I haven’t read her yet. I’ll have to add her to my list.
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Jan 29th
2007
2:20 pm
Pat L. Said:
I looked up Rekindled by Tamara Alexander on Amazon. They had no photo of cover or storyline.
Is it a contemporary? Can you briefly tell us storyline?
According to amazon, it came out in 2006.
Thanks.
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Jan 29th
2007
3:21 pm
Rainy Said:
Kim,
Second, third, fourth, etc. the complaints of Soaps that are have no consideration of their audience. For years I’d watch a couple on some soup who would surmount incredible odds to get together. Then, about two weeks later they’re fighting about soap scum in the shower or something and promptly go off and have an affair.
The deathbed scene with Beth in Little Women was a memorable tearjerker for me.
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Jan 29th
2007
4:02 pm
Buffie Said:
Okay, I am one of those soap fans and have been for years. My mom got me started on The Young & The Restless back in 6th grade and I have to say I have been pretty much staying with the show since then. I have watched The Bold & The Beautiful since day one. I just love the stories — they make me laugh, cry, and on a rare occassion yell at the tv. But they do get a reaction out of me everytime. I don’t watch Guiding Light, but I did see a portion of the scene in the hospital on Soap Net the other day, it just those few seconds had me tearing up. That man had the depths of despare down!
On to books . . . I don’t consider myself an overly emotional person, but I would say that I tear up at least once a month reading. I tend to read about 5 to 7 books a month and at least one of them, hits the right spot for tears (and that my coincide with my *ahem* time of the month!). Anyway, I just love it when the emotion of a character or the scene comes through the pages and graps me, whether it is crying or laughing. That’s just fabulous writing!
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Jan 29th
2007
4:19 pm
Julie Kornhausl Said:
Here’s the blurb for Rekindled:
“Ten years ago Kathryn Jennings made a vow. For better or worse. And it still holds true, even though her marriage is not what she expected. When her husband fails to return one stormy winter night, she struggles to keep their ranch solvent, but her efforts are blocked at every turn. Then, after a shocking glimpse into her husband’s past, Kathryn uncovers a hidden truth. What she wouldn’t give to turn back time and be able to love her husband for the man that he was, not for the man she always wanted him to be.
Larson Jennings has spent his entire life running from a broken past, unable to trust, reluctant to try again. One fateful night, his life takes an unexpected twist and he is forced to make a choice. Either way, his decision will cost him his life.”
- 1868 Colorado Territory
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Jan 29th
2007
8:14 pm
Lacey Said:
I’ve never seen this show and I have no idea who you’re talking about, and you STILL made me care. What’s that a testament to?
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Jan 30th
2007
6:48 am
Mary Said:
When Denny died on Grey’s Anatomy….
Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen – couldn’t even see the words on the page, I was crying so hard.
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Jan 30th
2007
10:07 am
Kimberly Logan Said:
Mary, I’m not a big GA fan, but I have seen a few episodes, and I did catch the one where Denny died. Mostly because the actor who played him, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, also played Daddy Winchester on Supernatural. (He is so awesome! He almost makes me forget my Sam obsession.
) Yes, that was a very wrenching episode.
Heh-heh, Lacey. Glad to know I’ve got the touch.
But truly, GL’s Tom P. is such a wonderful actor, especially when he does scenes like that. He makes me cry at the drop of a hat.
And Rainy, the Beth death scene in Little Women gets me every time. I always thought it was so unfair. She was the one character in the book that never even really got a chance to live, if you know what I mean.
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