Perhaps it's the way the characters experience great loss. Maybe they lose someone they love deeply.
It could be that the story is full of hopelessness. The characters might be trapped in situations from which they can't escape, like a cycle of poverty or a never - ending war. And they keep facing setbacks and disappointments that gradually break their spirits. For instance, a character might be constantly striving for a better life but always gets knocked down by cruel reality, which makes the whole story extremely sad.
The sadness in the novel might stem from the shattering of ideals. The main character could start with big dreams and high hopes, but as the story progresses, all these are destroyed bit by bit. Also, the relationships in the story might be full of pain. There could be betrayals, misunderstandings, and the loss of precious friendships or romances that all contribute to making it the saddest story.
Maybe it's the tragic fates of the characters. They might experience great losses, like the death of loved ones or the destruction of their dreams.
The saddest story I've heard is about a little dog. It was abandoned by its owner at a very young age. It wandered the streets alone, cold and hungry, looking for a place to belong but always being chased away. Eventually, it died in a corner, with no one to care for it.
A really sad ghost story is about an old man who passed away suddenly in his old house. His ghost stays because he's worried about his dog that he left behind. The dog doesn't understand why its master is gone. The old man's ghost watches over the dog, but he can't interact with it. It's a story full of loneliness and love for a pet.
One of the saddest love stories is Romeo and Juliet. They were deeply in love but their families' feud kept them apart. In the end, they both died tragically. It shows how love can be destroyed by external forces.
I think 'Romeo and Juliet' is one of the saddest. The forbidden love and the tragic ending due to family feuds make it extremely poignant. Their love was so intense but couldn't overcome the circumstances.
In 'A Clean, Well - Lighted Place', the sadness comes from the old man's isolation. He has no one really, and the only place he can find some peace is in a public café. The waiters' attitudes towards him also add to the sense of his loneliness. They are just doing their job, not really caring about his emotional state.
I'm not sure as I haven't actually read the novel. But typically, in a sad story, there might be a protagonist who is at the center of the tragic events. It could be a character who has faced a lot of hardships in life.
One sad story is about a person who lost their entire family in a sudden disaster and was left all alone. It's just heart-wrenching.
Not knowing the details of this novel makes it difficult to summarize. However, generally in a 'saddest story' kind of novel, there might be themes of unrequited love, betrayal, or the destruction of dreams. For example, the main character might have a great dream but due to various external factors such as poverty, war, or illness, they are unable to achieve it and instead face a series of tragedies.
One of the saddest origin stories could be that of Batman. Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his parents when he was just a child. This tragic event in Crime Alley not only robbed him of his family but also set him on a path of vengeance and justice. He dedicated his life to fighting crime in Gotham, constantly haunted by the memory of that fateful night.