Love can be the greatest of feelings and a magical journey into a world of bliss… or as in some cases it can also be a painful experience, an emotional roller coaster ride and even a lesson that as The Stones said, “You can’t always get what you want.” How true were those words, as these one sided love stories will bear testament to.
And really though, It’s not like we need legendary rock bands and artsy one sided love stories to tell us that, considering that almost all of us have been in a position where we have loved completely and deeply, only for the object of our affections to not return even a fraction of our love, and sometimes, use our feelings to our disadvantage.
Still, if there are any crumbs of comfort to be had, it is the fact that we are not alone in having gone through such an ordeal. Since literature is filled with tales of such painful dealings, let’s take a look at some of them now, and reminisce the pain of having been a part of one sided love stories crowd.
1. Severus Snape And Lily Potter
Let’s just get this out of the way – the Snape saga throughout the books was one of the best plot lines we’ve read in modern literature, but one if its integral facets was Snape’s protective nature when it came to Harry, even though on the face of things he might have seemed to despise the young wizard. It all began when Snape fell for his neighbour, then Lily Evans, who would go on to marry James Potter, and of course, give birth to the protagonist of the series. While Snape might have not been able to win over Lily, his love for her remained absolute, and evident if one reads between the lines, right up until the end; one of the most tragic ‘fictional’ one sided love stories ever, right up to where he dies for his ‘protective’ feelings.
2. Eowyn And Aragorn
J.R.R. Tolkien covered plenty of themes in his epic Lord of The Rings series, but romance wasn’t really one of them, the least of all one sided love stories. Still, when Tolkien first tells the tale of Aragorn meeting Eowyn, Lady of Rohan, you can tell that something is brewing between the two. Aragorn, wise and powerful, an heir of kings, was immediately taken aback by Eowyn’s pale skin, blonde hair and femininity. But, as things would have it, the two would never be together.
3. Marius And Eponine
Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables was an eagerly awaited novel when it came out in 1862, but it’s safe to say that critical reactions weren’t exactly positive across the board at the time, due to the sheer number one sided love stories and otherwise, slammed into one piece of art. However, the book is now considered a classic of the nineteenth century and has spawned many a stage and musical adaptations, as well as one feature film and remains a favourite of millions across the world. One of the main reasons why we love the story? Eponine’s highly relatable character, where she is consumed by her love for Marius, the love that redeems her, even though it has been described as “deep, romantic and entirely impossible.”
4. Neil And Brenda
Philip Roth has passed his reputation as an American National treasure and joined a small rank of authors that have worldwide appeal and acclaim. One of the earlier woks of Roth, Goodbye Columbus, talks of how a middle class urban Jew falls for a rich, sub-urban Jew, and how sometimes love just cannot overcome certain societal barriers. It’s heartbreaking, it’s angsty, and it’s all too real, as one sided love stories go.
5. Catherine And Morris Townsend
Washington Square by Henry James is your quintessential tale of pig-headedness and pride that leads to a life of loneliness. In one of the most infuriating reads ever, the reader is compelled to weep with disgust after looking at Catherine’s treatment of Morris, one sided love stories be damned, but only because they see shades of themselves in her foolishness and pride.
6. Pip And Estella
Great Expectations was penned by Charles Dickens, who had – according to his most scathing critics – only the worst of Victorian England to offer to his readers. His millions of fans however, would argue that Miss Havisham’s plan to get Pip to fall for an indifferent Estella, thus breaking his heart, is a tale both gut-wrenchingly sad and all too gruesome. And so is the fact that Estella ends up married to a brute; egad, one sided love stories from hell!
7. Jacob And Bella
Love it or hate it, Twilight has one of the strangest tales of unrequited love as wolf-boy Jacob fails to land Bella even after years and years of trying. What was originally easily passed off as a typical teenage love triangle quickly takes on a darker, more sinister twist.
ave any more one sided love stories to share? Do write to us and we will add it to our list.