In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, a character remarks, "If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be punishment—as well as the prison." In other words, guilt is its own form of imprisonment, from which someone may never be released. In this collection explore titles that probe the questions and implications raised by the idea of guilt.
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Children's Literature, History: African , Race / Racism, African American Literature, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Technology
Rachel Vail is the author of the middle grade novel Unfriended (2014). Vail has published several books for young readers and children, including Wonder (1991) and The Friendship Ring series (2014). As with Unfriended, her stories focus on young people confronting the fraught dynamics of friendships and school. In Unfriended, 13-year-old Truly leaves her best friend for the popular crowd and is beset by conflicts online and in the physical world. The story of Truly... Read Unfriended Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Magical Realism, Humor, Animals, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Historical Fiction
Waiting for the Barbarians is a 1980 novel written by John Maxwell Coetzee, a South African and Australian novelist who was winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature. Penguin chose the book for its Great Books of the 20th Century series, and the novel won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for fiction. Waiting for the Barbarians was influenced by the 1904 poem of the same name written by... Read Waiting for the Barbarians Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Military / War, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Sports
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Incarceration, Relationships, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychology, Psychology
We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver. It is an epistolary novel, comprising the letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband Franklin in the aftermath of their son’s crime. The novel explores themes of nihilism, motherhood, the relationship between violence and depravity, and much more. The book won the Orange Prize for Literature in 2005 and was adapted into an acclaimed feature film starring Tilda Swindon and John... Read We Need To Talk About Kevin Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Animals