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 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Crime / Legal, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Holocaust, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1959
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction
Published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House, a Gothic novel by Shirley Jackson, was a 1960 finalist for the National Book Award. The protagonist is Eleanor Vance, a young woman with a troubled past who, along with two other guests, is invited to spend three months in a haunted house to take part in research gathered by Dr. John Montague. Like other Gothic novels, The Haunting of Hill House takes place in an old... Read The Haunting Of Hill House Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1948
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, History: African , British Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World
Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter was published in 1948 and is one of his most famous Catholic-themed novels. These novels comprise the majority of his literary oeuvre and underscore a recurring theme in Greene’s works: moral crisis and true faith. Greene’s iconoclastic views of Catholicism are explored through complex protagonists like Henry Scobie, the flawed hero of The Heart of the Matter, who are torn between passion and faith.The Heart of the Matter... Read The Heart of the Matter Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology
Publication year 2010
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1851
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
The House of the Seven Gables (1851) is a novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. With the eponymous New England mansion serving as the novel’s centerpiece, the story charts the fortunes and misfortunes of the Pyncheon family as they navigate the haunting legacy of their family’s violent past. The novel explores the themes The Influence of the Past on the Present, The Complications of Home, and The Legacy of Violence. Like Hawthorne’s earlier novel, The... Read The House of the Seven Gables Summary
Publication year 1944
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Bullying
The Hundred Dresses is a children’s book by Eleanor Estes that was originally published in 1944. It includes pen-and-ink illustrations by Louis Slobodkin. In 1945, it was awarded the Newbery Honor, and it continues to be a popular book in elementary schools. A 2004 survey of third-grade teachers found that the book was a popular choice for reading aloud in the classroom, and a 2007 survey by the National Education Association named it one of... Read The Hundred Dresses Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags True Crime
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Poverty, Grief / Death, Finance / Money / Wealth, Information Age, Class, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1911
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Class, Grief / Death, Education, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction