Guilt

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.

Gretel in Darkness

by Louise Glück

Publication year 1975

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Mental Health, Guilt, Family

Tags Lyric Poem, Symbolic Narrative, Mental Illness, Gender & Feminism, Arts & Culture, Mythology

Louise Glück is among the most lauded poets in the American canon. Glück’s writing is often surgically precise in terms of formal craft, and reveals a deep emotional complexity. She addresses sadness, mourning, trauma, and individual suffering metaphorically through the natural world, mythology, autobiographical events, or universal truths. She is known for alluding to cultural myths and personas in her work, some of which appear in “Gretel in Darkness” through the perspective of young Gretel... Read Gretel in Darkness Summary

Gunga Din

by Rudyard Kipling

Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Masculinity, Race, Death, Colonialism, War, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Military & War

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Gwendy's Button Box

by Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Fate

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age

Gwendy’s Button Box is a horror fantasy novella written by the American authors Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. It is the first in a trilogy and was published in 2018. The novel follows Gwendy Peterson, a young and awkward middle school student, whose life changes when she becomes the guardian of a magical button box that has the potential for extreme good and extreme destruction. The novella explores themes such as Fate Versus Free Will... Read Gwendy's Button Box Summary

Half Brother

by Kenneth Oppel

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Language, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Justice, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Half Brother (2010) is a young adult novel by Kenneth Oppel. In the novel, Oppel combines and fictionalizes several experiments in which chimpanzees learned sign language to communicate. The story follows the Tomlin family as they adopt a baby chimpanzee to see if it can learn and use language. Through this experiment and its effect on the characters, the text explores the themes of family, belonging, animal rights, communication, individuality, and growing up. The novel... Read Half Brother Summary

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany

Publication year 2016

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Fate, Truth & Lies, Guilt

Tags Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016) is a two-part play written by Jack Thorne, based on an original story collaboratively created by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Thorne himself. Set in the universe of the Harry Potter books penned by J. K. Rowling, the play follows events occurring 19 years after the epilogue of the seventh book, The Deathly Hallows (2007); the story revolves around Albus Potter, the second son and middle child... Read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Summary

Heart-Shaped Box

by Joe Hill

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Love, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Fathers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Heart-Shaped Box (2007) is the debut novel of horror writer Joe Hill, son of the famous Stephen King. The novel is a contemporary Gothic story about Judas “Jude” Coyne, a retired rock star hunted by a ghost. His confrontation with the ghost forces him and his girlfriend, Marybeth “Georgia” Kimball, to confront their respective pasts and current relationship. Hill went on to publish novels such as Horns (2010), NOS4A2 (2013), and The Fireman (2016), as... Read Heart-Shaped Box Summary

Home

by Marilynne Robinson

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Forgiveness, Fate, Equality, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Home Summary

Home

by Nnedi Okorafor

Publication year 2017

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Femininity, Race, Family, Self Discovery

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

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Home Before Dark

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Guilt, Memory, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Regret, Revenge, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Home Before Dark Summary

House of Flame and Shadow

by Sarah J. Maas

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Race, Coming of Age, Environment, Place, Teamwork, Colonialism, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Fairy Tale & Folklore

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House of Sand and Fog

by Andre Dubus III

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt

Tags Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, originally published in 1999, is a crime novel concerning a dispute over the ownership of a house in the Bay Area beach town of Corona, California. Told primarily through the dueling perspectives of a recovered addict and Iranian exile, the novel interrogates the nature of American identity and the integrity of social relationships. House of Sand and Fog has earned numerous recognitions: It was selected for... Read House of Sand and Fog Summary

How To Hang A Witch

by Adriana Mather

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read How To Hang A Witch Summary