Hate & Anger

"In time we hate that which we often fear," a character remarks in William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Here, we've gathered thematically connected study guides that explore the experience, origin, and consequence of hatred.

The Mindf*ck Series

by S. T. Abby

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Femininity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Revenge

Tags Horror & Suspense, Romance

S. T. Abby’s The Mindf*ck Series (2016) is a dark romance and psychological thriller that gained viral popularity on TikTok. Originally self-published, the series became a cornerstone of the dark romance subgenre and a key example of the “female rage” trope, which celebrates female antiheroes who seek violent retribution. The story follows Lana Myers, a survivor of a brutal gang rape who was left for dead 10 years prior. Now living under a new identity... Read The Mindf*ck Series Summary

The Passengers

by John Marrs

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, Future, Environment, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

... Read The Passengers Summary

The People Could Fly

by Virginia Hamilton

Publication year 1985

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Guilt, Revenge, Memory, Death, Animals, Environment, Appearance & Reality, Food, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Fate, Race, Language, Regret, Shame & Pride, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Teamwork

Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Symbolic Narrative, US History, African American Literature, Race & Racism

... Read The People Could Fly Summary

The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Music, Love, Fear, Beauty, Nature Versus Nurture, Justice, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Marriage, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Gratitude

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary

The Pillowman

by Martin McDonagh

Publication year 2003

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Mental Health, Siblings, Politics & Government, Art, Justice, Literature

Tags Horror & Suspense, Irish Literature, Drama

Martin McDonagh is a British Irish playwright and filmmaker known for his absurdist black humor. He drew inspiration for The Pillowman from his own personal affinity for fairytales and his realization that many children’s stories have subtly dark undertones. The play is about two brothers, Katurian and Michal, who are under investigation for a series of child murders that bear an uncanny resemblance to some of Katurian’s fictional stories.The Pillowman debuted its first public reading... Read The Pillowman Summary

The Postcard

by Anne Berest

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Memory, Regret, Mental Health, Race, Death, The Past, Mothers, Siblings, Community, Immigration, Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, French Literature, Military & War, World History

... Read The Postcard Summary

The Reckoning

by John Grisham

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, War, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Race, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Femininity, Masculinity, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Nation

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Race & Racism, Military & War, World History

... Read The Reckoning Summary

The Reckoning

by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, War, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Published in 2019, The Reckoning is a dark-fantasy romance novel by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It’s the third installment in their popular Zodiac Academy series, which belongs to the subgenres of dark academia and bully romance, and follows Ruthless Fae (2019). Peckham and Valenti are #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling authors known for their interconnected fantasy worlds, with the Zodiac Academy series gaining significant popularity with reader communities on social-media platforms... Read The Reckoning Summary

The Red and the Black

by Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle)

Publication year 1830

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Family, Social Class, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, French Literature, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction

The Red and the Black (in French, Le Rouge et le Noir: Chronique du XIX siècle) is an 1830 historical novel by Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by the pen name Stendhal. The Red and the Black follows the rise and fall of Julien Sorel, a bright and ambitious, but in many ways naïve, young man of lowly birth, who resolves to work his way up in the highly stratified French society during the Bourbon Restoration... Read The Red and the Black Summary

There Is No Place for Us

by Brian Goldstone

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Sociology, Politics & Government, Political Science, Journalism, Poverty, Urban Studies

... Read There Is No Place for Us Summary