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.

God Sees the Truth, but Waits

by Leo Tolstoy

Publication year 1872

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Forgiveness, Justice, Family, Hate & Anger

Tags Russian Literature, Classic Fiction, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

“God Sees the Truth, but Waits” is a short story by Leo Tolstoy originally published in 1872. The story, a parable about forgiveness that explores religious and spiritual themes, tells of a man sent to prison in Siberia for a murder he did not commit. The story has been adapted for various media, including films and radio programs. This guide refers to the 1990 Norton Critical Edition.Set in Tolstoy’s contemporary Russia, the story is narrated... Read God Sees the Truth, but Waits Summary

Goodbye, Eri

by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Mental Health, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Self Discovery, Art, Order & Chaos

Tags Coming of Age, Love & Sexuality

... Read Goodbye, Eri Summary

Gray Mountain

by John Grisham

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Death, Environment, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Crime & Law

The legal thriller Gray Mountain (2014) is a #1 New York Times bestseller from John Grisham, an author known for his critiques of the American legal system. A former criminal defense attorney and Mississippi state legislator, Grisham draws on his legal background to craft narratives that often explore systemic corruption and social injustice. In Gray Mountain, the 2008 financial crisis serves as the catalyst for the story: After the collapse of Lehman Brothers, high-powered Wall... Read Gray Mountain Summary

Grendel

by John Gardner

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Beauty, Good & Evil, Art, Order & Chaos, Loneliness, Revenge, Hate & Anger

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Postmodernism, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

John Gardner’s 1971 novel Grendel is a retelling of the story of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem from the 6th century, from the perspective of the villain, the monster Grendel. In Grendel, the monster Grendel is an anti-hero, challenging the conventions of traditionally heroic behavior as he tries to understand the world in which he lives. In 1982, an animated Australian film adaptation of the novel called Grendel Grendel Grendel was released in major cities... Read Grendel 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

Half City

by Kate Golden

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Half City (2026) is a fantasy novel by Kate Golden and the first installment in the Harker Academy series. Golden is a USA Today bestselling author known for her popular romantasy trilogy, the Sacred Stones. Half City blends popular subgenres, combining the character-driven romance of romantasy with the gritty metropolitan setting of urban fantasy and the moody atmosphere of dark academia. The novel follows Vivienne “Viv” Abbot, a young museum assistant in the divided metropolis... Read Half City Summary

Hate List

by Jennifer Brown

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Mental Illness

Jennifer Brown’s debut novel Hate List tackles the subject of a mass shooting at the fictional Garvin High School. The shooting leaves multiple students and a beloved teacher dead and culminates in the suicide of the shooter, troubled outsider Nick Levil. Nick’s final victim is his girlfriend, Valerie Leftman, an unintended target who survives the shooting. In one final attempt to stop the shooting, Valerie calls out to Nick, taking a shot meant for her... Read Hate List Summary

Heavenly Bodies

by Imani Erriu

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Survival Fiction

... Read Heavenly Bodies Summary

Hecuba

by Euripides

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, War, Fate, Justice, Conflict, Hate & Anger

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Grief & Death, European History, Trauma & Abuse, Dramatic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

... Read Hecuba Summary

Heir

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

... Read Heir Summary

Hollow Fires

by Samira Ahmed

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Friendship, Community

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

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Homeland Elegies

by Ayad Akhtar

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Race, Shame & Pride, Fear, Justice, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Politics & Government, Immigration & Refugeeism, Social Justice, 9/11, Life-Inspired Fiction, Race & Racism, US History, Social Class, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read Homeland Elegies Summary

Honor

by Thrity Umrigar

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction

... Read Honor 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

... Read House of Flame and Shadow Summary

How Does It Feel?

by Jeneane O'Riley

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Religion & Spirituality

... Read How Does It Feel? Summary