Revenge

Sir Walter Scott called revenge "the sweetest morsel to the mouth that was ever cooked in hell." We are often counseled to rise above slights, grievances, and injuries, but still, the temptation and promise of revenge remain. This thematic collection gathers texts that investigate what prompts us to hunger for revenge and where this hunger leads us.

The Painted Bird

by Jerzy Kosiński

Publication year 1965

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge

Tags Horror & Suspense, World War II, Military & War, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Though The Painted Bird is set during the Holocaust, it is not strictly a Holocaust novel. The book is largely metaphorical and deals with the brutality of human nature and how the horrors we perpetrate on each other become part of us. The novel’s protagonist, a boy who is an outsider, or a “painted bird,” witnesses acts of subjugation and cruelty and seeks to understand why some people are more powerful than others. Thematically, the... Read The Painted Bird 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 Plot

by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Daughters & Sons, Literature, Revenge

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Arts & Culture, Psychology, Trauma & Abuse, Philosophy, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Plot Summary

The Poison Daughter

by Sheila Masterson

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Femininity, Family

Sheila Masterson’s 2025 novel, The Poison Daughter, is a standalone entry in the popular dark romantasy subgenre, which blends high fantasy with dark romance. Set in the walled city of Lunameade, the story follows Harlow Carrenwell, the youngest daughter of the city’s magical ruling family. Cursed with a poison kiss that kills instantly, Harlow secretly operates as the “Poison Vixen,” a vigilante who targets abusive men. Her mission is upended when she is forced into... Read The Poison Daughter Summary

The Power of One

by Bryce Courtenay

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Revenge, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, World History, Classic Fiction

The Power of One (1989) is a Bildungsroman written by Australian author Bryce Courtenay, largely based on the life and experiences of the author who grew up on a small farm in the Lebombo Mountains in South Africa. It was the only novel published by the author for an American market. He noted that “American publishers [. . .] are interested in books [set] in their own country first and foremost,” but his novel was... Read The Power of One Summary

The Racketeer

by John Grisham

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Justice, Politics & Government

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Racketeer is John Grisham’s 30th book. It debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list in November 2012. John Grisham has twice won the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and also received the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. He has written over 35 bestsellers. Eight of his novels have been adapted for film, and one, The Firm, spawned a 2012 television series that takes place 10 years... Read The Racketeer 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 Ruins of Gorlan

by John Flanagan

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Fame, Revenge, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Education, Animals, Fear, Good & Evil, War, Fathers, Perseverance, Conflict, Wins & Losses, Nation, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Social Class

In The Ruins of Gorlan, a Medieval adventure-fantasy novel for middle-grade readers, young Will learns the arts of the secretive Ranger tracker-warriors and defends his kingdom against an evil baron. Released in 2004 by author John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan won multiple awards, spawned the bestselling Ranger Apprentice book series, and has been published in 18 countries. A television adaptation is in the works.Following a long career in advertising, author Flanagan shifted to book... Read The Ruins of Gorlan Summary

The Runaway Jury

by John Grisham

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Economics, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Runaway Jury is a 1996 legal thriller by author, lawyer, and former politician John Grisham. Grisham has written 50 consecutive #1 best-selling novels that have been translated into 50 languages. Grisham has won the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction and won the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction twice. The Runaway Jury was adapted into a 2003 film, one of the seven Grisham novels that have been made into movies. The... Read The Runaway Jury Summary

The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies, Apathy, Conflict, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Literature, Justice, Fate

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death

... Read The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 Summary

The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Emma Orczy

Publication year 1905

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Marriage, Revenge, Hate & Anger, Fear, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Romance, Social Class, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, World History

Published in 1905, The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emma Orczy, is a historical romance adventure novel about a wealthy English baronet with a secret life as a hero who rescues the innocent from the French Reign of Terror. Told mainly from the viewpoint of his wife, the book—based on the successful London play of the same name—birthed a series of Scarlet Pimpernel novels, movies, and TV productions. It ushered in the secret-identity genre of adventure... Read The Scarlet Pimpernel Summary

The Sea, the Sea

by Iris Murdoch

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Aging, The Past

Tags British Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Relationships

Iris Murdoch’s The Sea, The Sea (1978) is a novel of obsession, memory, and self-deception, narrated in diary form by Charles Arrowby, a retired theatre director who has retired and left London for an isolated house on the English coast. Set chiefly along an unnamed northern shoreline, the book takes the form of a memoir-turned-novel that its narrator drafts as events overtake him. The novel explores themes including The Nostalgic Power of First Love, Jealousy... Read The Sea, the Sea Summary