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 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

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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

Theseus

by Anonymous

Publication year -1

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Justice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge

Tags Mythology, Ancient Greece

The oral tradition of myths makes collecting a complete version of “Theseus and the Minotaur,” an ancient Greek myth from the sixth century BC, a difficult task. No version contains every recorded detail about Theseus’s adventures in the Labyrinth of Crete. Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Stephen Fry’s Heroes, and many other sources contain varying levels of detail about Theseus’s heroics. This challenge increases when different translations of the text are considered, since part of the text is... Read Theseus Summary

The Sicilian Inheritance

by Jo Piazza

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Silkworm

by Robert Galbraith

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Teamwork, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

J.K. Rowling has published seven novels in the Cormoran Strike mystery series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, beginning in 2013 with The Cuckoo’s Calling. The Silkworm was released in 2014 as the second installment of the series. The novel received praise for its intricate plotting and satirical take on the publishing industry, though it also drew criticism for its controversial portrayals of gender and graphic imagery. Set in the London literary world, The Silkworm satirizes... Read The Silkworm Summary

The Sleeper and the Spindle

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Aging, Social Class, Beauty, Good & Evil, Literature, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a standalone short story written by English American author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell. It first appeared unillustrated in the 2013 anthology Rag & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales. The story is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty, featuring two unnamed female characters who act as reimagined versions of the sleeping princess and of Snow White. It uses classic fairy tale tropes and motifs to upend... Read The Sleeper and the Spindle Summary

The Spanish Tragedy

by Thomas Kyd

Publication year 1587

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Grief, Justice

Tags British Literature, Classic Fiction, Tragedy, Elizabethan Era

The Spanish Tragedy, written and performed between 1587 and 1590, is an Elizabethan revenge tragedy by Thomas Kyd. The play explores the dilemmas of Hieronimo, who plots for revenge after his son Horatio is murdered. Surrounded by the intrigue and deception of the Spanish court, Hieronimo’s quest raises questions about the nature of justice and the profound impacts of grief and loss. The Spanish Tragedy was a huge hit for Kyd’s audiences, performed at least 29... Read The Spanish Tragedy Summary

The Sunbearer Trials

by Aiden Thomas

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hope, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Animals, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Mythology

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The Surgeon

by Leslie Wolfe

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Education, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Health

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The Tainted Cup

by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Mental Health, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Place, Teamwork, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

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The Tenant

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, Self Discovery, War, Marriage

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

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The Terrible Two

by Mac Barnett, Jory John

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Conflict, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Perseverance, Revenge, Forgiveness, Teamwork, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses, Family, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Hate & Anger, Childhood & Youth, Education

Tags Action & Adventure, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education

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The Thief and the Dogs

by Naguib Mahfouz

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Revenge

Tags Symbolic Narrative, Social Class, Existentialism, African Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Thief and the Dogs is a 1961 surrealist, existentialist novel by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature and The Thief and the Dogs is considered one of his most celebrated works. The novel has been adapted for Egyptian television, and is the first novel written in Arabic to use the stream-of-consciousness style. Published nearly ten years after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, the novel is also considered an... Read The Thief and the Dogs Summary