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.

Elatsoe

by Darcie Little Badger

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Revenge, Grief, Indigenous Identity, Family

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, LGBTQ+, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure, Grief & Death, Race & Racism, Religion & Spirituality

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Eldritch

by Keri Lake

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Place, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense

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Electra

by Sophocles

Publication year 450

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Death, Fate, Siblings, Revenge, Family, Justice, Grief, Truth & Lies, Perseverance, Appearance & Reality

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

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Electra

by Euripides

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Family, Justice, Revenge, Siblings, Hate & Anger

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

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El Filibusterismo

by José Rizal

Publication year 1891

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Colonialism, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Race & Racism, Social Class, Education, Education, Asian Literature, World History

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Ellen Foster

by Kaye Gibbons

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Love, Gratitude, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Equality, Good & Evil, Literature, Art, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Family, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture, Appearance & Reality

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, Life-Inspired Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

Ellen Foster is a work of adult fiction by US novelist Kaye Gibbons, first published by Algonquin Books in 1987. The novel was Gibbons’s debut, and it won the Sue Kaufman Prize for literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a notable citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Critics praised the novel for its unsentimental outlook and the wry, distinct voice of its protagonist. Ellen, a young girl living in the American... Read Ellen Foster Summary

Eumenides

by Aeschylus

Publication year 458

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Justice, Guilt, Gender Identity

Tags Ancient Greece, Dramatic Literature, Drama, Philosophy, Trauma & Abuse

Eumenides is an Attic tragedy by the playwright Aeschylus (circa 525/4-circa 456/5 BCE). Eumenides was the final part of the Oresteia, a tragic trilogy first produced for the City Dionysia in 458 BCE. The Oresteia describes the murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra and the aftermath of this act; in Eumenides, Orestes—the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra—must undergo a trial to be purified of the blood of his mother, whom he murdered to avenge... Read Eumenides Summary

Exodus

by Kate Stewart

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Appearance & Reality, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

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Fallen Gods

by Rachel Van Dyken

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Siblings, Self Discovery, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Mythology

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Final Girls

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Finding Margaret Fuller

by Allison Pataki

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Love, Revenge, Femininity, Midlife, Future, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Equality, Fate, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, US History, Gender & Feminism, World History

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Fireborne

by Rosaria Munda

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Memory, Revenge, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Order & Chaos

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

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