In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, a character remarks, "If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be punishment—as well as the prison." In other words, guilt is its own form of imprisonment, from which someone may never be released. In this collection explore titles that probe the questions and implications raised by the idea of guilt.
Publication year 1995
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Society: Community
Tags Psychology, Military / War, Sociology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Grief / Death
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer is a middle grade and young adult novel published in 1986. It was a Newberry Honor winner in 1987 and was also named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Bauer is a prolific writer who has written more than 80 books for young readers. In this novel, written in third-person omniscient point of view, she uses sparse language to deliver a profound message about honor... Read On My Honor Summary
Publication year 1887
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Class
Tags Philosophy, German Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Friedrich Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals: A Polemic (1887) is an analysis of the development of morality in human history. The renowned 19th-century philosopher wrote On the Genealogy of Morals to entice readers to his larger works. In it, he challenges traditional ideals about Christian morality and the origin of virtue and ethics. Nietzsche argues that moral values are products of social power. Qualities which society has deemed virtues—such as honesty, meekness, patience, and... Read On the Genealogy of Morals Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags The Beat Generation, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Absurdism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction
On the Road, published in 1957, is a novel by prominent Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac that recalls his cross-country travels across the US in the late 1940s. It explores concepts of society, freedom, and—most of all—friendship.Sal Paradise (Kerouac’s pseudonym) is the story’s protagonist and narrator, while other key characters stand in for fellow Beat luminaries in his circle, including poet Allen Ginsberg (best known for the revolutionary 1956 poem Howl) and writer William S... Read On the Road Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s Oscar and the Lady in Pink was published in 2002 as part of Schmitt’s larger Cycle of the Invisible series. Each story in the series stands alone and deals with questions of spirituality from different faith and thought traditions. Oscar and the Lady in Pink explores questions of Christian faith as they relate to death.Originally written in French, Oscar and the Lady in Pink has been translated in numerous languages and adapted for... Read Oscar and the Lady in Pink Summary
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Southern Gothic, American Literature, Southern Literature, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction
Outer Dark (1968) is Cormac McCarthy’s second novel. The setting resembles Appalachia circa 1900; however, in this fabulist story, the setting transcends one particular location. A postmodern take on Southern gothic, the novel centers on two siblings, Culla and Rinthy Holme, who have a child together. After the child is born, Culla flees and wanders the earth like Cain. He is shadowed by a murderous trio, who act as both his punishers and his guardians... Read Outer Dark Summary
Publication year 1991
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, History: European, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World
Outlander, published by Random House in 1991, is the first in a highly successful romantic novel series written by Diana Gabaldon, a #1 New York Times bestselling author. The series was adapted into a historical drama television series in 2014.Other works by this author include Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Dragonfly in Amber, and An Echo in the Bone.Plot SummaryTold from the perspective of 27-year-old Englishwoman Claire Beauchamp, Outlander begins in 1945... Read Outlander Summary
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Food, Society: Education
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, History: U.S., Great Depression, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust is a historical middle-grade novel in verse first published in 1997. Through 110 first-person free verse poems, the narrative tells the story of two years in the life of Billie Jo Kelby, young daughter of a struggling farming family in the Oklahoma Panhandle in the mid-1930s. After a tragic accident results in the death of Billie Jo’s mother and baby brother, she and her father must find a way... Read Out of the Dust Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Southern Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Romance
Out of the Easy, written by Ruta Sepetys and published in 2013, is a young adult historical fiction novel. Sepetys is an award-winning Lithuanian American writer of young adult historical fiction. Her honors include the Carnegie Medal, awarded to one work of children’s or young adult literature per year. Her novels are international best sellers and are widely translated. Out of the Easy is about Josie, a teenage girl living in the French Quarter of... Read Out of the Easy Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Out Stealing Horses, by Norwegian author Per Petterson, was first published in 2003; the English-language translation by Anne Born was published in 2005. Told in the first person, the novel follows Trond Sander’s meditations on key events in his life and his acceptance of his advancing age and future death. Set in a remote forested area of eastern Norway, the novel moves back and forth in time between its present-tense setting in 1999 and Trond’s... Read Out Stealing Horses Summary
Publication year 1968
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Education, Education, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed develops a theory of education fitted to the needs of the disenfranchised and marginalized members of capitalist societies. Combining educational and political philosophy, the book offers an analysis of oppression and a theory of liberation. Freire believes that traditional education serves to support the dominance of the powerful within society and thereby maintain the powerful’s social, political, and economic status quo. To overcome the oppression endemic to an exploitative... Read Pedagogy of the Oppressed Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Grief / Death, Relationships
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Animals, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2014
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Humor, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 1677
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Play: Tragedy, Play: Drama, Mythology, French Literature, Neoclassical
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction
Picture Us in the Light is a young adult novel written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published in 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Gilbert is the author of three young adult novels, all of which focus on the young Asian American experience. Picture Us in the Light is written in the first-person perspective of protagonist Danny Cheng, but Gilbert includes flashbacks to China to connect Danny to a past his parents have... Read Picture Us in the Light Summary