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 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Speaker for the Dead (1986) is the second book in the Ender sextet written by Orson Scott Card. Card is a renowned American science fiction author and has won numerous awards for his writing, including four for Speaker of the Dead—the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.Speaker for the Dead is set... Read Speaker for the Dead Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Lissa Price’s Starters is a young adult science fiction novel set in the near future after the Spore Wars, during which biological weapons were used against the United States and wiped out much of the unvaccinated middle-aged population. As a result, many teens were left without families, and the elderly feared for their place in society. Starters without grandparents were barred from essentially every type of work. This led to teens being rounded up to... Read Starters Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism
Sycamore Row (2013) by John Grisham is the sequel to his debut novel and best-selling legal thriller, A Time to Kill (1989). Grisham, a practicing lawyer prior to his career as a novelist, popularized the legal thriller with his prolific work in the genre, frequently highlighting social justice and legal ethics issues. Though marketed as a legal thriller, Grisham himself makes a clear distinction between his legal thrillers and his Ford County novels—aka the Jake... Read Sycamore Row Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Music
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance
Publication year 1827
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Written in 1994 by Sharon M. Draper, Tears of a Tiger incorporates various modes of writing, including personal essays, newspaper articles (formal writing), journal entries, and conversations to convey the story of a teenage boy’s descent into grief, guilt, and suicidal ideation following a car crash in which he, as the driver, causes the death of a good friend. The novel explores the importance of mental health in high school students, the effects of drunk... Read Tears of a Tiger Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Class, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Action / Adventure, Latin American Literature, Inspirational, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality
The Alchemist, first published in 1988, is a novel by Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and translated by Alan R. Clarke. It tells the story of Santiago, a shepherd from Andalusia who dreams of a treasure buried beside the pyramids in Egypt. Heavy with allegory and including many magical elements, the novel has been described as adventure, fantasy, magical realism, and philosophical fiction as it encourages the characters (and the reader) to fulfill their Personal Legends. The... Read The Alchemist Summary
Publication year 1610
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams
Tags British Literature, Play: Historical, Play: Comedy / Satire, Satire, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Renaissance, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
The Angel's Game is a 2008 supernatural mystery novel by the Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Set in Barcelona in the 1920s and 1930s, the book chronicles a young crime novelist's efforts to unravel an occult conspiracy amid the political turmoil of pre-Francoist Spain. It is the second entry in Zafón's Cemetery of Forgotten Books series and a prequel to 2001's Shadow of the Wind, but The Angel's Game is designed to be read as... Read The Angel's Game Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals
Publication year 1959
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality