Psychological Fiction

The selections in our Psychological Fiction Collection focus on the mental and emotional experiences of characters. From psychological thrillers to suspenseful mysteries and crime novels, these narratives examine the complexity of the human mind and emotions as characters endure challenges, overcome obstacles, and face sometimes grueling circumstances.

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Aging

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Cat’s Eye is a 1988 coming-of-age novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood that centers on Elaine Risley, a successful painter who is returning to Toronto for a retrospective show of her work. Throughout the novel, she has vivid recollections of her childhood and adolescence in the city during the postwar years—particularly of her friendship with Cordelia, who persecuted her in a way that had an indelible impact on her life. The novel was a finalist... Read Cat's Eye Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Society: Education, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Psychological Fiction


Publication year 1866

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Philosophy, Poverty, Class, Russian Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy

Crime and Punishment is a novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1866. The story charts the alienation of a student named Raskolnikov who decides to commit the perfect crime to philosophically proving his superiority over others. The novel traces the depths of his mental disintegration as he comes to grips with the psychological consequences of being a murderer, exploring themes like Alienation and Shame, Criminality, and The Necessity of Suffering.Dostoevsky, a stalwart... Read Crime and Punishment Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military / War, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Animals

Cujo, a horror-thriller novel first published in 1981, is the 10th novel by the American “King of Horror,” Stephen King. It was inspired by a trip the author took to a mechanic in rural Maine whose St. Bernard nearly attacked King. Cujo received several accolades upon its release and won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1982. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1983.The citations in this study... Read Cujo Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Birth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychological Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Introduction Different Seasons (1982) by Stephen King is a collection of four novellas that are tied together by a connection to the four seasons. Three of the four stories (“Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, “Apt Pupil”, and “The Body”) have been made into films, and the fourth (“The Breathing Method”) is under consideration for adaptation.This guide refers to the 1983 Signet edition.Content Warning: This book contains references to death by suicide, sexual assault, racism... Read Different Seasons Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction


Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Drama / Tragedy

Dolores Claiborne (1992) is a psychological thriller by the American novelist Stephen King. The novel, narrated from Dolores’s first-person point of view, tells the story of her work as a housekeeper for the wealthy Vera Donovan and Dolores’s eventual murder of her abusive husband. Unique among King’s work for its unconventional narrative style, including a lack of chapter designations and section breaks, the novel deals with themes of revenge, family, physical and sexual abuse, and... Read Dolores Claiborne Summary


Publication year 1899

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Latin American Literature, Realism, Psychological Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Duma Key by Stephen King is a novel in the literary-horror genre, praised for its eerie, spooky atmosphere and suspenseful build-up. Published in 2008, Duma Key is the first novel by King to be set in Florida. The book follows Edgar Freemantle as he moves from Minnesota to the island of Duma (one of the Florida Keys, or small islands) after a life-changing accident. Tormented by phantom-limb pain from his amputation and unable to remember... Read Duma Key Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh was published in 2015 and won the PEN/Hemingway award for debut fiction. The novel is set in 1964. It follows the story of Eileen, a woman planning to escape her life in the New England town of X-ville. Eileen is characterized by self-loathing, depression, and body dysmorphia, all of which developed due to her abusive and neglectful childhood. Before she leaves X-ville forever, Eileen must come to terms with her own... Read Eileen Summary


Publication year 1991

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Teams

Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Relationships, Humor, Psychological Fiction, Satire, Education, Education

Denis Johnson originally published “Emergency” in the September 16, 1991 issue of New Yorker magazine and later as part of his critically acclaimed 1992 short story collection, Jesus’ Son. These linked, fragmentary stories, all narrated by the same troubled, drug-addicted character, examine themes of violence, addiction, loss, and friendship from an unreliable yet sympathetic narrative voice. This guide uses the 1992 version of Jesus’ Son published by Picador/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.“Emergency,” the sixth story in... Read Emergency Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction