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Reviews tagging 'Murder'
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg
5 reviews
cepbreed's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It is the week my portfolio of essays is due and in classic me fashion I decided I NEEDED to read a new book to write one of my essays (instead of making it easier on myself and choosing a set text). When I do this to myself (which unfortunately is often) I have very loose criteria for the book I will end up reading and writing about:
1. It must be short (under 300 pages but an acceptable length that will provide enough substance to write on)
2. It should be obscure enough that it'll impress my professors while also being well-known enough that I can find substantial literary criticism (eg. Headlong Hall by TLP)
3. I should at least have the tiniest interest in the premise so I can get through it without banging my head onto my desk every other page.
Thank you James Hogg for providing on all three fronts and going above and beyond for #3!! It was a real drudgery trying to make myself choose a book for this essay and in the end, I was basically playing eenie meanie minie mo on a google doc.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner drew me in with its title but I was only able to get through the first 30 pages by sheer willpower (aka the looming threat of an approaching deadline). Hogg manages to bore you to death in the first Editor's Note so I praised god once the story began to really pick up in the 2nd half. Robert's POV is really all that mattered to me. I found his descent from good Christian boy to hapless sinner so interesting and the way Hogg exaggerates the Calvinists' call of predestination was engaging. For a classic that heavily focused on religious critique, it was very easy to digest. I was also surprised by the feminist angle taken on by Hogg. Sure the characters of Mrs. Logan and Bell Calvert are ridiculous and not the best detectives but at least they are allowed to be amateur detectives! It was wonderful to see these self-sufficient women try to solve a mystery (though they earned their deaths for it).
This book inspired so many nuanced essay topics in me the real laborious journey is going to be figuring out what to write about.
(I'm also confused by whoever deemed this a horror novel?)
Song:
1. It must be short (under 300 pages but an acceptable length that will provide enough substance to write on)
2. It should be obscure enough that it'll impress my professors while also being well-known enough that I can find substantial literary criticism (eg. Headlong Hall by TLP)
3. I should at least have the tiniest interest in the premise so I can get through it without banging my head onto my desk every other page.
Thank you James Hogg for providing on all three fronts and going above and beyond for #3!! It was a real drudgery trying to make myself choose a book for this essay and in the end, I was basically playing eenie meanie minie mo on a google doc.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner drew me in with its title but I was only able to get through the first 30 pages by sheer willpower (aka the looming threat of an approaching deadline). Hogg manages to bore you to death in the first Editor's Note so I praised god once the story began to really pick up in the 2nd half. Robert's POV is really all that mattered to me. I found his descent from good Christian boy to hapless sinner so interesting and the way Hogg exaggerates the Calvinists' call of predestination was engaging. For a classic that heavily focused on religious critique, it was very easy to digest. I was also surprised by the feminist angle taken on by Hogg. Sure the characters of Mrs. Logan and Bell Calvert are ridiculous and not the best detectives but at least they are allowed to be amateur detectives! It was wonderful to see these self-sufficient women try to solve a mystery (though they earned their deaths for it).
This book inspired so many nuanced essay topics in me the real laborious journey is going to be figuring out what to write about.
(I'm also confused by whoever deemed this a horror novel?)
Song:
- Inbred - Ethel Cain
- Hard Times - Ethel Cain (Soooo Robert)
Ty Ethel Cain to being the soundtrack to any book with the slightest religious undertones 🙏
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder, Stalking, Death, and Mental illness
willowbiblio's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"The truth is, that one lie always paved the way for another, from hour to hour, from day to day, and from year to year; so that I found myself constantly involved in a labyrinth of deceit, from which it was impossible to extricate myself."
-----------------
This was by no means bad, just fairly average for me. I wasn't engaged by this novel, but I can see how it would have been exciting for its time. I think knowing that Robert was clearly the murderer and his companion was either actually a devil or a literary device representing religious guilt etc. was given away way too soon. I did like how George and Robert were foils of one another. It really begged the question of nature vs. nurture. Robert grew up in a pious but judgmental and hateful household, while George grew up in a "wicked" but loving household. They turned out either opposite to as expected, or completely as expected depending on the readers' standpoint.
The dialect was hard to follow at times, which muddied some of the narrative. This book also explored how dangerous it is to be justified in the harms we visit upon others and the world. Refusing to think for ourselves and taking the easy road/being swayed can result in accepting leadership and guidance from those who pervert religious ideals to justify any and all wrongdoing, even murder.
It was interesting how the separation of George and Robert fostered Robert's hatred and jealousy, which ultimately led to both George Jr. and Sr.'s deaths. This was a very clear exploration of the concept of the sins of the father being visited upon his children, or however the saying goes.
-----------------
The dialect was hard to follow at times, which muddied some of the narrative. This book also explored how dangerous it is to be justified in the harms we visit upon others and the world. Refusing to think for ourselves and taking the easy road/being swayed can result in accepting leadership and guidance from those who pervert religious ideals to justify any and all wrongdoing, even murder.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
luckysmellsbooks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
impla77's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Interesting and very early psychological horror-esque story. Honestly I don’t know much about the religious context in Scotland at the time (I have heard of Calvinism but don’t know the tenets of it), but I could see the problems that people could have with strict predeterminism, and this takes it to the natural conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Mental illness
rzh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Murder, and Suicide
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