Scan barcode
A review by cepbreed
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg
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