Literature and storytelling are all about writing compelling themes and stories that a reader can relate to. Writers use many themes to talk about societal happenings with themes like revenge, racism, injustice, and love.
One of the oldest themes of literature tales is revenge themes. Revenge stories are always bittersweet, and their themes are intriguing because most people hate injustice. Humans naturally have some behavioral revenge patterns and love to read about such stories.
It is a potent emotional activator that springs people into action. It is a very persistent experience in human lives, and getting angry at someone who has hurt you is normal.
After being wronged, the next thing most people usually wish for is getting back at the person or people who hurt you. Revenge stories are relatable reads though some of the characters tend to exaggerate their vengeance.
Though these tales are fictional, some writers tell the stories in a way that seems so real, and you can see through the events and characters. At some point, you will feel emotional for the villain because we are naturally emotional.
If you want to enjoy a revenge story, you need to read through every page. This will enable you to understand the storyline in detail. There are so many revenge tales that you can read, and here are seven of them to add to your top picks.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861)
This is one of the most exciting books by Charles Dickens. Miss Havisham, a wealthy spinster, steals the spotlight in this literature piece with her appealing bittersweet character. Several years ago, she was abandoned by her fiancé on their wedding day and had been out for vengeance.
She resides in her grand and magnificent home and never gets out of her gradually molding wedding gown as she raises her foster daughter Estella. Initially, Miss Havisham was all about protecting her adopted daughter from the malice of men.
As time goes by, she trains her to be used against the men as a weapon of vengeance. It is a hopeless romantic Pips adversity when he finally falls in love with this charming and attractive girl.
This is a dark story from Miss Havisham’s broken heart right up to Pip’s share. Heartbreak yields some of Charles’s most elaborate and outstanding characters.
The plot of the book is fascinating, making this classic a must-read.
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
The Stars My Destination is a story about the command of imagination that pays attention to an unusual character’s adventures. He commences as an ambitionless refugee, lives with a haunting memory, and wounded man searching for his destiny with an avenging spirit.
He ends the story as a changed leader that can guide others to the next phase of their lives. In his book, he paints an imaginative picture where people are Jaunte a thousand miles apart with just a single thought.
The writer also talks about a world where the rich protect themselves in labyrinths and radioactive hitmen where a speech impaired outsider is the most important and dangerous man living.
The Stars My Destination is mentioned in this Cool Things Chicago list of the best sci-fi books of all time.
Cari Mora by Thomas Harris (2019)
The writer of Hannibal comes back with a great lesson on greed and dark obsession. The book talks about a stunning yet cold young woman who resides in Miami. She had fled from Colombia because she was forced to be a child soldier and decided to take refuge in Miami.
Cari works as a caretaker in the previously owned empty mansion by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Beneath the house lays millions of dollars of cartel gold.
When an alien arrives with secret intentions to steal the gold cartels, he fights with Escobar’s former friends’ rival gang over the gold. Cari finds herself trapped in the horrible battle between the two ruthless men, who are ready to take on each other.
Nonetheless, it is not Cari’s first time to experience; such betrayal and clash because life at war made her acquire the surprising skills she has to save herself from these two dangerous men.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
This tale of adventure dates back to the 19th century, and it’s a French classic that depicts a fascinating account of vengeance and mercy. After being forcefully and wrongfully locked up, Edmond Dantès loses his fiancée and his bright future within the blink of an eye.
After several years of being imprisoned, he inherits a fortune that allows him to come back as an influential count with an evil plan. He plans to take vengeance on the men who tried to wreck his future.
This intriguing tale has the most astonishing, creative, and stimulating ways of taking revenge and settling old squabbles.
According to Forbes, there are some reasons science fiction will always be relevant.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (1934)
This mesmerizing Poirot murder mystery is the final tale of revenge. When a man is found stabbed twelve times on a train of Orient Express, a smart detective is invited to take on the case.
The more he digs on the cause of the man’s estranged death, the more evil truths he starts to find. In the course of his investigation, he finds out that the dead man is linked to the last kidnapping of a young girl, showing his death hangs with revenge as the top motive.
Who could be responsible for his murder? And why does the cause of his death point out in several directions? Well, find out who murdered the estranged man by reading the book.
Atonement by Ian McEwan (2001)
Guess the title suggests it all. McEwan’s brilliant novel was used for the silver screen in 2007 by Joe Wright, a fantastic director. The tale talks about the destructive effects of acting out of jealousy and how to stop.
The book starts in 1935 on the Tallis country estate, where the artistic 13-year-old Briony goes wild and writes intriguing stories.
Robbie, the son of the family’s housekeeper, is clandestinely in love with Celia, the older sister of Briony. When Briony, who crushes on Robbie, finds the two young lovers in the library, she then accuses Robbie of a crime he is not guilty of, acting as a false witness to the crime.
This lie changes the lives of these three forever as Briony seeks to earn forgiveness for the mistake she committed. Will Robbie revenge against Briony or forgive her as she requests.
This book is mentioned by the New York Times in a list comprising of six noteworthy works by Ian McEwan.
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (1949)
In this tale that plays on Chandler’s classic private investigator Phillip Marlowe, people who live in Tinseltown appear to be different from whom they are. Phillip decides to take on a case to look for the missing brother of a breathy country girl.
This case leads to him a complicated world of professional crime, Hollywood crime scenes, and murder. Who is just about the money and business, or who is really in this circle for vengeance?
Chandler’s writing style depicts an engaging writing style that is new and original still as it was 72 years ago.
Stories related to love, betrayal, and vengeance are typical in our society. This is one reason people love reading these stories because they do have lessons to be learned. Whether it’s through a book, on social media, or on TV, reading and watching stories open up our minds. You can quickly put yourself in the character’s shoes and understand the behavioral pattern in any story.
We hope you enjoy reading these seven tales of vengeance and draw the best lessons from them.