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The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

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( 9,548 ratings, 826 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg is a novel that explores the complex relationship between good and evil through the story of a young man named Robert Wringhim. Raised in a religious household, he is influenced by a mysterious figure who drives him to commit dark acts under the belief of divine justification. The narrative weaves together elements of psychological exploration, supernatural intrigue, and moral conflict, presenting a thought-provoking study of fanaticism and identity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by psychological suspense and moral dilemmas, as it delves into the complexities of identity and the battle between good and evil. Its narrative style, blending mystery and gothic elements, creates a uniquely gripping read that challenges perceptions of rationality and faith.

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Robert Wringham's family is composed of a dissolute father and brother, a pious mother, and a rival father in the person of a fanatical Calvinist minister. He comes to believe that he is one of the elect, predestined to be saved, while others are damned.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A new edition of Hogg's haunting tale of a devilish doppelgänger, edited and introduced by Hogg's celebrated biographer Karl Miller.

Brought up by a strict Calvinist pastor, Robert Wringham believes he is one of the elect, predestined for salvation while all others—including his real father and brother—are cursed. Convinced he is indestructible and above the law, Robert commits terrible crimes under the influence of Gil-Martin—his physical double—who claims they are acting in God's name to purify the world.

But does this mysterious tempter actually exist? Could he be an agent of the devil? Subversive and unsettling, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) is a compelling psychological depiction of religious bigotry and the seductive effects of power on a tormented soul.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is praised as both a Scottish and a world classic. The novel is described as a sinister, yet funny and moving tale involving demonic possession, murder, and religious fanaticism.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141441535

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 May 2006

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Edited by Karl Miller

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 241g

Pages: 320

About the Author

James Hogg (1770-1835) was a Scottish poet and novelist. A growing enthusiasm for Scottish poetry led to the publication of his dialect Scottish Pastorals in 1801, and to the friendship of Sir Walter Scott. In later years he published a number of volumes of verse, encouraged by Scott, and in 1824 his masterpiece, The private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. Karl Miller was born in 1931. In 1979, he founded the London Review of Books, a journal he edited for many years. Earlier in his career, Miller was literary editor of the Spectator and the New Statesman, as well as editor of the Listener. His books include Cockburn's Millennium, Doubles, Authors (OUP, 1989) Rebecca's Vest (Penguin, 1994) and Dark Horses (Picador, 1998).

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  • The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
    A Scottish classic, a world classic - Ian Rankin, Observer Robert is a difficult and disturbed young man. He comes from a troubled family background and turns to his Calvinist faith for solace but finds it hard to get along with other people, particularly his brother and his dissolute father. After he falls in with the mysterious and charming Gil-Martin,...
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