by Mary Gordon
First published 1996
Leading American writers examine the seven deadly sins in this collection of literary essays. Thomas Pynchon tackles sloth while John Updike dissects lust. Gore Vidal turns his sharp wit to pride. A. S. Byatt probes the nature of envy. Joyce Carol Oates confronts despair head on. Each author brings their distinctive voice to these ancient human failings. The writers move beyond simple moral judgments to explore how these impulses shape our inner lives. They reveal how pride corrupts relationships, how envy poisons achievement, and how sloth masks deeper fears. The collection shows these sins not as distant abstractions but as forces that drive daily behavior. Each essay stands alone while contributing to a larger meditation on human weakness and desire.
Genres: essays, literary-fiction, anthologies, 20th-century, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: anthology, character-study
125 pages · Paperback · Quill