What I Lived For

by Joyce Carol Oates

First published 1995

Jerome "Corky" Corcoran wields power and influence, but beneath the surface, rage simmers. When that anger finally erupts into violence, Corky crosses a line he cannot uncross. His act of vengeance sets off a chain reaction that strips away everything he has built. The man who once commanded respect watches his world crumble piece by piece. What begins as righteous anger becomes the instrument of his own destruction. Corky must confront the consequences of his choices as his moral foundation collapses. This is the story of how one violent moment can unravel a lifetime of accumulated power and status.

Genres: fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, crime, contemporary

Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: moral-ambiguity, unreliable-narrator

608 pages · Paperback · Picador

Content warnings: violence

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