Sociopaths in literature

Oct 27 2017

This post is devoted to sociopaths and psychopaths in literature. Click here to discover the differences between the two. Sociopaths and psychopaths have long fascinated us. One of the reasons for this is that we wonder what we could accomplish if we were not burdened by that obstacle that is a conscience.

There are numerous examples of sociopathic personalities in literature. These include:

The Prince (1532) by Niccolò Machiavelli — the reader is urged to be sociopathic

Othello (1603) by Shakespeare — the character Iago

Macbeth (1606) by Shakespeare — Macbeth

Persuasion (1817) by Jane Austen — Mr. Elliot

Vanity Fair (1848) by William Thackeray — Becky Sharp

East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck — Cathy

Here are some books with sociopathic/psychopathic protagonists that I have reviewed, and one that I have written.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

My Review: Alex is an eccentric 15-year-old delinquent with a penchant for classical music and drinking milk. He and his fellow ‘droogs’ assault, rob and…(more)

The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson

My Review: Twenty-nine-year-old Lou Ford is a Deputy Sheriff from the West Texas town of Central City. Lou is a hard-working and simple character with a fondness for clichés…(more)

POP.1280 by Jim Thompson

My Review: Sheriff Nick Corey’s problems are mounting. There are the troublesome pimps, the nagging wife and mistress, and the forthcoming election that could see him replaced…(more)

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame. The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier…(more)

Sepultura by Guy Portman

Publication Day – Thursday, January 11th – Dyson Devereux is a busy man, with a challenging new job at Paleham Council and a young son. He would be coping just fine were it not for crass colleagues, banal bureaucracy and…(more)

Sociopaths in Literature

Mar 28 2014

Sociopath – A person with a psychopathic personality whose behaviour is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

Sociopathic personality traits include – superficial charm, glibness, manipulative behaviour, lack of remorse, grandiose sense of self, lack of realistic life planning, shallow emotions, lack of remorse, lack of empathy, incapacity for love, promiscuous sexual habits and/or parasitic behaviours.

My second book, Necropolis ~~(release date April 24th)~~ is a humorous work of dark fiction about a sociopath, who works for the Burials and Cemeteries department in his local council. His name is Dyson. Dyson has many of the characteristics associated with sociopathic personality types.

Sociopaths have long fascinated us. One of the reasons for this is that we wonder what we could accomplish if we were not burdened by that complex obstacle that is a conscience.

There are numerous examples of sociopathic type personalities in literature. These include in chronological order:

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (We, the reader are urged to be sociopathic)

Othello by Shakespeare (Iago)

Macbeth by Shakespeare (Macbeth)

Persuasion by Jane Austen (Mr. Elliot)

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray (Becky Sharp)

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Cathy)

A number of influential books have had sociopathic protagonists. These include:

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (Alex)

The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson (Lou) [Click on link to read my review]

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (Patrick Bateman) [Click on link to read my review]

Necropolis is a darkly humorous addition to the sociopath genre.

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Sociopaths in Literature

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