Customer Reviews

Wild Justice: The Evolution of Revenge (Harper Colophon Books)

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This book covers the history of a concept (revenge obviously) in society. The book approaches the topic from a number of angles. There is a look at the concept of revenge in literature, ranging from The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides to The Godfather. Religious conceptualizations and stances are considered, ranging from Greek mythology to Christianity and Judaism. Gender issues are mentioned, particularly focusing on sexual issues and gender disparities. Finally, there is a discussion of the notion of revenge in criminal justice.

There are a few limitations to the book. There is a definite geographic focus here; literature, religion, and social commentary is almost exclusively drawn from material generated in or popular in Europe and North America. In practice this means the book covers literature from Europe and North America, religions such as Christianity and Judaism (and whatever the Greeks worshiped), and social issues like gender relations and criminal justice. It would be nice to know what Asian and African literature has to say on the subject, what Islam and Buddhism have to offer, and what social issues other societies see this subject presenting itself in. It is also a bit dated, though considering the material I don't think that is much of an issue.

Overall, I think the book is a nice introduction to the subject and fairly comprehensive in presenting the issue as conceptualized within a particular geographic region. The limitations in coverage (which are not really noted or explained) do detract from it a bit, but what the book does cover is covered well.