The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner: The Dundee Edition

Published anonymously in 1824, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner: Written by Himself: With a detail of curious traditionary facts and other evidence by the editor pushed the boundaries of genre. It has been called a Gothic novel, a psychological mystery, a religious satire, and an early example of modern crime fiction. The plot follows a staunch Calvinist, Robert Wringhim, who believes he is justified in killing those he believes are already damned by God. A masterclass of metafiction, many of the events are narrated twice; first by the 'editor', who gives his account of the facts as he understands them to be, and then in the words of the 'sinner' himself. Having sold poorly among its first readers, the novel suffered from a prolonged period of neglect. However, since the latter part of the twentieth century it has won greater critical interest and attention.