Best Books With Morally Ambiguous Characters (34 books)

Discover new books on Goodreads

Meet your next favorite book

Listopia > Best Books With Morally Ambiguous Characters

Should characters be well defined? Good or evil? Moral or immoral? In many of my favorites the characters are morally ambiguous or are moral but forced to do immoral things. Isn't the point of great literature to challenge our minds while entertaining us?

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 6,133,615 ratings score: 492, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Vicious (Villains, #1) by V.E. Schwab 4.17 avg rating — 343,409 ratings score: 296, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1) by Joe Abercrombie 4.22 avg rating — 335,634 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.31 avg rating — 1,502,763 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness, #1) by Joe Abercrombie 4.45 avg rating — 66,101 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7) by J.K. Rowling 4.62 avg rating — 4,227,040 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author) 4.45 avg rating — 1,211,324 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Tempest by William Shakespeare 3.78 avg rating — 234,417 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy 4.17 avg rating — 268,008 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan (Goodreads Author) (Writer) 4.15 avg rating — 370,615 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.83 avg rating — 696,295 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff (Goodreads Author) 4.22 avg rating — 120,500 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	OPENAI Oakland's Seat at the Table by Carol Denise Mitchell (Goodreads Author) 4.96 avg rating — 24 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Risen Empire (Succession, #1-2) by Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 347 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,004,258 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,866,063 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley 4.13 avg rating — 214,992 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.92 avg rating — 1,998,084 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, #1) by Art Spiegelman 4.39 avg rating — 385,976 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Road by Cormac McCarthy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,085,966 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks 4.28 avg rating — 83,926 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Consider Phlebas (Culture, #1) by Iain M. Banks 3.84 avg rating — 103,989 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville 3.57 avg rating — 634,474 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Henry V by William Shakespeare 3.84 avg rating — 54,442 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	A Fire Upon the Deep (Zones of Thought, #1) by Vernor Vinge 4.13 avg rating — 68,530 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Elric of Melniboné (Tale of the Eternal Champion, #8) by Michael Moorcock 4.11 avg rating — 761 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock 3.98 avg rating — 376 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 1,076,923 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Proxima by Stephen Baxter 3.81 avg rating — 7,485 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Conclave by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 84,694 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Jessica Jones: Alias, Vol. 1 (Jessica Jones Alias, #1) by Brian Michael Bendis 4.05 avg rating — 11,522 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 273,293 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Small Crimes in an Age of Abundance by Matthew Kneale 3.61 avg rating — 336 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Gilgamesh: The New Translation by Gerald J. Davis (Goodreads Author) 3.76 avg rating — 123,897 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars