Top 10 novels of sexual jealousy

"Tales of innocence and wonderment leave me cold," writes Howard Jacobson at the Guardian. Black obsessiveness is what the novel does best. And jealousy is its natural domain."

One title from his top ten list of novels of sexual jealousy:

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Sexual jealousy is not normally what we think of as Jane Austen's terrain. But her novels are full of jealousy's tragic potential. If it weren't for her intervention, her heroines would be forever losing men to more moneyed or vivacious rivals. In Persuasion she colludes with her heroine to the extent of throwing the other woman off a sea wall. Almost as murderous in its vengefulness as Tolstoy.

Read about the other novels on Jacobson's list.

Persuasion is among Elizabeth Buchan's top 10 books guaranteed to give comfort during the ending of a relationship and appears on John Mullan's list of ten of the best concerts in literature.

The Page 99 Test: Persuasion.

--Marshal Zeringue