Eight of the best expressions of sloth in literature

"Sloth is the least human and most destructive of all the deadly sins," argues Alexandra Silverman at The Barnes & Noble Book Blog. She tagged eight top examples of the sin in literature, including:

Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen

There’s evidence of what I like to call gentlemanly sloth in most of Austen’s novels (George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, Frank Churchill in Emma), but let’s start with her first. In Sense and Sensibility, handsome jerkface John Willoughby charms beautiful young ladies like Colonel Brandon’s ward (whom he deflowers and leaves pregnant and alone) and Marianne Dashwood (sensibility in the novel, as led by her heart as her sister Elinor is by good sense). He loves Marianne, but forsakes her for a dowry that’ll provide him a life of comfort. For a delightful reminder of Willoughby’s loathsomeness, watch Ang Lee’s 1995 film, adapted by and starring Emma Thompson as Elinor, and a 19-year-old Kate Winslet as Marianne.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Sense and Sensibility is on Jimmy So's list of fifteen top film adaptations of literary classics, John Mullan's list of ten of the best wills in literature, and Sam Baker's top ten list of literary stepmothers.

--Marshal Zeringue