Although The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) was released to disappointing sales, it was "rediscovered" in 1924 by André Gide and is now recognized as a masterpiece of prose fiction. The "Justified Sinner" of the title is the novel's protagonist, Robert Colwan-Wringham, who as an Antinomian Calvinist is convinced of his own divine salvation, regardless of sin. This complex novel features elements of the Gothic and supernatural, a duel narrative, and has been praised for its sophisticated narrative technique, psychological complexity and elements of irony.
