Throughout the centuries, envy as a complex, relational feeling has fascinated some of the greatest voices in literature. This book takes a look at envy through the eyes of such diverse literary figures as Dante, Cervantes, La Rochefoucauld, Austen, Balzac, Proust, Valéry, and Faulkner. It also explores the role of envy in traditional folk and fairy tales, and refers to the views of philosophers such as Kant, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche on the matter.