Mortality & Death

"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.

Leaves of Grass

by Walt Whitman

Publication year 1855

Genre Poetry Collection, Fiction

Themes Hope, Joy, Love, Death, Future, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Space, Self Discovery, Community, Nation, Beauty, Equality, Literature, New Age, Religion & Spirituality

Tags American Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Free Verse, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death, Science & Nature

The first edition of Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman, was published in 1855. A slim volume of 95 pages, it contained 12 untitled poems and a 10-page preface, also untitled. The poem that came to be known as “Song of Myself” took up more than half of the book. Although Whitman designed, financed, and published Leaves of Grass himself, there is no author’s name on the title page. However, the frontispiece features a picture of Whitman: He... Read Leaves of Grass Summary

Lemons

by Melissa Savage

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Death, Grandparents, Mothers, Teamwork, Community, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

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Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed

by Philip Paul Hallie

Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Race, Death, Community, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

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Letters to Malcolm

by C. S. Lewis

Publication year 1964

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Joy, Love, Memory, Language, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Christian, Theology

... Read Letters to Malcolm Summary

Ligeia

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1838

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Grief

Tags Gothic Literature, Romance, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, American Literature, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Edgar Allan Poe's “Ligeia,” a well-known piece of Gothic and Romantic literature, invites readers to explore the intricacies of reality, death, and the enigmatic power of human will. Published in 1838 during the Romantic era, this tale falls within the sub-genre of Gothic fiction, typified by brooding atmospheres, uncanny occurrences, and a fascination with the supernatural.This guide refers to the Penguin Classic 2019 Kindle edition.Content Warning: This guide and the source text use the term... Read Ligeia Summary

Lila

by Marilynne Robinson

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Shame & Pride, Death, Love, Loneliness

Tags Historical Fiction, Relationships

Lila is a work of literary fiction by American novelist Marilynne Robinson. Originally published in 2014 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, the novel is set in Robinson’s fictional Gilead universe and tells the story of Reverend John Ames’s enigmatic wife, Lila Dahl. When Lila discovers that she is pregnant with the reverend’s child, she begins to reflect on her life. She is happy with John but still struggles to make sense of how much her... Read Lila Summary

Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, Community, Forgiveness, Memory, Guilt, War, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, American Civil War, Religion & Spirituality, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History

The novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, published by Random House in 2017, offers a portrait of an American legend in mourning, surrounded by a poignant but funny cast of 166 characters. It is Saunders’s debut novel, though he has been a notable author of short story collections for decades. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was a New York Times best seller.Set in 1862, Lincoln in the Bardo is... Read Lincoln in the Bardo Summary

Looking for Alaska

by John Green

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Forgiveness, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Depression & Suicide, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Looking for Alaska is narrated by a sixteen-year-old boy, Miles Halter, who leaves behind his mundane life in Florida to attend a boarding school called Culver Creek. He is inspired by biographies detailing the adventures of notable figures during their days at boarding school. Most of all, he is motivated by the notion of a “Great Perhaps”. Miles has a fascination with famous last words, and particularly with the last words of the poet Francois... Read Looking for Alaska Summary

Lycidas

by John Milton

Publication year 1638

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Grief, Death, Friendship

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief & Death, Pastoralism, Education, Education, British Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

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Mahabharata

by Anonymous

Publication year -1

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Family, War, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses

Tags Narrative Poem, Indian Literature, Mythology, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy

David R. Slavitt’s 2015 translation of the Mahabharata is an abridged, modern English rendition of the ancient Indian epic. Slavitt, an American poet, novelist, and translator, is experienced in translating classical texts for contemporary audiences. His translation seeks to make this foundational work of South Asian literature accessible to modern readers.The Mahabharata is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa and was composed between approximately 400 BCE and 400 CE. As one of the longest epic... Read Mahabharata Summary

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Race, Grief, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Social Class, Colonialism, Equality

Tags Romance, British Literature, Historical Fiction

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is a contemporary comedy of manners written by English-born author Helen Simonson, exploring the tensions that erupt in a conservative English village when a respected widower, Major Pettigrew, falls in love with Mrs. Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper’s widow. While the Major longs for companionship with the gracious and sensible Mrs. Ali, he must also navigate conflicts with his self-absorbed son, the changing economy of rural English life, and the melodrama unfolding... Read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand Summary