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.
The Armor of Light
The Art of Disappearing
The Art of Fielding
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Atlas Complex
The Atlas Paradox
The Atlas Six
The Autumn of the Patriarch
The Ballad Of Reading Gaol
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
The Battle of Maldon
The Beach
The Beast in the Jungle
The Berry Pickers
The Best of Friends
The Bet
The Betrothed
The Bewitching
The BFG
The Big Wave
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Power & Greed, Love, Justice, War, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Science & Technology
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Industrial Revolution
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Mental Health, Fame, Loneliness, Perseverance, Love, Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger
Tags Sports, Relationships, Psychological Fiction
Published in 2011, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is a work of literary fiction depicting the interwoven journeys of characters at Westish, a fictional small liberal arts college in Wisconsin. Henry Skrimshander is a talented baseball shortstop whose future is jeopardized by an errant throw. His development intersects with that of his teammate Schwartz; his roommate, Owen; college president Guert; and Pella, Guert’s daughter and a newly enrolled student of Westish. The novel... Read The Art of Fielding Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Birth, Loyalty & Betrayal, Family
Tags Philosophy, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 2008, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a New York Times bestselling novel by Garth Stein. It follows the life of race car driver Denny Swift and is told from the perspective of his dog, Enzo. Stein was inspired to write the book after watching the 1998 Mongolian documentary State of Dogs about a dog who is reincarnated as a human after death, and after seeing the poet Billy Collins read... Read The Art of Racing in the Rain Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Friendship, Self Discovery, Good & Evil
Tags Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Equality, Friendship, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, New Age, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fate, Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science & Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Power & Greed, Community, Death
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery & Crime Fiction
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Power & Greed, Death, Politics & Government, Justice
Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel García Márquez debuted in Spain in 1975. The English translation published in 1976. Márquez’s most notable work, One Hundred Years of Solitude, earned him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 and reflects his distinct magical realist style, an artistic genre first recognized in literature in predominantly Latin American writing during the 1940s. The Autumn of the Patriarch, published seven years later, also features Márquez’s magical style and... Read The Autumn of the Patriarch Summary
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Justice, Teamwork, Death, Shame & Pride, Regret, Forgiveness
Tags Narrative Poem, Incarceration, Grief & Death, European History, LGBTQ+, Religion & Spirituality, British Literature, Victorian Period, Horror & Suspense, Victorian Era, World History, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1963
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Gratitude, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Place, Family, Marriage, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Southern Gothic
The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories (1951) is a collection of short stories and a novella by Carson McCullers. The author, a seminal part of the Southern Gothic Literature genre, rose to fame with her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), which shares many themes with the stories in the collection. Other notable works by McCullers include the novels Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941) and The Member of... Read The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Summary
Publication year 1726
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes War, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Revenge, Masculinity, Conflict, Shame & Pride, Nation, Perseverance
Tags Narrative Poem, Military & War, European History, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Medieval, British Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction
“The Battle of Maldon” is a heroic poem, also classified as an epic, dating from the 10th century. Originally written in Old English, the text details a violent battle between the Anglo-Saxon warriors and the raiding Vikings. The Anglo-Saxons are led by Earl Byrhtnoth, who held land in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Essex and fought for his ruler, King Æthelred the Unready. The poem depicts some of the central tenets of Anglo-Saxon culture, praising loyalty... Read The Battle of Maldon Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mental Health, Safety & Danger, Globalization, Community, Death, War, Conflict
Tags Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Travel Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Beach is an adventure fiction novel written by Alex Garland and originally published in 1996. Garland wrote the book during his time in the Philippines and was inspired by the landscape there, as well as historical events such as the Vietnam War. It was adapted into a successful major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Danny Boyle in 2000, and the novel was included on a BBC list of most-read novels in... Read The Beach Summary
Publication year 1903
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Grief, Fate, Love, Fear, Regret, Death
Tags American Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction
The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James, first published in 1903, centers on the relationship between John Marcher, a man haunted by the premonition that his life will be defined by some catastrophic event, and May Bartram. James’s narrative dissects the psychological effects of fear and anticipation by focusing on his characters’ inner lives and existential musings. The tale is an internalized ghost story wherein Marcher’s fears become self-fulfilling prophecies of loss. The third-person... Read The Beast in the Jungle Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Indigenous Identity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Death, The Past, Mothers, Siblings, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Canadian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies
Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 1889
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Justice, Death
Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Philosophy
“The Bet” is one of over 500 short stories by Russian literary giant Anton Chekov. Published in 1889, the story addresses related and intertwined themes of life and death, theoretical versus empirical knowledge, and confinement versus freedom.Considered a master of short fiction and, along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, a founder of Modernist theater, Chekov is one of the late-19th-century writers who have reached 21st-century readers and audiences most powerfully and widely. “The Bet”... Read The Bet Summary
Publication year 1827
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Hope, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Justice
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Romance, Italian Literature, World History
The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi), published in 1827 and revised in 1842, is a historical novel by Italian author Alessandro Manzoni. The novel follows two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, in 1600s Lombardy; their courtship is derailed by a jealous plot to prevent their marriage, ultimately leading them to the plague-stricken city of Milan, where they face many struggles. The Betrothed is heralded as one of the most important and widely read Italian novels. This... Read The Betrothed Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Death, Animals, Place, Family, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Good & Evil, Power & Greed
Tags Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Conflict, Gratitude, Loneliness, Joy, Love, Death, Childhood & Youth, Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor, Action & Adventure
IntroductionBritish author Roald Dahl first made his mark as a leading writer of children’s literature in 1961, when he published James and the Giant Peach. His subsequent books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and his 1982 novel The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), which was illustrated by Quentin Blake and based on a segment of Dahl’s 1975 book Danny, the Champion of the World. His books have been viewed as darker... Read The BFG Summary
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Education, Perseverance, Death, Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Japanese Literature