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.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

The Fisherman, a 2016 novel by John Langan, blends realism with ripples of folklore, fantasy, and literary horror to craft an ominous saga of a fishing trip gone wrong. Set in the lonely reaches of New York’s Hudson River Valley, Langan’s story embraces the grotesque as it bestrides two narrative streams: a contemporary account of grief, guilt, and cosmic horror, and an embedded tale about strange events plaguing the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir in... Read The Fisherman Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family

Tags Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Humor


Publication year 1643

Genre Poem, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose


Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Classic Fiction, Satire, Grief / Death, Military / War, Magical Realism, Post Modernism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World

Published in 1956, The Floating Opera is a literary novel by John Barth. Barth’s first novel, The Floating Opera focuses on Todd Andrews as he makes plans to commit suicide in the late 1930s, utilizing first-person nonlinear storytelling and humor to meditate on life and death. Following its publication, the novel was nominated for the National Book Award. Barth has published numerous novels since, becoming a seminal figure in postmodern American literature. Plot SummaryTodd Andrews narrates... Read The Floating Opera Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2003

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, WWII / World War II


Publication year 1922

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Grief / Death, WWI / World War I, Modernism, Education, Education, Military / War, British Literature, History: World


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Carrie Ryan’s young adult novel The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2009) uses a literary voice to blend elements of several different genres, including horror, romance, and dystopian fiction. The story follows Mary, a teenage girl growing up in the aftermath of a world ravaged by hordes of the undead. As she struggles to defy her community’s rigid rules, she must also confront existential challenges like love, loss, and the constant threat of death at... Read The Forest of Hands and Teeth Summary


Publication year 1967

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War

Tags History: World, Biography, WWII / World War II, History: European, Military / War


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Humor

In 2014’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L Holm, an aging scientist turns himself into a teenager who must re-enter middle school alongside his granddaughter while they plot to get him back into his lab to finish his brilliant work. A humorous science-fiction novel for middle-grade readers, The Fourteenth Goldfish is the first in a two-book series.   New York Times Bestselling author Holm has written nearly 60 books for young readers, including the May Amelia... Read The Fourteenth Goldfish Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Science / Nature, Education, Education, History: World


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 1922

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class, Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Katherine Mansfield’s “The Garden Party” was published in her 1922 short story collection The Garden Party and Other Stories, and many critics consider it the best example of her renowned prose style. Like many Modernists, Mansfield was most interested in rendering not objective realities but characters’ subjective perspectives; her third-person narrators often have intimate insight into a character’s interior world, to the extent that the narrative voice embodies elements of that character’s psychology. The world... Read The Garden Party Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature

The Gathering by Anne Enright is a novel about family history, grief, and the ways we learn to live with our pasts. Published in 2007, The Gathering was awarded the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The Gathering is Anne Enright’s fourth novel. Enright is the author of seven novels and is a major figure in contemporary Irish literature. This guide is based on the following 2007 Black Cat edition of The Gathering.Content Warning: This guide summarizes... Read The Gathering Summary


Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Politics / Government, Latin American Literature, History: World


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

The Ghost Bride (2013) is the first novel by Malaysian Chinese author Yangsze Choo. The novel bridges multiple genres, including mystery, ghost story, and coming-of-age romance to explore the rich and complicated world of colonial Malacca at the end of the 19th century, the relationship between life and death, and how the afterlife can contain just as many complexities as the living world. Widely praised, the novel was adapted into a Netflix original series in... Read The Ghost Bride Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Health / Medicine, British Literature


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction