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 Golden Bough

by James George Frazer

Publication year 1890

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Animals

Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Anthropology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Philosophy, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Scottish anthropologist James George Frazer published The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion in 1890 in two volumes. It is considered Frazer’s magnum opus and, in its 1936 third edition, was expanded into 13 volumes. Subsequent editions abridged the text to the currently used single-volume text. The title is taken from Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid, in which Aeneas uses a golden bough (or branch) to gain admission into the underworld. Though elements of... Read The Golden Bough Summary

The Grandest Game

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Memory, Revenge, Death, The Past, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense

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The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Fate, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Conflict, Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Horror & Suspense, Children`s Literature

In The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, an orphan boy is raised by ghosts in a cemetery, where he learns how to become invisible, haunt people’s dreams, and face his destiny. Published in 2008, this fantasy-adventure novel for middle-grade and young-adult readers became a #1 New York Times bestseller. It won the Newbery and Carnegie medals for best children’s book, the first time a work has received both awards. It also garnered a Hugo Award... Read The Graveyard Book Summary

The Great Unexpected

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Gratitude, Love, Memory, Revenge, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Friendship

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech’s 2012 novel, The Great Unexpected, follows the relationship between two best friends, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding, both orphans who know little about their families. They have felt heartache and loss, though these experiences impact them in contrasting ways: Lizzie is talkative and enthusiastic, while Naomi is guarded and anxious. In a discussion of her inspiration for the text, Creech recounts her realization that when faced with the unexpected, children... Read The Great Unexpected Summary

The Green Mile

by Stephen King

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death

At Georgia Pines retirement home, an elderly Paul Edgecombe sets to write about the events of his time as a correctional officer at Louisiana’s Cold Mountain State Penitentiary with the help of his companion, Elaine Connelly. In 1932, a 40-year old Paul is the supervising officer of Cold Mountain’s death row, formally referred to as E Block, but known commonly as The Green Mile, for the color of its linoleum floor. This is the same... Read The Green Mile Summary

The Guncle

by Steven Rowley

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Sexual Identity, Death

Tags LGBTQ+, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

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The Heidi Chronicles

by Wendy Wasserstein

Publication year 1988

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Art, Death

Tags Drama, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor

Wendy Wasserstein’s play The Heidi Chronicles first opened Off-Broadway with Playwrights Horizons in 1988, transferring to Broadway for a successful run in 1989. The play follows Heidi Holland from the ages of 16 to 40 as she explores her desires for her own life, inspired by the liberation of feminism, but tempered by gendered expectations in a patriarchal society. Critics celebrated the play for introducing feminism into mainstream theater. Wasserstein wrote 11 plays, and The... Read The Heidi Chronicles Summary

The Heretic's Daughter

by Kathleen Kent

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Death, Future, The Past, Food, Family, Mothers, Colonialism, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, US History

The Heretic’s Daughter (2008) is the debut novel of author Kathleen Kent. Upon publication, it immediately made the New York Times bestseller list. Kent followed this title with two other best-selling historical fiction works: The Traitor’s Wife (2010) and The Outcasts (2013). She also wrote a crime fiction trilogy that was nominated for an Edgar Award. A resident of Texas, Kent was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2020 for her contribution to... Read The Heretic's Daughter Summary

The Historian

by Elizabeth Kostova

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Family, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Religion & Spirituality

The Historian (2005), Elizabeth Kostova’s best-selling novel, blends fact and fiction to reinvent the myth of the iconic vampire Dracula, or Vlad Ţepeş. In this retelling, the unnamed narrator accompanies her ambassador father, Paul, across Europe in the early 1970s as he tells her the story of his near encounter with the vampire. He tells her the Prince of Wallachia lives, 500 years after his death. Paul’s mentor, Dr. Rossi, was conducting research on Dracula... Read The Historian Summary

The Histories

by Tacitus

Publication year 110

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Death, The Past, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Wins & Losses

Tags Philosophy, Philosophy, Classical Period, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

... Read The Histories Summary

The Housemaid's Wedding

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2024

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Mothers, Immigration, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Love & Sexuality, Romance

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The House of Broken Angels

by Luis Alberto Urrea

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

The House of Broken Angels (2018) is work of contemporary literary fiction by Luis Alberto Urrea. The book was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Urrea has received a number of awards for his novels and non-fiction, including a Lannan Literary Award, an Edgar Award, and a Pulitzer Prize for his book The Devil’s Highway. Plot SummaryThe House of Broken Angels takes place in San Diego over the course of two days... Read The House of Broken Angels Summary

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

by Victor Hugo

Publication year 1831

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Gratitude, Hate & Anger, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Language, Sexual Identity, Death, Family, Friendship, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Art, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, French Literature, World History

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an 1831 gothic novel by French author Victor Hugo, originally published under the title Notre-Dame de Paris. Set in 15th-century France, the novel concerns the intertwined stories of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Archdeacon Claude Frollo. The story has been adapted many times for theater, television, and film, including an animated film by Disney released in 1996.This guide refers to the 2009 Oxford Classics edition of the novel, translated from French to... Read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Summary

The Hungry Woman

by Cherríe Moraga

Publication year 2001

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Drama, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Science Fiction

... Read The Hungry Woman Summary