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.

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

by William Wordsworth

Publication year 1800

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Aging, Death, Environment, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief & Death, Romanticism

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) is the author of the lyrical ballad “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal” (1800). The poem appears in the second edition of Lyrical Ballads (1800), which featured poems by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. There are four editions of Lyrical Ballads, and the first edition (1798) helped launch English Romanticism. The movement stressed the tumultuous power of nature and the individual human spirit. “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal” reflects the principles... Read A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Summary

A Summer Tragedy

by Arna Bontemps

Publication year 1931

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Masculinity, Aging

Tags Depression & Suicide, Great Depression, Harlem Renaissance, African American Literature, Poverty, Grief & Death

“A Summer Tragedy” is a short story written by poet and fiction author Arna Bontemps. It was originally published in 1933 in Opportunity and has since been included in multiple anthologies, including Bontemps’s 1973 short story collection The Old South: “A Summer Tragedy” and Other Stories of the Thirties. Bontemps is also known for the 1959 biography Frederick Douglass: Slave, Fighter, Freeman. Focusing on an elderly Black couple who have endured a difficult life of... Read A Summer Tragedy Summary

Atmosphere

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Space, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Equality, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction

... Read Atmosphere Summary

A Torch Against the Night

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Race, Death, Self Discovery, War

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure

A Torch Against the Night (2016) is a young adult fantasy novel by Sabaa Tahir. It is the second installment in the bestselling Ember Quartet, which is set in a brutal world inspired by ancient Rome. Following the commercial and critical success of the first book in the series, An Ember in the Ashes (2015), A Torch Against the Night became a #1 New York Times bestseller. The novel continues the story of fugitives Laia... Read A Torch Against the Night Summary

August: Osage County

by Tracy Letts

Publication year 2007

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Death

Tags Tragedy, Comedy & Satire, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Dramatic Literature

August: Osage County by American playwright Tracy Letts premiered at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in June 2007 and debuted on Broadway in December of the same year. When Beverly, the Weston family patriarch, goes missing, a web of estranged family members travel home to gather around his vitriolic spouse, Violet. The play is semi-autobiographical, and Letts explores themes of addiction, suicide, and generational trauma from his own childhood in Oklahoma. In 2008, August: Osage County won... Read August: Osage County Summary

Babylon's Ashes

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Death, Future, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

... Read Babylon's Ashes Summary

Bear

by Julia Phillips

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Community, Economics, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Romance, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

... Read Bear Summary

Because I Could Not Stop for Death

by Emily Dickinson

Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Realism, Romanticism, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy

Emily Dickinson holds a special place in the firmament of American writers. Although she lived in the 19th century and seldom left her home region in Massachusetts, her poetry speaks to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Dickinson possessed a singular poetic style, characterized by inventive punctuation, powerful efficiency, and deep inquiry of the human experience. Her poem “Because I could not stop for Death” has become a touchstone for readers encountering Dickinson for the... Read Because I Could Not Stop for Death Summary

Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and what Matters in the End

by Atul Gawande

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Death

Tags Health, Grief & Death, Science & Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Being Mortal, Atul Gawande's New York Times best seller, was published in 2014. Gawande, an American surgeon and public health researcher, has written a series of articles, essays, and books that probe the US health care industry. His first book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and he followed it in 2007 with Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance. Throughout his work, Gawande offers his... Read Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and what Matters in the End Summary

Belladonna

by Adalyn Grace

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Religion & Spirituality

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Belonging

by Nora Krug

Publication year 2018

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Death, The Past, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags European History, Holocaust, World War II

... Read Belonging Summary

Berenice

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1835

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Death, Mental Health

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

... Read Berenice Summary

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Aron Ralston

Publication year 2004

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Fate, Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Death

Tags Inspirational, Action & Adventure, Travel Literature, Animals, Arts & Culture, Philosophy, Relationships, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Music, Sports, Biography

Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a 2004 adventure and survival memoir by American mountain climber Aron Ralston. The narrative focuses on Ralston’s near-death experience when his arm became stuck under a boulder in a canyon in Utah, where he remained trapped for five days until he amputated his arm. Dealing with profound existential themes, the book garnered critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. A 2010 film adaptation titled 127... Read Between a Rock and a Hard Place Summary