"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 1996
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1888
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages
Publication year 1938
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction
Our Town (1938) is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder. Wilder served in both World War I and World War II and wrote honestly about life in America. He wrote several plays but considered Our Town to be his best work. It was performed for the first time in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1938. Wilder received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Our Town, and the play is widely considered to be... Read Our Town Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sports, Psychology, Psychology
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Food, Society: Education
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, History: U.S., Great Depression, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust is a historical middle-grade novel in verse first published in 1997. Through 110 first-person free verse poems, the narrative tells the story of two years in the life of Billie Jo Kelby, young daughter of a struggling farming family in the Oklahoma Panhandle in the mid-1930s. After a tragic accident results in the death of Billie Jo’s mother and baby brother, she and her father must find a way... Read Out of the Dust Summary
Publication year 1916
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Grief / Death
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Out Stealing Horses, by Norwegian author Per Petterson, was first published in 2003; the English-language translation by Anne Born was published in 2005. Told in the first person, the novel follows Trond Sander’s meditations on key events in his life and his acceptance of his advancing age and future death. Set in a remote forested area of eastern Norway, the novel moves back and forth in time between its present-tense setting in 1999 and Trond’s... Read Out Stealing Horses Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Free verse, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Post Modernism, American Literature, History: World
Pale Fire is a 1962 experimental novel by Vladimir Nabokov, the author of seminal novels like Lolita and Pnin. The novel consists of a 999-line poem by a fictional poet and the accompanying notations by a fictional editor. Rather than analyze the poem, however, the notations create a new narrative. Pale Fire has been heralded as a landmark example of metafiction and one of the most important novels of the 20th century.This guide is written... Read Pale Fire Summary
Publication year 1939
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: War, Society: Nation
Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Pale Horse, Pale Rider is a novella written by Katherine Anne Porter. It was published in 1939, along with two other short novellas, Old Mortality and Noon Wine, under the collective title Pale Horse, Pale Rider. The story portrays two young lovers who are tragically affected by the 1918 influenza epidemic, or Spanish Flu.Other works by this author include The Jilting of Granny Weatherall and Flowering Judas.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2008... Read Pale Horse, Pale Rider Summary
Publication year 1320
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Italian Literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Paradiso is the third and concluding part of The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri’s three-part epic narrative poem. It completes the allegorical journey initiated by the first two parts, Inferno (Hell) and Purgatorio (Purgatory). Beatrice, who symbolizes Dante’s ideal woman and who had previously accompanied him through the past part of Purgatory, here accompanies him as he journeys through the nine levels or spheres of Heaven, which are represented by various celestial bodies. In each sphere... Read Paradiso Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags History: European, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Parallel Journeys (1995) is a nonfiction book by Eleanor Ayer. It won several awards, including the American Library Association’s Best Book for Young Adults. An author of many nonfiction books about the Holocaust, Ayer pairs the stories of Alfons Heck (a former Hitler Youth member) and Helen Waterford (a Holocaust survivor) to show how Nazism impacts the people it empowered and targeted. Ayer didn’t choose Alfons and Helen randomly. They formed a partnership in the... Read Parallel Journeys Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Education, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Grief / Death, Relationships
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1670
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1956
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Existentialism, British Literature, History: World, Fantasy
Pincher Martin is a novel by British author William Golding, first published in 1956. Set during World War II, it tells the story of a Royal Navy lieutenant named Christopher Hadley Martin who washes up on an inhospitable islet after his ship sinks. Though nominally a survival story, the book primarily concerns Martin’s spiritual and metaphysical journey as he struggles to maintain his sanity while awaiting rescue.This study guide refers to the 2013 edition published... Read Pincher Martin Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability