"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 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature
Panamanian-born Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes wrote The Death of Artemio Cruz (La Muerte de Artemio Cruz) in 1962. It was Fuentes’s third novel and established him as a major figure in Latin American literature. The novel belongs to the Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s, which saw the translation of major works of Latin American writers, such as Julio Cortázar (Argentina) and Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia), for circulation in Europe and the United... Read The Death of Artemio Cruz Summary
Publication year 1886
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Philosophy, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Russian Literature
The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) is a fictional novella by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). The story raises questions about what is important in life through Tolstoy’s observation of social interaction and individual priorities.Tolstoy was born into aristocracy and was popular at a time when Russia was under the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor of the Romanov Dynasty. Tolstoy, whose best-known works are War and Peace (1867) and... Read The Death of Ivan Ilyich Summary
Publication year 1914
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Free verse
Publication year 1942
Genre Essay / Speech, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Grief / Death, Animals, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), British Literature, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1945
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature, Holidays & Occasions, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction
Content Warning: This guide features discussion of wartime violence, relationship abuse, sexuality, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and demon possession.Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) was a notable Irish English writer of novels and short stories dealing with Irish life as well as the lives of Londoners in the 1940s. She is also famous for her ghost stories. “The Demon Lover,” one of Bowen’s most famous works, was published in 1945 in the United Kingdom in a collection called... Read The Demon Lover Summary
Publication year 1973
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help
The Denial of Death was written by the American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker and published in 1973. The work explores the fear of death and the ways in which rituals and beliefs have helped humans to cope with it throughout history. It was inspired by the fact that Becker had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Over the course of his life, he taught at several prestigious universities, including Syracuse University, UC Berkeley, and, by... Read The Denial of Death Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Nation, Society: Education, Self Discovery, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Free verse, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, History: African , African American Literature, History: World
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Western, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1877
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy
Publication year 1996
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, British Literature, Education, Education, History: European, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, British Literature
The Drowned World is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by British author J.G. Ballard. Set in a future London that has been completely submerged in the ocean due to climate change-induced flooding, it follows a group of scientists who embark on a mission to study its unique, rapidly evolving flora and fauna. The novel is an extension of a shorter story published in Science Fiction Adventures. The novel is one of the first works... Read The Drowned World Summary
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Ancient Greece, Italian Literature, Classical Period, History: World, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Class, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, French Literature
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery was published in 2006 and translated by Alison Anderson into English for publication in 2008. The novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and was a major bestseller in France. The novel was adapted into a film called The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson) in 2009 to critical acclaim. The Elegance of the Hedgehog follows the narrative point of view of two erudite narrators: Renée, a concierge... Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Mythology, Education, Education, Narrative / Epic Poem, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
"The Epic of Gilgamesh" is the oldest existing myth in the world. It tells of the historical king Gilgamesh who reigned over Mesopotamia (in what is now Iraq) around 2750 BCE. The author of the poem is unknown, for "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is sourced from multiple fragments that have been excavated since the 19th century. The earliest versions of the epic are written in Sumerian and date to about 2100 BCE. The current translation... Read The Epic of Gilgamesh Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community
Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1845
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gothic Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
In writing The Fault in Our Stars, novelist John Green tells a story of young love with no sense of futurity, no belief in a happily ever after. On top of that, Green rejects the sentimental clichés that tend to structure cancer narratives, about the nobility of suffering and struggle, and the redemption that validates pain and loss. The result is a novel where love is inextricably bound up with fear, death, and merciless physical... Read The Fault in Our Stars Summary