"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 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Modernism, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Arts / Culture, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1991
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Birth
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World
Novel Without a Name, first published in English in 1995, tells the story of a young North Vietnamese soldier named Quan whose physical and emotional journey draws heavily from Vietnamese author Duong Thu Huong’s own life. Novel Without a Name is her third book. Other works by this author include Paradise of the Blind, Beyond Illusions, No Man's Land, and Memories of a Pure Spring.At the start of the novel, Quan is with his military... Read Novel Without a Name Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Auto/Biographical Fiction, American Civil War, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1865
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Transcendentalism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1913
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, American Literature
Publication year 2002
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
“October in the Chair” by Neil Gaiman is a supernatural short story published in his 2006 collection Fragile Things. The story won the 2003 Locus Award for Best Short Story, and the collection won the 2007 Locus Award for Best Collection. Along with earning these awards, Gaiman is a widely read, critically acclaimed author of comics, short stories, novels, and screenplays, mostly in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. Other works by this author... Read October in the Chair Summary
Publication year 1819
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Grief / Death, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1911
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction
“Odour of Chrysanthemums” is a short story by English author, D. H. Lawrence, written in 1909 and revised before its first publication in The English Review literary magazine in 1911. Lawrence also included it in his 1914 collection, The Prussian Officer and Stories. “Odour of Chrysanthemums” was among the first of Lawrence’s works to be published, though he had been writing extensively for some time. Its key themes of The Inevitability of Death and Decay... Read Odour of Chrysanthemums Summary
Publication year 401
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classical Period, Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece
Oedipus at Colonus is an ancient Athenian tragedy composed by Sophocles in (it is widely believed) the last year of his life, approximately 406 BC. His grandson, who was named Sophocles after him, first produced the play in 401 BC at the Festival of Dionysus, also known as the Great Dionysia. Along with Oedipus Rex and Antigone, it is one of three surviving tragedies by Sophocles, known as the Theban plays, that retell episodes from... Read Oedipus at Colonus Summary
Publication year 1830
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Military / War, History: U.S.
Publication year 1938
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags American Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 2008, Olive Kitteridge is an unconventional novel by Elizabeth Strout that interlinks 13 tales about the people of Crosby, Maine. The novel is a collection of short stories tied together by the unifying element of titular character Olive Kitteridge. The novel won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and HBO created a mini-series of the book in 2014. Because of its construction, Strout’s novel is less about its plot than it is about... Read Olive Kitteridge Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Relationships
Kevin Henkes is the author of Olive’s Ocean, a 2001 coming-of-age chapter book for young readers. Kevin has written and illustrated several books for children and young readers, including Waiting (1991) and The Year of Billy Miller (2013). Henkes was born in Wisconsin, and this Midwest state is the home of his character Billy Miller, as well as Martha Boyle, the 12-year-old protagonist in Olive’s Ocean. In the novel, Martha grapples with the sudden death... Read Olive's Ocean Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags British Literature, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction
On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece... Read On Beauty Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Biography, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1941
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment
Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“Once More to the Lake” is a narrative nonfiction essay written by E. B. White. The essay was originally published in Harper’s Magazine in 1941. White (1899-1985) was an American author best known for his children’s novels, including Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, as well as his contribution as co-author to The Elements of Style, a seminal English-language writing guide. “Once More to the Lake” recounts White’s experience of revisiting, as an adult, a lakefront... Read Once More to the Lake Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1969
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine
On Death and Dying is a 1969 psychological study by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. It is best known in popular culture for introducing the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Kübler-Ross’s work with terminally ill patients inspired the model. She wrote the study as a response to the lack of instruction in medical schools about how to handle the topic of death. It was the very first book written by Kübler-Ross in her... Read On Death and Dying Summary