Mortality & Death

The Leopard, a historical novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, originally published in Italian in 1958, chronicles the decline of the Sicilian nobility during the 19th century, the period marking the unification of Italy. The novel follows the life of Don Fabrizio Corbera, Prince of Salina, as he navigates through political upheaval and the fading glory of his class amidst the rise of a new social order. The Leopard was adapted into a film in... Read The Leopard Summary

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The Lies of Locke Lamora, written by Scott Lynch and published in 2006, is the first entry in the Gentleman Bastards series. These novels mix caper stories and fantasy stories and include adventure, violence, dark humor, and intimate friendships. The Lies of Locke Lamora is an international best seller and was nominated for multiple awards. The other entries in the series are Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Republic of Thieves, and The Thorn of... Read The Lies of Locke Lamora Summary

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a nine-volume novel published between 1759 and 1767 by English novelist Laurence Sterne. The novel is considered by many scholars as an early forerunner of postmodern literature due to its metafictional commentary on its own narrative. Contemporary critics did not view the novel favorably, though its humor and sentimentalism helped it find an audience. The novel has been adapted for radio and opera and as a... Read The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Summary

The Lifted Veil by George Eliot is a novella that explores themes of clairvoyance, the limits of consciousness, sympathy, and Victorian-era scientific interests. George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, published The Lifted Veil in the English literary magazine Maga in July 1859 after the success of her first novel, Adam Bede. In The Lifted Veil, Eliot writes of the idealistic and egocentric Latimer, who is in love with his brother’s fiancée and... Read The Lifted Veil Summary

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Nina George’s romance novel The Little Paris Bookshop was originally published in German in 2013 and was translated to English by Simon Pare in 2015. The story follows Jean Perdu, a bookseller, as he travels from Paris to Avignon on his floating bookstore, the Literary Apothecary. Perdu leaves Paris on a whim after receiving heartbreaking news about the death of his former lover. Perdu is joined in his travels by Max Jordan, a bestselling author... Read The Little Paris Bookshop Summary

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Published in 1948, The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy by English writer Evelyn Waugh is a short satirical novel that lampoons both the Los Angeles funeral industry and the Hollywood film business. British expatriates and Americans clash in this morbid but merry tale of smiling corpses and lavish pet funerals. Waugh wrote it after a trip to Hollywood during which he visited the Forest Lawn Cemetery. The book inspired the 1965 film The Loved One... Read The Loved One Summary

The Lovely Bones, written by American author Alice Sebold and published in 2002, tells the tragic story of Susie Salmon. Susie is 14-year-old girl from suburban Norristown, Pennsylvania, whom her neighbor, George Harvey, rapes and murders. After her death, Susie narrates the novel in the first person from heaven as she uses her omniscience to observe her friends and family. The novel focuses on how those who knew Susie react to her death and attempt... Read The Lovely Bones Summary

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Written by acclaimed American author Ann Patchett, The Magician’s Assistant is a piece of contemporary literature that explores life after grief, the nature of love, and the power of family dynamics. Told in two parts, one set in Los Angeles and the other in small-town Nebraska, the novel emphasizes the importance of setting and environment in the development of identity.The author of nine novels and the recipient of numerous awards, Ann Patchett is an outspoken... Read The Magician's Assistant Summary

Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon (1930) is a detective novel that was first serialized in the magazine Black Mask. As Hammett’s third novel, The Maltese Falcon includes the introduction of Sam Spade as the protagonist, a departure from the nameless Continental Op who narrated his previous stories. Spade’s hard exterior, cool detachment, and reliance on his own moral code would become staples of the hardboiled genre, and The Maltese Falcon has since been named one... Read The Maltese Falcon Summary

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Written by Indigenous American author Leslie Marmon Silko and published in 1968, “The Man to Send Rain Clouds,” a short story depicting the relationship between Laguna Pueblo customs and Christianity, received international acclaim. Inspired by an incident in Silko’s hometown, the short story won her a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” was later compiled into an anthology of works by Indigenous American writers called The Man... Read The Man to Send Rain Clouds Summary

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