"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 1905
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1904
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Psychological Fiction, Class, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
Jack London’s novel The Sea-Wolf, originally published in 1904, draws inspiration from an ocean voyage London took in the Pacific nearly a decade prior to his writing the novel. London himself was an avid adventurer and once spent seven and a half months on the crew of the Sophia Sutherland. This study guide references the Signet Classics 2013 edition of The Sea-Wolf.Along with London’s other famous works, The Call of the Wild and White Fang... Read The Sea-Wolf Summary
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Mental Illness, Psychological Fiction, Southern Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Social Justice, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language
Tags Grief / Death, Biography
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Post-War Era, Japanese Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Satire, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Journalism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Publication year 1955
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Publication year 1949
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Post-War Era, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychological Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, American Literature, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction
An American writer and composer who lived in Morocco for most of his life, Paul Bowles was a peripheral member of the post-World War II counter-cultural group of writers known as the Beat generation. The Sheltering Sky (1949), his first novel, is his best-known work, although he wrote other novels, numerous short stories, and works of nonfiction, most notably travel narratives. He also translated several works by Moroccan writers. The Sheltering Sky was adapted into... Read The Sheltering Sky Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Satire, Western, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., Addiction / Substance Abuse, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, American Civil War, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Humor
The Sisters Brothers is a 2011 novel by Canadian writer Patrick DeWitt. Set in 1851, it traces the journey of Charlie and Eli Sisters, two hired killers traveling from Oregon to San Francisco to find a man called Warm, who allegedly stole something from their boss, the Commodore. The darkly comic Western is in the picaresque genre, as the brothers’ episodic misadventures explore different communities populating the American West.The Sisters Brothers is divided into 64... Read The Sisters Brothers Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Nation
Tags Military / War, WWI / World War I, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, History: World, Technology
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Objects, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure
The Son of Neptune is the second novel in Rick Riordan’s The Heroes of Olympus series. Released in 2011, this novel continues the story begun in The Lost Hero, following Percy Jackson as he stumbles into the Roman demigod camp, Camp Jupiter, after losing his memory and eight months of his life. At the camp, Percy meets Hazel, daughter of Pluto, and Frank, son of Mars. Together, Percy, Hazel, and Frank are charged with a... Read The Son of Neptune Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Story of Arthur Truluv is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Berg that revolves around the stories of three unlikely companions: Arthur Moses, an elderly widower who finds solace in visiting his wife’s grave, Maddy Harris, a troubled teenager who feels out of place in her own life, and Lucille Howard, Arthur’s elderly neighbor grappling with her own loneliness. The novel is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view. These three unlikely friends... Read The Story of Arthur Truluv Summary