"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 1865
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Military / War, American Civil War, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1942
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Jewish Literature
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Realistic Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Looking for Alaska is narrated by a sixteen-year-old boy, Miles Halter, who leaves behind his mundane life in Florida to attend a boarding school called Culver Creek. He is inspired by biographies detailing the adventures of notable figures during their days at boarding school. Most of all, he is motivated by the notion of a “Great Perhaps”. Miles has a fascination with famous last words, and particularly with the last words of the poet Francois... Read Looking for Alaska Summary
Publication year 1638
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Pastoralism, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year -1
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Indian Literature, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy
David R. Slavitt’s 2015 translation of the Mahabharata is an abridged, modern English rendition of the ancient Indian epic. Slavitt, an American poet, novelist, and translator, is experienced in translating classical texts for contemporary audiences. His translation seeks to make this foundational work of South Asian literature accessible to modern readers.The Mahabharata is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa and was composed between approximately 400 BCE and 400 CE. As one of the longest epic... Read Mahabharata Summary
Publication year 1988
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Philosophy, American Literature
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Published in 1990, Maniac Magee is a Newbery award–winning middle grade novel by renowned children’s author Jerry Spinelli. After his parents die, 11-year-old Jeffrey Lionel Magee runs away from his guardians and a year later ends up in the racially divided Pennsylvania town of Two Mills. Jeffrey, a white boy, finds a home with a Black family, but racial tension and threats send him back on the run. By accepting a host of challenges with... Read Maniac Magee Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews, introduces us to Greg S. Gaines, 17-year-old senior at Benson High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Greg is also the narrator of the novel. Over the course of his educational career, he has diligently developed a system that allows him to survive the daily pandemonium of life in high school. He maintains a surface-level, friendly-but-not-too-friendly connection to every clique in school so that he can remain... Read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Romance, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Depression / Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes chronicles the burgeoning romance between Will Traynor, a quadriplegic man, and Louisa Clark, his caregiver. Published in 2012, Me Before You is the first novel in Moyes’s trilogy and is followed by After You (2015) and Still Me (2018). The novel was adapted into a 2016 film starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. Written from various perspectives, Me Before You explores the complexities of disability, love, and euthanasia.This guide... Read Me Before You Summary
Publication year 1630
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Metaphysical
John Donne, one of the most famous English writers of the Jacobean Age, is the central figure of a group of 17th-century poets called the Metaphysical poets. These poets combined complex, unusual metaphors with philosophic and scientific allusions, their poems often focusing on metaphysical quandaries (hence the name “Metaphysical poetry”). Donne wrote “Meditation 17” in 1623 while he was deathly ill, and though it isn’t a poem, the sermon still explores the metaphysical mystery of... Read Meditation 17 Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Grief / Death
Publication year 8
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Education, Education, Mythology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Narrative / Epic Poem
Publius Ovidius Naso, known more commonly today as Ovid, originally composed his Metamorphoses in Latin and completed the work around 8 CE. The Metamorphoses combines hundreds of Greco-Roman mythological tales into 15 books of poetry, brief summaries of which follow.This guide follows A. D. Melville’s 1986 translation for Oxford World’s Classics, and citations reference page numbers rather than line numbers. This guide follows Melville’s divisions of the various myths, although not all editions will make... Read Metamorphoses Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Immigration
Tags Children's Literature, Humor, Biography
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality