"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 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1950
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Published in 1950, “There Will Come Soft Rains” is among Ray Bradbury’s most well-known short stories. Bradbury is one of the 20th century’s most recognizable American authors, and his work helped propel science fiction and speculative fiction into mainstream literature. “There Will Come Soft Rains” contains themes of scientific advancement, nuclear proliferation, and mid-20th-century American domestic life.Originally published in Collier’s Magazine in May 1950, “There Will Come Soft Rains” was published later that year as... Read There Will Come Soft Rains Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Play: Drama, Realism, Humor, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Canadian Literature
The Rez Sisters by Tomson Highway is a two-act play that was first performed in 1986 at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. After being translated into French by Jocelyne Beaulieu, “Les Reines de la réserve” premiered by Théâtre Populaire du Québec in 1993. A version of the play in the Cree language was performed in 2010, and Canadian performances with Indigenous actors have been staged in the 2020s. Highway’s play re-envisions the 1965 play... Read The Rez Sisters Summary
Publication year 1949
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Road is a dystopian fiction novel published in 2006 by American author Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy penned 12 novels, three short stories, and several plays for screen and stage. His works, including Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men, are known for violence; postapocalyptic, western settings, and a lack of punctuation characteristic of McCarthy's writing. Widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 21st century, The Road won the Pulitzer Prize and the... Read The Road Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Education, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: Nation, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Class
In The Ruins of Gorlan, a Medieval adventure-fantasy novel for middle-grade readers, young Will learns the arts of the secretive Ranger tracker-warriors and defends his kingdom against an evil baron. Released in 2004 by author John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan won multiple awards, spawned the bestselling Ranger Apprentice book series, and has been published in 18 countries. A television adaptation is in the works.Following a long career in advertising, author Flanagan shifted to book... Read The Ruins of Gorlan Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, History: World, Anthropology, Psychology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Fantasy
Publication year 1959
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family
Tags Play: Drama, Absurdism
First produced in 1960, Edward Albee’s play The Sandbox is one of the celebrated playwright’s early one-acts and serves as a front-runner of American absurdist theater, an avant-garde artistic movement that began in Europe in the 1950s. Absurdism likens humanity to the Greek mythological figure Sisyphus, whose punishment for angering the gods was to endlessly roll a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down each time.The term Theatre of the Absurd... Read The Sandbox Summary
Publication year 60
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Satire, Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1960
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
First published in The Atlantic in 1960, James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” won the magazine’s “Atlantic First” award. Frequently included in literature anthologies, Hurst’s tragic short story explores themes of pride, shame, and death within the context of coming of age.This guide refers to the 1960 version that appeared in The Atlantic as well as the brief biographical information included in that original publication.Content Warning: The source text uses outdated, offensive terms to describe people... Read The Scarlet Ibis Summary
Publication year 1912
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment
Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
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