"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 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Roaring Twenties, Great Depression
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
Publication year 1994
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1974
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Education, Education
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
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, September 11 Attacks, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1902
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark Jacobs) wrote his well-known horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” in 1902. The short story is about the White family and the three wishes granted to them through an ominous monkey’s paw. The “monkey’s paw” has become part of popular culture and appeared, for example in The Simpsons television show as part of its Treehouse of Terror episodes. This guide cites the paragraphs of the Project Gutenberg version.Written in the third... Read The Monkey's Paw Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Christian literature, Romance, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction
The Mountain Between Us (2010) is a survival romance novel by Charles Martin. It tells the story of Ben Payne, a surgeon who becomes trapped in the remote Utah wilderness with writer Ashley Knox. The novel interweaves Ben’s personal history with his growing feelings for Ashley as they rely on each other for survival, and their love begins to pose a potential complication in the lives to which they hope to return. Through their journey... Read The Mountain Between Us Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Historical, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography, History: European, History: World, Crime / Legal, Technology, WWI / World War I
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1942
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Depression / Suicide, Religion / Spirituality, Absurdism, French Literature, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
One of the monuments of 20th-century philosophy, The Myth of Sisyphus, by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus, delves deeply into the emptiness of life and how to cope with it. Published in France in 1942, during the darkest days of World War II, the book resonated strongly with French readers and soon had a worldwide following. The 2018 edition of the 1955 English translation by Justin O’Brien forms the basis for this study guide.The book’s... Read The Myth of Sisyphus Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Inspirational, Fantasy, Christian literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1961
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Play: Drama, Southern Gothic, History: U.S., American Literature, Southern Gothic, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
The Night of the Iguana, a play by Tennessee Williams, debuted on Broadway in 1961 and went on to run for a respectable 316 performances. It was also nominated for the Best Play Tony Award and marked Williams’s fourth New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award win for Best American Play. The play was first adapted from some elements of a short story by the same title, which Williams published in 1948 as part of a... Read The Night of the Iguana Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance