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/lit/ - Literature

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1169664 No.1169664 [Reply] [Original]

What are some books where death/dying is a central theme?

>> No.1169669

Invitation to a beheading

>> No.1169670

Tolstoy, Death of Ivan Ilyich
Thomas Mann, Death in Venice
Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death
Hermann Broch, The Death of Virgil
Willa Cather, Death Comes For The Archbishop
Gilbert Adair, Love and Death on Long Island

>> No.1169671

Everyman, The Dying Animal, As I Lay Dying

>> No.1169760
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1169760

>> No.1169829

>>1169760
I wonder if Pratchett will write more books about Death now that he knows he's dying soon

>> No.1169833

Angry candy by harlan ellison.

>> No.1170019

>>1169760
Every book has an appearance by Death. So, every Pratchett book, OP

>> No.1170023

The Recordings of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rielke.

>> No.1170024

Ask me about Mishima Yukio. :D

>> No.1170027

>>1170024
say more

>> No.1170031
File: 6 KB, 128x196, replay..jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1170031

Its kind of a central theme. Plus, its a damn good book. Check it out.

>> No.1170034

Why does Lord Byron look like some ancient Roman/Greek noble in that painting?

>> No.1170040

>>1170027

Oh my, well, he was only one of the greatest novelists in Japanese history and his entire theme is death. He has novels on murder, melancholy reincarnation, decay, etc. and was absolutely obsessed with death...so much so that he exaggerated his political beliefs just to give himself an excuse to commit an elaborate, ritualistic suicide.

>> No.1170041

As I Lay Dying

>> No.1170042

>>1170040
Sounds kind of overblown and silly

>> No.1170048

>>1170042

He really wasn't. Maybe he as a person was but his work is incredible.

My description sounds more like an emo high school freshman bullshit thing but, goddamnit, that's the best of my ability. I don't claim to be a good writer. xD

>> No.1170064

>>1170048
What book of his would you most recommend? And what's it about?

>> No.1170078

>>1170064

For the theme of Death: either Thirst for Love or his novella "Patriotism". Thirst for Love is essentially a story of a recently widowed woman who moves in with her inlaws and gets involved with her father-in-law. Yadda yadda yadda falls in love with another guy, plans to kill fatherinlaw, murder intrigue, etc.

Patriotism is about the last night before and the actual event of the suicide of a shamed Japanese soldier.

>> No.1170100

Journey to the End of the Night by Celine.
Protip/spoiler: The "Night" is the grueling life draining you towards your certain and known death. Robinson at the end, and Ferdinand can do nothing for him but watch as he dies, because of his travels through the "night."

>> No.1170102

Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

The deceased citizens of Spoon River deliver their own epitaphs.

>> No.1170112

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

>> No.1170121

>>1170078
His books all seem to be very Jap-minded and Jap-centric. I don't know if I'd get a lot out of them since I'm American

>> No.1170158

neon genesis evangelion
death note
etc