Deathbed Reading: What Book Would You Choose?
Posted by David Duhr in 
Last week we had a great conversation about the benefits of maintaining a reading list. Today we want to get all morbid and discuss your final entry on that list. That’s right, folks: It’s time to talk about deathbed reading!
In 2003, a Milwaukee man named David Schwartz was diagnosed with lung cancer. A nonsmoker, Schwartz’s prognosis was grim and he began preparing for the worst.
Given that books played such a prominent role in his life — Schwartz was a lifelong literature fiend and owned a popular chain of bookstores (at which I used to shop) in the Milwaukee area — part of this preparation involved choosing what book would be his last.
I remember the coverage of this in the local paper and imagining how I would select my deathbed reading. Outside of the perhaps simpler questions — fiction or non, classic or contemporary, etc. — I think I would ask myself the following:
1. Do I want a challenge or do I want an easy escape?
2. A comfortable friend or a book I’ve never read?
3. How, if at all, would I read this book differently, knowing it would be my deathbed reading experience? And would that play a role in my selection?
Your turn #1: What questions would you ask yourself to help determine your deathbed book? Let us know in the comments below.
“A Good Book to Die With”
David Schwartz opted for challenging but (sort of) familiar, a book that asks the big questions and is so heavy — figuratively, sure, but also literally — that, until he found a four-volume octavo edition, he was afraid he’d be too weak to even hold it.
“For three and a half months, the ailing Schwartz went mano a mano with Leo Tolstoy,” wrote Jim Higgins in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
He chose War and Peace.
The 65-year-old Schwartz had read the Russian epic as a young man and had always wanted to return to it: “I saw the actual amount of words and pages,” Schwartz said, “and I thought, ‘Well, this would be a good book to die with.’”
What Book Would You Die With?
So, I now pose the question to you: On your deathbed, what book would you read, and — don’t be lazy! — why?
Interpret it however you’d like. If a longer book equals a longer life, In Search of Lost Time is a good candidate. (Don’t fall for the Neverending Story trap. That shit ends.)
Many of you will choose a sacred text from whatever religion you practice. Don’t forget to tell us why.
Maybe you’d want to reread a book you wrote, just to spend time with that which you’re leaving behind.
Or maybe you’ll choose to not read at all. Don’t be shy about saying so.
Your turn #2: Whatever your answer, I’m curious to hear it. Share with us in the comments below or drop me a line.
If You Know Me at All…
… my deathbed reading won’t be difficult to guess. First three people to email me with the correct title win free books. (Not necessarily deathbed books; don’t panic.)
For those of you who have no idea who the hell I am but want a fighting chance, here it is in cryptogram form:
DFIAAJ [space] EGHKBCA
Now that I’ve typed it out, I see that it’s a tough one, with only one repeating letter. Here are some more clues: Four vowels, all used only once; Boston; Bart Simpson = not a fan.
Your turn #3: What would you write on your deathbed?
“Bookseller Sought to Feed the Soul”
David Schwartz didn’t die with War and Peace, FYI. He finished that book, again, and then (presumably) a lot more books after it.
For a time, he found success with chemotherapy and other treatments. He went back to working part time at his bookstores, and even did some world traveling. He lived for nearly six more years after his diagnosis.
I don’t know what was the final book he read. I hope he enjoyed it.
WriteByNight co-founder David Duhr is copy editor and fiction editor at the Texas Observer and contributes to the Dallas Morning News, Publishing Perspectives, and others.
WriteByNight is a writers’ service dedicated to helping you achieve your creative potential and literary goals. We work with writers of all experience levels working in all genres, nationwide and worldwide. If you have a 2016 writing project that you’d like a little help with, take a look at our book coaching, private instruction and writer’s block counseling services. Join our mailing list and get a FREE writer’s diagnostic, “Common problems and SOLUTIONS for the struggling writer.”
LOVE this. My mother’s last book was a true crime book. She was a book-a-week non-fiction reader..but never true crime… but in the hospital and decided William Swanson’s Dial M: the Murder of Carol Swanson would keep her riveted as it was the story of a local come. As for me I’m nervous about deciding. I would hate reading a book I didn’t like on my death bed. Better not read.. Think I’ll watch a baseball game! And as for the writing I just finished writing the story I would write on my deathbed. (Now I must watch for falling… Read more »
That nervousness is why I’d have to choose a comfortable
book. Like, what if you choose War and Peace but then you hate it
from the moment you start? I don’t want to read something
torturous on my deathbed, which I assume is already an
unpleasant enough setting. I’d say, just choose one of your
favorite books. And make it a long one!
Hi Jamie. Thanks for commenting. I would definitely be nervous about choosing a new book. Even a beloved classic. There’s no book out there that’s for everybody. That’s why mine’s a comfortable reread, and took me only a moment to decide. But! If I had to read a book I’ve never read before, that decision alone would be very painful. I have a hard enough time deciding what to read next — I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to choose what to read *last*. But it’s probably worth thinking about. Maybe Middlemarch? Lord knows it’s long enough. What… Read more »
Bonnie, hi! It’s so good to hear from you. And thanks for stopping by.
Watching baseball is for sure a requirement, but why not both? Better to not read at all than choose a favorite book you’re already familiar with? You must have something you’d read again, knowing full well that you’ll enjoy the experience. (Or enjoy it as much as one can on one’s deathbed…)
Maybe even a baseball book?
Ok. thought about it David… I’ll read my OWN book Boyfriends that finally came out this year..with stories in it you not only read but gave a pointer or two! hahahah. how’s that for hubris? But what the heck.I’ll be dying.
OK Bonnie, how did I not know that this happened? I really need to do a better job of keeping up with my writer friends. I shall be procuring a copy. And I’ll be curious to see what you did with those stories I’ve read. And even if that’s hubris, I think it’s a perfectly acceptable form of it. I wrote about that possibility in the post: “Maybe you’d want to reread a book you wrote, just to spend time with that which you’re leaving behind.” It’s a legit choice. If I ever publish one, I’m pretty sure my own… Read more »
I would read another one of Leo Tolstoy’s, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. It was one of the required books in high school for me. I remember marveling on how Tolstoy portrayed death from the point of view of the one dying.
Hi Glynis. I haven’t read that story in years (undergrad), but I remember being intimidated and pretty wowed by it. And it sure wouldn’t be an irrelevant topic! Thanks for stopping by.
I would want an easy escape AND a comfortable friend.
So give me DeMille’s Charm School, which is a super riveting,
spy story (easy) but is a book I’ve read a few times and enjoy
quite a lot (comfortable). In fact it was one of my grandmother’s
Favorite books, so if I have kids by the time I’m on my deathbed
I’ll pass that book down. It’s not a great literature classic, but I don’t
care.
Love this post and topic.
You’re not going to believe this, but that was a favorite of one of my grandmothers too, and I read it in high school at her prompting. And again once or twice after that. I really like it. And now I want to reread it. You’re right — it’s not challenging, but neither is it simplistic, and it sure isn’t dull. I still remember flashes of it, including the scene where they discover who the bad guy is by the way he handles a cigarette. Something like he smokes like a Russian rather than like an American. Is that a… Read more »
I once had a collected works of Shakespeare that was about 1800 pages long. That book is my answer. And iut has a great blend of some of these things. Some of the plays and poems are ones I’ve read several times, so, comfort. Some of them I’ve never read. New. Easy escape in that they take me to other times and places, many of them exotic. But challenging in that understanding the era’s use of language isn’t simple, and understanding Shakespeare’s intent isn’t simple. And if length matters, well, there you go. This is a neat piece. What got… Read more »
I love this answer, and wish I’d thought of it myself. I’m currently reading through some Arden (III) editions of his plays, and those are pretty great; more additional material than the average publisher. But a giant book of all of Shakespeare’s work? That’s a great deathbed selection. How about this: What if you could only read one play or one poem from that book? I don’t remember how this topic came to mind. I have it in a document of blog ideas, so I have no idea when I wrote it down. But this story about the bookseller, it… Read more »
If I had one book to read before I died I’d read BEAUTIFUL RUINS again… for the fourth time!
I love everything about it – its’ story , it’s wit, it’s syntax, it’s emotion, its insights, its perceptions of the movie industry and human nature, it’s humor, and it’s surprises… by far one of the best books I have ever read.
Why not go out of this world in awe and memories of a good book?
wow. what a recommendation. I will go and get that book today!!!
Hi Gene. Always a pleasure. I love this choice. I haven’t read it, but now I really want to. I got the chance to interview Jess Walter after he pubbed The Financial Lives of the Poets, a super funny and sharp novel. If you like the one, you’re sure to like the other. If you haven’t already read it. (That interview is here, in the dead magazine’s archives, if you want to check ‘er out: http://sundresspublications.com/fringe/blog/qa-with-jess-walter/) He also does an entertaining podcast about books and writing with Sherman Alexie called “A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment.” Looks like they haven’t recorded… Read more »
On my deathbed, I would read Shakespeare’s King Lear again. I annually read it anyway, sometime during the winter months, and finding transcendence on multiple plains, as the cold wind blows and the rain pelts Lear in the face, just seems fitting. “Blow winds and crack your cheeks!” As for what I would write on my deathbed, I’d say memoir. I’ve always admired Ulysses S. Grant’s example in this regard. In the 1885, he found himself broke–think on that, a former President bankrupt–so he wrote his memoir of the Civil War, which he finished just days before his death. The… Read more »
Hello my friend. Thanks for playing. I’m reading through some Shakespeare now, so maybe I’ll give King Lear another crack. I read it for an undergrad class, but sadly, I really did not enjoy the experience. I’d like to say I was too young, but I was about 28 then. Let me know when you read it this winter and I’ll join you. (I know I said that about The Known World — which Dana mentions later in these comments as her answer — but this time I mean it!) (And by the way, what did you think of that… Read more »
Your email caught my eye because my father’s name was David Schwartz. That’s neither here nor there. Without the threat of imminent death, I lean towards historical fiction and nonfiction ancient history texts, with a leavening of Harry Potter and such. Dying can be a time for regretting all the things you’ve done, or all the things you haven’t done. Given who I am, it would be easy for me to go that way; but I don’t want my last thought to be “will anybody come to my funeral?” I’ll need some some diversions. I think I would go for… Read more »
Hello Jerry. It’s great to hear from you again. Historical fiction, ancient history and Harry Potter. It’s an eclectic mix. I’m through book 5 of HP at present, though I’m stalling out a bit — which is ridiculous, after all the time I’ve devoted to it. I bought the sixth almost six weeks ago now and haven’t cracked it. Someone needs to stay on me. I also appreciate this mix of a book of the Bible and some amusing sci-fi. I haven’t read any of those authors, though I have a dim recollection of trying a Piers Anthony book in… Read more »
I’m not sure which book I’d choose as “the one.” I’d probably ask my brother to get me something new, because he also likes that kind of fiction. Those I listed are from the distant past, not because my tastes have changed but because the way I prioritize my time has changed. I think most of the authors I knew are long dead. Some people will read a book over and over, but I don’t usually like to read a book more than once. Piers Anthony is one of many authors who write both serious and light stuff and bemoan… Read more »
Isn’t it wonderful to have a chance to correspond with authors you admire and/or whose work you enjoy? Our tendency is to consider these people inaccessible, when the truth is, many of them welcome the opportunity to hear from readers. Sometimes especially if those readers are aspiring writers.
You write, “Those I listed are from the distant past, not because my tastes have changed but because the way I prioritize my time has changed.”
Meaning what, that these days you prefer to read books only by writers with whom you’re familiar?
Sadly, I have gotten lost. I used to listen to music and read for hours a week, but I gradually stopped doing either. I can’t pin down exactly why, and I keep trying to get back on track; but there always seems to be something else that needs doing.
Would news of my imminent demise paralyze or galvanize me? I think the latter fits. To feed my soul, I would write! I’d start off with handwritten letters to my children, telling them what a privilege it has been for me to have them in my life. I would write letters to friends for the same reason, and to ask for and grant old forgivenesses for stuff no one remembers anyway, because I hate things left unsaid. That’s probably why I write. I would go somewhere I always wanted to go, feel the sun on my face, and just BE… Read more »
Hello E. This is one of my all-time favorite responses on our blog. Thanks for stopping by. Writing letters is a wonderful idea. It always reminds me of an episode of Northern Exposure, where Maggie turns 30 and undertakes what they describe as a Native American ritual where one sends messages downriver to people from their past and present. So Maggie writes letters to old lovers, laying out regrets, reflecting on memories together, etc. A real purge. And then she drops them into a river and watches them float away. I did this once, to a friend. Somewhere at the… Read more »
The book was Johnny Lion’s Book, by Edith and Clement Hurd. It’s about a little lion who reads his first book and finds adventure and self-discovery between the pages. He begins a love of reading. Fitting, huh? I remember having to sound out the word “really” but I got everything else right. A pivotal moment. The feeling was akin to getting a driver’s license eleven years later. I grew wings. Anything was possible. I wasn’t a baby anymore. I COULD READ! I asked my son, and he said what he’d like to read on his deathbed is a letter of… Read more »
I absolutely love your son’s answer. Winner winner.
I wish I could remember my first book. Probably something involving some kind of puppy; one who was little, perhaps? And likely poky?
(From Wikipedia’s page for The Poky Little Puppy: “Only at the end of the book does fate catch up with the Poky Little Puppy.” Haha!)
I don’t know this Johnny Lion’s Book, but I’ll take a peek next time I’m at a bookstore. Looks like something I would have enjoyed as a child.
Hi, David. This post gives me a moment to remember how much I loved “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones. If my recollection is correct, when I finished reading it, I closed the pages and said, “This book is perfect.” So I think I’ll not wait for my deathbed to reread it. Thank you for the post.
Hi Dana. Thanks for the answer. And I like your spin on it. Why wait for a deathbed to reread a favorite book?
I must try this perfect book of yours. I’ve wanted to read it for awhile now. I’ll try not to wait until the end…
Since I’ll probably die without becoming a (or THE) great American novelist, on my death bed I’d read the Great American Novel and one of my favorites anyway, The Great Gatsby. A classic and a comfortable friend. And I know I would cry as I read the last few lines, and sob when I get to “So we beat on…” I ALMOST already do that anyway ….
Gatsby is mine too. It’s among my favorite books from my favorite era in literature. The Sun Also Rises would be difficult to discard (in fact, I think I like it more than GG), but in the end, Gatsby seems more like a deathbed book. Not that SAR isn’t an appropriate deathbed choice. Plenty of fatalism. Just… not quite as much.
(Maybe?)
Thanks for stopping by, gents. These two votes will make Gatsby the winner, I imagine. Not that it’s a competition. But it’s a great choice. Tom, I’d actually take The Sun Also Rises between the two. I just enjoy it more. But not *much* more. Gatsby’s obviously a great book. For an excellent book that explores their generation, look into a book I talked about above, Malcolm Cowley’s Exile’s Return: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/298268/exiles-return-by-malcolm-cowley/9780140187762/ From the publisher: “The adventures and attitudes shared by the American writers dubbed ‘the lost generation,’ are brought to life in this book of prose works. Feeling alienated in… Read more »
What would I read on my death bed? Anything that catches my interest and would take me somewhere else other than where I am at the time. I want to laugh and cry and be one of the characters in the book. I’ve been reading since I was 4 years old and have no intention of stopping. I’ve traveled to worlds and places most only dream of going through the books I’ve read. Having retired, I decided to see some of the places I’ve read about along with some places I want to take my characters in the books I’ve… Read more »
Hi Barbara. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts.
I particularly enjoy this line: “I’ve traveled to worlds and places most only dream of going through the books I’ve read.” When I think about people who don’t read, this is what makes me most sad for them.
The last book my dad read on his deathbed was Shakespeare’s “Tempest.” I thought this very appropriate.
Jose! Welcome back.
By coincidence, I’m just finishing up a rereading of the Tempest; the Arden 3 edition, which means I know *way* more about that play than I ever need to, most of which I will forget immediately.
Did he know it would be his last book? If so, do you know why he chose it?
More importantly, what’s your choice?
Oh the Places You’ll Go, hands-down….
It’s simple, yes. But so meaningful, especially for the journey to come.
Humor, depth, hope, young-at-heart, uncomplicated…love it.
Me too. A great selection, and one that so many of use to mark other passages (graduation, especially). Seems an appropriate choice, DSD. Thanks for stopping by.
For me, it’s a short story collection… one I compile myself… consisting of all my favorite stories by all my favorite writers. Is that cheating?
But maybe my perfect collection exists out there somewhere. “Best American Short Stories of the Century” edited by John Updike comes pretty darn close.
I wouldn’t call it cheating; I’d call it a creative bending of the rules.
But since I’ll obviously be the one who has to put this book together (clearly you won’t be doing such work from your deathbed), let’s keep it short. Unless you think we should get started now?
How kind of you, David, and how deliciously morbid!
[…] week we had a wonderful, and wonderfully morbid, discussion about what book you would read on your deathbed.The answers were deliciously wide-ranging, from childhood favorites to various Shakespeare […]