Themes

Death and life after death

The theme of death and life after death is illustrated in the short story “The North London Book of the Dead” by Will Self. In the short story, this theme challenges the traditional view of life and death and introduces a setting in which the two worlds meet. 

The story is built on the idea that the living and the dead coexist and living people even interact with the dead without knowing. According to the narrator’s mother, “when you die you move to another part of London, that’s all there is to it” (p. 122, ll. 4-5). While she is content and easily adjusts to her new situation, the narrator has a difficult time grasping the entire living-dead situation (p. 124, ll. 26-29)

The story’s title is also relevant for this theme, as it is a direct reference to the sort of after-life Bible th...