For starters, this one hadn't as much as literature references as the other two vns.
For me it seems that this one is a lot more centered on Divine Comedy that the previous ones, not just mere references... also they dive more into the art of painting.
As small as it could be the list, it seems worth to mention them!

Please consider checking the other two guides ^^

THE SHELL PART ONE: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3136903279

THE SHELL PART TWO: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3228041494

It's my first time doing guides, did it for these games because I love this trilogy. If I forgot something please lmk!

//Contains light spoilers//

   

• ---

  The Divine Comedy by Dante Aligheri
  
  One of the most important works here - as we have three parts of The Shell because of that. It's the main core of this visual novel. 'Paradiso' , refers to the third part of The Divine Comedy.
  
  Also I observed that Reiji kind of pursues Toko like Dante with Beatrice... my heart.
  And Rokushiki with Misa
  
  " The poem discusses "the state of the soul after death and presents an image of divine justice meted out as due punishment or reward", and describes Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.
  Allegorically, the poem represents the soul's journey towards God, beginning with the recognition and rejection of sin (Inferno), followed by the penitent Christian life (Purgatorio), which is then followed by the soul's ascent to God (Paradiso). Dante draws on medieval Catholic theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy derived from the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas "
  
  Truly a magnificent way to craft this story, as it has lots of fragments taken from the book & some ideas that are expanded in a beautiful way.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• ---

  Ranpo Edogawa (author)
  
  
  Mentioned while Rokushiki is captive, making allusion to the great known 'closed-room mysteries'
  
  He was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the leader of a group of boy detectives known as the "Boy Detectives Club"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• ---

  Greek Mythology
  
  
  There is a part where a certain character makes a "journey" through a lot of planets, to regain their former self - which is meant to convey all the emotions & accept them as their own.
  
  For me it was clearly inspired in Greek Mythology, with its own takes.
  Not only they clearly mention a greek goddess, they also make the journey in certain planets whose names can be pretty familiar.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• ---

  Arthur Conan Doyle - Sherlock & Moriarty
  
  Mentioned when Reiji was thinking about Rokushiki and all they went through, near the finale.
  I think they managed a dynamic, if not alike, slighty inspired on these two.
  
  Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.
  Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could kill Holmes and end the hero's stories.
  
  
  
  
  

• ---

  The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exúpery
  
  Now this was a real surprise! Didn't expected to see this book mentioned.
  It's mentioned by Yukari in one of the endings!
  Also can be tied with the scene that I mentioned previously in greek mythology; the visit to the planets. I felt so surprised because I had no clue what they could be refering!
  The story follows a young prince who visits various planets, including Earth, and addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children's book, The Little Prince makes observations about life, adults, and human nature.