The Death of Ivan Ilyich
January 13, 2023
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a book about a man who died tried to hang up curtains in his house. Diving in a bit deeper, this book helps us deal with what is really important as we face our impending death. It’s a short book that has great commentary on things like what we value and how we determine what is worth our attention.
Author
Leo Tolstoy was a Russian writer and philosopher who is widely regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He is best known for his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, both of which are considered to be masterpieces of realist fiction. His other works include plays, short stories, essays, and non-fiction books. His writing is known for its psychological depth and philosophical and religious themes, as well as its profound humanity and empathy.
Main points
- Find meaning in what you do rather than obsess over superficial things.
- Focusing on career and possessions ultimately leads to an empty life.
- Values change when you are reminded of your impending death.
What I liked
I loved how short the book was. Most of Tolstoy’s works are long and take me over a month to read. This one can be knocked out in a few days. I also enjoyed it because it wasn’t overtly religious. It talked about his death and
What I disliked
Like most Russian novels, I found it hard to keep track of characters at first. The names are not English or common, so they are hard to remember and hard to keep in order. Fortunately this falls into a novella, so there aren’t a ton of characters like other Russian novels.
Recommendation
I’d read this book. I’ve read it a few times and because of its brevity, I’d have no qualms recommending it to just about anyone, even if they struggle with reading.
Buy it
I’m working on making a dyslexic version of this book, but in the mean time. Go buy it or rent it from the library. It’s probably going to be in a book that has several other short stories.