3 Review(s)

One of Tolstoy’s masterpieces, The Death Of Ivan Ilyich is about the life of Ivan Ilyich, and how he comes to terms with his mortality and impending death. Summary Of The Book The book commences with the death of Ivan Ilyich, and proceeds to recount his life thirty years ago. Based in the 19th century, the average and mundane life of Ilyich is described, with an insight into his arduous marriage and family, the ascent of his career to the post of high-court judge, and the blow he receives when he is passed up for a much-anticipated promotion. He manages to procure a well-paying position in St.Petersburg, and decides to relocate his family there. Whilst setting up his new home, he has a minor accident that leaves him with a discomfort in his left side. Gradually, this discomfort increases and is accompanied by an unusual taste in his mouth. Ivan’s increasingly irritable nature leads his wife to force him to visit a physician, but unfortunately no one can pinpoint the source of the problem. His undiagnosed condition causes him to get depressed, and he begins to question his own mortality when the pain causes movement restriction and bed rest. The idea of death haunts him at every waking moment. He begins to reassess his past, and tries to determine whether he is deserving of such a punishment. During his final days, Ivan begins to question the true meaning of life and death, and realises the fragility of being mortal. He is faced with a sudden epiphany during his last few breaths which helps him die peacefully. The Death Of Ivan Ilyich was written by Tolstoy after a mid-life crisis led him to a radical spiritual conversion and a pursuit to find the true meaning of life. In this book, Tolstoy attempts to depict human existence as a constant struggle between the physical life and the spiritual life. About Leo Tolstoy Leo Tolstoy was a Russian author whose written works were borne out of fiction and philosophy. He has authored other books like War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth. Tolstoy was born in 1828 to a noble Russian family as Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. Tolstoy was a devout Christian anarchist, and his concept of nonviolence and passivity inspired several missionaries like Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, in the years to come. Tolstoy married Sophia Andreevna Behrs in 1862, and they had thirteen children. He died at the age of 82 in 1910.