The Death of Ivan Ilych Book download in PDF, ePub & Mobi
by Leo Tolstoy
Philosophical fiction Realist fiction The fear of death The search for meaning The pain and pleasure principle Family dynamics Societal hypocrisy Spiritual awakening
The Death of Ivan Ilych is a novella by Leo Tolstoy published in 1886, in the last years of the writer's work. The main theme of the book is the nature of both life and death.
Ivan Ilych is a bureaucrat whose ambition from a very young age was to get a job within the government of the Russian Empire. Although his dreams are coming true, he will soon realize that his effort has not been worth it.
One day Ivan suffers a fall while repairing the curtains from the top of a ladder and begins to suffer constant pain, which will get worse to the point of knowing that he is dying, which leads him to consider the reason for death and all the loneliness that he suffers despite being surrounded by all the aristocracy that he had surrounded himself with in recent years.
The fall from the top of the ladder is a metaphor for life, in which sometimes when you are at the top you can fall.
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The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading The Death of Ivan Ilych in PDF or ePub.
WHY READ THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH IN 2025?
139 years later, still timelyA successful man becomes seriously ill and realizes his life has been arranged for other people's eyes. 'The Death of Ivan Ilych' is Tolstoy at his clearest: rooms, doctors, colleagues, and small gestures strip pretense until the real questions appear. It's short, humane, and unflinching—perfect for a single, thoughtful evening.
Modern busyness loves appearances; this novella values presence. It helps readers name pain, ask better questions, and prioritize care over display. Ideal for book clubs, clinicians, and anyone recalibrating a life. The ending is hard and consoling.
Clarity without cruelty
Tolstoy writes simply about difficult truths. Plain scenes do deep work.
How others behave
Colleagues and family reveal themselves. Small kindnesses matter more than speeches.
What counts, finally
Status fades; attention remains. The book helps sort urgent from important.
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About Leo Tolstoy
Epic realism with intimate ethics; the cadence of daily life turned into vision and care.
We have 16 books by Leo Tolstoy in the AliceAndBooks library
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The best The Death of Ivan Ilych quotes
It can't be that life is so senseless and horrible. But if it really has been so horrible and senseless, why must I die and die in agony? There is something wrong!
It is as if I had been going downhill while I imagined I was going up. And that is really what it was. I was going up in public opinion, but to the same extent life was ebbing away from me. And now it is all done and there is only death.
Can it be that I have not lived as one ought? Suddenly came into his head. But how not so, when I've done everything as it should be done?