A Morte de Ivan Ilitch

De Leon Tolstói

"Muitos críticos consideram 'A morte de Ivan Ilitch' como a novela mais perfeita da literatura mundial; a agonia de um burocrata insignificante serve de pretexto ao autor para nos contar uma história que diz respeito ao destino de cada um de nós e que é impossível ler sem um fręmito de angústia e de purificaçăo"
Paulo Rónai

• Idioma: Português
• Editora: L&PM Editores
• Data de lançamento: 1 de jan. de 2007
• ISBN: 9788525406934

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CapaRosto

1

No prédio do Tribunal, durante um intervalo do julgamento do caso Melvinsky, os membros da Corte e o promotor reuniram-se no gabinete de Ivan Yegorovich Shebek e a conversa recaiu sobre o famoso caso Krasovsky. Fiodr Vassilyevich insistia em que o caso não estava sob sua jurisdição, Ivan Yegorovich argumentava o contrário, enquanto Piotr Ivanovich, como não estava na discussão desde o início, não tomava o partido de ninguém, mas passava os olhos pelo Gazette, que tinham acabado de entregar.

– Senhores – exclamou. – Morreu Ivan Ilitch.

– Não é possível!

– Está aqui. Pode ler – disse Piotr Ivanovich, passando o jornal que ainda cheirava a tinta a Fiodr Vassilyevich.

Cercadas por uma borda preta, liam-se as seguintes palavras:

É com profundo pesar que Praskovya Fiodorovna participa a amigos e parentes a passagem de seu estimado esposo, Ivan Ilitch Golovin, membro da Corte Suprema, que deixou esta vida no dia 04 de fevereiro do ano da graça de 1882. O enterro acontecerá na sexta-feira, à uma hora da tarde.

Ivan Ilitch havia sido colega deles e era muito querido por todos. Sabia-se que sofrera em cima de uma cama, meses a fio, com uma doença diagnosticada como incurável. Seu posto ficara em aberto, mas corria que, no caso de sua morte, provavelmente Alexeyev seria nomeado seu sucessor e Vinnikov ou Shtabel ocupariam o lugar de Alexeyev. De modo que, ao ouvirem a notícia da morte de Ivan Ilitch, a primeira coisa que lhes passou pela cabeça foi o possível efeito na rodada de transferências e promoções para eles ou seus companheiros.

Tenho certeza de que agora eu pego o lugar de Shtabel, ou de Vinniko!, pensou Fiodr Vassilyevich. Já me prometeram há horas e essa promoção significa um salário de oitocentos rublos por ano, mais ajuda de custo.

Vou tentar conseguir a transferência de Kalugo para o meu cunhado!, pensou Piotr Ivanovich. Minha mulher vai adorar e não vai poder dizer que eu nunca faço nada pelos parentes dela!

– Bem que eu achei, o tempo todo, que ele não ia mais sair daquela cama – disse Piotr, em voz alta. – Que coisa triste.

– O que era mesmo que ele tinha?

– Os médicos não conseguiram chegar a uma conclusão, ou pelo menos não à mesma conclusão. A última vez em que o vi me pareceu que estava melhorando.

– E eu que nunca mais apareci, desde as férias. Pensei em ir várias vezes.

– Ele tinha bens?

– Acho que sua esposa tem alguma coisa. Mas não muita.

– Bem, acho que devemos ir até lá vê-la. Eles moram um bocado longe!

– Você quer dizer um bocado longe de você. Qualquer lugar é longe da sua casa!

– Ouviram essa? Ele não me perdoa por viver do outro lado do rio! – disse Piotr Ivanovich, sorrindo, para Shebek. E voltaram para o Tribunal comentando animadamente sobre as distâncias de um e de outro lado da cidade.

Além das elucubrações sobre possíveis transferências e mudanças no departamento, resultantes da morte de Ivan Ilitch, a simples idéia da morte de um companheiro tão próximo fazia surgir naqueles que ouviram a notícia aquele tipo de sentimento de alívio ao pensar que foi ele quem morreu e não eu.

Agora era ele quem tinha de morrer. Comigo vai ser diferente – eu estou vivo, pensava cada um deles, enquanto as pessoas mais próximas, os assim chamados amigos, lembravam que agora teriam de cumprir todos aqueles cansativos rituais que exigiam as normas de bom comportamento, assistindo ao funeral e fazendo uma visita de condolências para a viúva.

Fiodr Vassilyevich e Piotr Ivanovich tinham sido seus amigos mais próximos. Piotr Ivanovich fora seu colega na Escola de Direito e lhe devia obrigações.

Em casa, depois de contar para a esposa sobre a morte de Ivan Ilitch, e sua esperança de que talvez conseguisse a transferência de seu cunhado, Piotr Ivanovich abriu mão de sua sesta habitual, vestiu o casaco e saiu.

Do lado de fora da casa de Ivan Ilitch havia uma carruagem e dois trenós de aluguel. Encostado na parede do hall, ao lado do porta-chapéus, via-se a tampa de um caixão coberta por um manto em cujas franjas haviam acabado de borrifar um pó dourado. Havia duas mulheres de preto recolhendo os casacos, e uma delas, a irmã de Ivan Ilitch, Piotr Ivanovich já conhecia, mas a outra era-lhe totalmente estranha.

Seu colega Schwartz já estava descendo, mas ao ver Piotr Ivanovich parou no topo da escada e deu uma piscada, como quem diz: Veja só que confusão foi arrumar nosso amigo Ivan Ilitch – tão diferente de nós!.

O rosto de Schwartz, com aquelas costeletas, sua figura esguia naquele casaco, tinham como sempre, um ar elegante e solene que contrastava com sua natureza jovial, mas que nessa situação parecia a Piotr Ivanovich adquirir um tempero todo especial.

Piotr Ivanovich deixou que as duas mulheres passassem e as seguiu. Schwartz não fez menção de descer e Piotr Ivanovich sabia por quê: certamente queria combinar o local do whist[1] naquela noite. As mulheres subiram para falar com a viúva, enquanto Schwartz, com os lábios cerrados, mas um olhar malicioso, indicava a Piotr Ivanovich o quarto à direita onde estava o corpo. Piotr Ivanovich entrou, em dúvida, como as pessoas sempre se sentem nessas ocasiões, quanto à melhor atitude a tomar ali dentro. A única coisa que lhe ocorria era que fazer o sinal-da-cruz nunca vinha mal nessas horas. Mas como não tinha certeza se era necessário curvar-se ou não, optou por um meio-termo: ao entrar no quarto, começou o sinal-da-cruz e fez um movimento que lembrava vagamente uma inclinação; ao mesmo tempo, tanto quanto o permitiram os movimentos de mão e de cabeça, deu uma checada no ambiente em volta. Dois rapazes, um deles estudante, que deviam ser sobrinhos, vinham saindo do quarto fazendo o sinal-da-cruz e ele aproveitou e fez o mesmo. Uma senhora de idade estava parada, enquanto uma outra com as sobrancelhas arqueadas cochichava-lhe alguma coisa. Um membro da igreja lia em voz alta, com sinceridade e determinação e uma expressão que não admitia discordâncias. Gerassim, o criado, caminhando com seu passo suave em frente a Piotr Ivanovich, espalhava alguma coisa pelo chão. Ao ver isso, Piotr Ivanovich sentiu imediatamente um cheiro de corpo em decomposição. Na sua última visita a Ivan Ilitch, Piotr Ivanovich vira Gerassim no quarto, fazendo as vezes de enfermeiro, e percebia-se que Ivan Ilitch gostava muito dele.

Piotr Ivanovich continuou

Avaliações de A Morte de Ivan Ilitch

[jakebornheimer · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Bought and read this book over the weekend in Montreal. I was really enchanted by the portrayal of Ivan's decline and death, being so detailed. I really empathize with his struggle to understand death as a thing that truly applies to / effects him. The descriptive quality (as noted by many other readers) of Tolstoy's prose was readily apparent, and I enjoyed it immensely. For sure, this is one that begs to be re-read. I'm especially interested in revisiting the 1st chapter, which is from the perspective of his "friends" who, greedy for his social position, callously snub his funeral and bereaved wife. Highly recommended for those interested in getting into Russian lit since it is so short and sweet.

[shanaqui_1 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Normally a book that looks this closely at death would, I'm afraid, terrify me. I have enough anxiety already, I don't need to think about the "dragging pain" in Ivan Ilyich's side, which -- being a doctor's daughter -- I could diagnose fairly easily as some kind of cancer, quite probably cancer of the gallbladder. That "dragging pain" is the giveaway to me, because it was in all the descriptions of the sort of pain cancer of the gallbladder causes. I know all about that because of the anxious period before I was diagnosed with gallstones. Anyway, it occurs to me that because Tolstoy never uses a specific word, never tells you specifically what is wrong with Ivan -- in fact, Ivan himself never knows -- it can be whatever you fear. For me, cancer is the obvious one.

And okay, yes, this book did terrify me a bit, but I think in the way that it would terrify anybody. Imagining lying at the point of death and questioning if your life was of any use, if you did anything that really made you happy, if you did anything that really made you satisfied...

This is nothing like Tolstoy's other books. There's a narrow focus on a single character, and -- in this translation at least -- the words are simple and directly to the point. Tolstoy's gift for a slightly satirical tone is in evidence. Ivan is not a particularly good man, but he's very much an everyman -- you will see yourself in Ivan, unless you really do have an ego so big you can't even be brought to imagine facing your own death.

[laphenix · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

I liked the concept, but quickly grew bored.

[nospi-2 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Absolute Masterpiece

Beyond my ability to use superlatives how incredible this short book is on delving into the relative importance of life, marriage, family, career, and death.

[douglascanuto.educador · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Livro perfeito, melhor literatura de todos os tempos. Estou impactado!!! ??

[Marcos Lucatelli · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Excelente… incrível. Tão intenso e ao mesmo tempo tão sucinto!

[Thalys Henrique Ferreira Moreira de Jesus · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Deveria estar na cabeceira da cama de todo leitor. Chegou a mim através de indicação de um grande amigo e que após essa se faz ainda maior.

[charles_tatum_3 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

I felt a lot of trepidation going into my first Russian novel. I have heard, and myself joked for years, about such massive tomes as War and Peace, full of hundreds of characters and thousands of pages. Luckily, and not by choice, I picked up the much shorter The Death of Ivan Ilyich, which clocks in at a reasonable novella link of 99 pages, and the Bantam Classics version has a 34 page introduction by Ronald Blythe. I'm glad I did. While this was published in 1886, it contains observations about life and death that are still relevant over one hundred and thirty years later.Author Leo Tolstoy was going through a bit of a spiritual crisis after his publication of Anna Karenina. He didn't write any fiction for nine years, obsessed with his own mortality as family members around him were dying or ill. His reactions to their passing is mirrored in this novella- the story of a high court judge who is blindsided by a terminal illness, and the selfishness of friends and family who surround him.The opening pages are almost comical, as friends gather to pay their respects after Ivan's death (no spoiler, it's the title of the book!). His widow is fishing for government pension assistance while Ivan's body is lying in domestic state, and other friends are put out because the funeral service is cutting into their nightly card game. There's a meme floating around, asking why someone would keep working for companies that will simply replace you if you died tomorrow, and I was reminded of that as I read the opening pages. We are then given a brief sketch of Ivan's life, and we find out he was actually a decent guy. He works his way up to being a high court judge, fair and balanced and very popular. His home life is a mess. He has two surviving children (two died very young), and a wife he has come to loathe. He is financially strapped, despite his high profile job and higher wages, spending too much money on a suite of apartments to appease the high society he has become a part of. After banging his side, and not getting it treated, he begins feeling pain but works through it. He consults doctors too late, as his injury goes from a simple bruise to a terminal illness, with learned doctors poking and prodding and blaming his excruciating pain on all sorts of ailments. He finds relief in his servant Gerasim, who cleans out his chamber pot and even let's Ivan rest his legs on his shoulders to provide relief. Ivan is drawn to this pure kind soul, as is the reader. Ivan gets worse, and soon he faces the most horrible thing someone dying can face- regret (as a follower of Gary Vaynerchuk, this also speaks to today's society, and again, was written one hundred and thirty years ago).Tolstoy's descriptions and plot are all compact and easy to understand. I was never overwhelmed by his literary style, only having to look up a few words a couple of times. The translation by Lynn Solotaroff is not awkward in the least, I kept forgetting that English was not the original language of the source material. Blythe's introduction does get wordy and bogs down here and there, but it is important to read first before starting the novella. Excellent background about how death was viewed in nineteenth century Russia, and how Tolstoy himself saw his own impending end ('we're all going to die so make the most out of this life' is another cornerstone mantra of Gary Vaynerchuk's inspirational and sometimes foul mouthed videos on YouTube) is covered. Tolstoy himself would eventually die in a rather bizarre way, alone at a train station, where he had fled to escape the materialism that surrounded him, longing for a simpler existence.I'm still weary of reading giant epic Russian novels. I received this book in a batch of classics off of eBay for pennies a tome, but I am glad I read this one. The first book completed of the new year, and already one of the best! I give The Death of Ivan Ilyich (* * * * 1/2) out of five stars.

[siok-76276 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

I thought initially that Ivan Ilyich was a hypochondriac. It turns out that he was indeed sick and dying. This is a story of coming to terms with death and finding peace. A classic.

[spoko_1 · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

I have to say, I hadn’t expected the cynicism & misanthropy that permeates this book.

[norabelle414 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Ivan Ilyich Golovin lives an unexamined life. He works as a judge, he gets married, he has children. He is always a little unsatisfied with his life, wanting a little more money or a little bigger apartment. He moves up in the world. One day, as he is decorating his new apartment (the decorators were trying to hang a curtain but Ivan knew he could do it a bit better) he hits his side on a piece of furniture. At first he thinks nothing of it, it’s just a bruise. But over the next several weeks the pain gets worse and he sees doctor after doctor to no avail.

I’m not sure I really get this story, but I appreciate it and I always enjoy reading Tolstoy. I believe Tolstoy himself thought about his own death all the time, so I think he wanted to examine what death would be like for someone who never thought about death at all? Ivan Ilyich acts in what I think of as the stereotypical way people now would view people of that time - he gets married because that’s what’s expected of him, is too reserved to have any close friends, and hardly mourns the death of two of his children because has four more. But of course Tolstoy’s other characters love and live and mourn fiercely, so maybe Ivan Ilyich is an outlier among them.
The translation by Lynn Solotaroff is very good, it had the wry humor and vivid language I expect from Tolstoy, despite this being, I think, her only translation of his work. My edition also had an introduction by Ronald Blythe, which was terrible. It bounced back and forth in time and did not do a good job of describing Tolstoy’s state of mind while writing this book, and did too much interpretation for an introduction. Save that for an afterward. It was also way too long. A 35 page introduction for a 100 page story?? No.

[leann-362203 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

WOW WOW WOW!!!!! What a masterpiece on death and dying!

[leslie398 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

4 1/2 stars. Somewhat disturbing but very moving novella of the thoughts and emotions of a dying man.

[ionas_7 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

There were many good points in Tolstoy's little story, such as the inadequacy of doctors, our focus on becoming persons of power and importance, and our marrying not for love but material reasons.
I
Ivan Ilyich suffered a lot of pain before he died; but the story was not entitled "the illness" or "the pain" of Ivan Ilyich, but "the death of Ivan Ilyich".

I found it significant that some time before his death Ivan gained the insight that he had not lived his life correctly; he had been focused on irrelevancies and not the real values of life. He had had promptings from his soul, or God, if you will, about things in his life he should have changed, but these he ignored.

He realized now that only his little son whom he had always pitied, loved him. And his servant Gerasim also had compassion for him, but not his wife or others in the family.

Ivan had a little medal on his watch chain inscribed "Respice finem" (look to the end). And it is the actual "death" that is significant.

Like most people, Ivan had been afraid of death, but as soon as he accepted the pain, he could not find the fear.

"There was no more fear because there was no more death.""

Instead of death there was light, "What joy!" says Ivan.

With this story Tolstoy is giving us a crucial message - there is no death, when our body dies, we go into the light.

[pegmcdaniel · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

The subject of this short classic is the process of dying and finally, acceptance of death. It's a look into the mind of a dying man who had lived an ordinary life as a high-court judge, had a family and friends, and had not given much thought about dying some day. After being ill for a long time, he realizes that he will never get well again and uses the time to reflect and question how well he lived his life. Was it meaningful? He struggles with redemption and forgiveness as all of us would in his situation.

I felt it was depressing about Ivan's agonizing end. The novel was written in 1886 and was easy to read. Leo Tolstoy put lots of meaning into a short novel and gave me plenty to think about.

[foggidawn · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

This novella opens with a scene reminiscent of the one shown to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: Ivan Ilyich has died, and his friends, colleagues, and relations gather for the funeral, but also to advance their own interests. Who will be promoted into his old position? Can his wife wrangle a better pension out of the government? And the weekly card game will go on as scheduled, won’t it? The reader then gets a survey of Ivan’s life, from school days, to married life, through career advancements, and through the illness that eventually leads to his death. There’s a lot of focus on the big questions: why death, and why pain? Did Ivan lead the life he was meant to lead? What if he got it all wrong?

One gets the sense that Tolstoy was working through his thoughts on these matters. It would be silly to say that I “enjoyed” this book, but I appreciated it (though, when it comes to the Russians, I’ll take Dostoyevsky over Tolstoy any day). It’s a big subject for such a small volume; I’m glad I finally read it, though I probably won’t read it again.

[thecrow2 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

The book is nothing more about than the life and death of an ordinary everyday man but Tolstoy was able to write this almost like a poem, beautifully and emotionally.

[quibee · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Wonderful from the start, where a colleague goes to the main character's funeral out of a sense of duty and the small inner dialogues and inner calculations that go on about Iván Ilyich's death, back through the (rather vapid) life of Ivan.
Wonderful writing.

[reneepaule · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Nice. Very nice short story. A lot of self-reflection, which is right up my street, as it were.

[greeniezona · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Disclaimer: This book should not be read the day you find out that your grandfather has passed and you were sent home from work because you were sobbing too hard to be intelligible.

Even if you've already finished half of it and there's not much left.

Even if the first chapter, with work acquaintance friends discussing the death, then one showing up to the house to pay his respects, only to feel disaffected and take off for a card game, is actually pretty darkly funny.

Even if what you've read since then has been a pretty matter-of-fact discussion of Ivan's career and life so far, and hasn't really been sad at all.

Because when the turn comes, with the mysterious illness and the search for a diagnosis and the slow decline at home and the alienation from all those who are well and do not understand, who want to go on with their concerns of life and the living...

Well, it's best to put the book down and come back to it in a few days. Go cuddle with the kids on the couch.

Called a masterpiece on death and dying.

I concur.

[thebookjunky · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

It is the epitome of a true classic. It is timeless. It is as immediately relevant now as it was when it was published 130 years ago.
Here is the unexamined Life, with its strivings, hypocrisies, bargains, illusions upon illusions, and its screens stopping thoughts of Death.
Then Life is introduced to Death. The screens are relentlessly stripped away, revealing…nothing? “There is no explanation! Agony, death… .What for?”
This is why I read.

[pilgrimjess · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

“Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible.”

The book opens at the end of the story when a group of judges are informed that Ivan Ilyich has died. These men rather than mourn his passing instead begin to think of the promotions and transfers that the death will mean. That evening, one of the number travels to Ivan's house to attend his funeral. But whilst there becomes bothered by an expression of disapproval and warning on Ivan's face.

The story then shifts more than thirty years into the past and picks up with a description of Ivan's life. As a teenager he attends a Law School where he takes on the habits and mannerisms of his contemporaries who are generally of those with high social standing. Ivan becomes a magistrate and marries Praskovya. Everything seems to be going smoothly until Praskovya becomes pregnant. Suddenly Praskovya's behaviour changes and they begin to argue a lot but rather than face it Ivan buries himself in his work and distances himself from his family.

Time passes and Ivan moves up in the ranks and is eventually awarded a higher paying position in St Petersburg where he moves his family to. Whilst decorating the home he bangs his side against the window frame. The injury does not seem serious, but sometime late Ivan begins to experience some discomfort in his left side and an unusual taste in his mouth. The discomfort gradually increases and Ivan decides to see several doctors . However, the doctors all disagree on the nature of the illness and Ivan's physical condition degenerates rapidly.

One night while lying alone in the dark, he is visited by his first thoughts of mortality, and they terrify him. He realizes that his illness is not a question of health or disease, but of life or death. Ivan knows that he is dying, but he is unable to grasp the full implications of his mortality. As his health fails Ivan starts examine his life and begins to question whether or nor it was a good one.

This only a short novella and in many respects quite black in its outlook but is a very harsh look at how people choose to live their lives and whether or not our ambitions and ideals were real or merely artificial. Whether our official and personal lives can and should truly be kept separate.

[engpunk77 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

This was one of my favorite stories of all time in 1999. I read it over and over again, thinking it contained and could reveal all the wisdom in the world.

[martinbodek · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

I spotted this on a friend's shelf, borrowed it, and read it in an afternoon. I found it to be an interesting - and arrestingly short - contemplation of the end of life and life's worth/value. The introduction was extremely helpful in understanding the context of Tolstoy's complete antithesis regard for life in comparison with his character. I'm not exactly sure why this stands out for historians as a unique book of its kind, as the introduction reveals and reminds that other such literature exists, perhaps better. A good first experience with the author nonetheless.

[trilliams · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Two spoilers: Ivan dies, and this book is great.

[mahallett · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

a good story of a dying man. good introduction

[bayardus-1 · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

Until the nature of his injury makes itself known Ivan Ilych ambles through life, succeeding in both his career and personal life (at least he keeps up the facade of success in those realms). Yet Ivan Ilych never exhibits any passion, nor does he examine the path he has taken and where it might lead.

When a foolish accident brings home his own mortality, however, Ivan Ilych is forced to consider all the things he had taken for granted before. His unhappy marriage, his career that he sometimes enjoyed but largely performed for the sake of a salary and social advancement, and his life in general where he never stood for or against anything, all provide grist for Ivan's tormented mind. The nature of life and the inevitability of death spur in Ivan thoughts about dying for the first time. Tolstoy gives us a dying man who is bitter that everyone else is continuing their lives as if "the world was going on as usual." Of course, to everyone except the dying man, it is. He gives us a man who always thought of himself as death's exception. Everyone has probably done something similar, at least at times, because that thought is so much easier to grasp compared to the idea that we are mortal and will be dead someday, our consciousness ending like a candle being snuffed. He gives us a man railing against the cruelty of God while simultaneously railing against God's absence. Finally Tolstoy lets Ivan Ilych begin to examine his own life, and as he does so he realizes that his moments of purest happiness were during childhood, and since then his life has been one big death-spiral, before giving Ivan a moment of forgiveness and what I interpret as divine absolution.

Tolstoy in this book tells what I imagine is a universal tale of a person trying to reconcile themselves with his or her own mortality. We probably have all had the thoughts that go through Ivan's head in our own head at some point in our lives- if anything Ivan Ilych thinks about hasn't occurred to you in at least a general sense before then you probably don't spend much time thinking- but Tolstoy presents these thoughts well. That being said, his writing did not spur any realization about life or death that I didn't have before I began the book. Maybe I contemplate my own mortality more than most people do? I think that, despite the lack of new insight, the book could have been great if the scenes of Iva Ilych's terror and suffering were portrayed with great prose that made the scenes depicted viscerally striking. I didn't find the prose to be particularly impressive, unfortunately, though that may be the fault of the Maude translation. I also thought the ending was a bit of a cop-out, at least if you interpret the ending as his soul receiving forgiveness, as it undercuts the fear of death and the ensuing nothingness that was such an integral part of the story up until that point. I hope Tolstoy really believed in such forgiveness, and didn't include it so as to give a more uplifting ending, because the story would have been better off without it.

If you've never really thought about death, it's worth reading a book that contemplates such a thing. There are plenty to choose from: Death Comes for the Archbishop, Gilead, The Tartar Steppe, or Hamlet just to name a few (death is hardly a rare theme). Still, The Death of Ivan Ilych stands out as perhaps the work most focused on death. Choose it if that sounds appealing to you.

[clara53_1 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

In this short novella Tolstoy ingeniously unmasks the raw emotions and the puzzled lamentations of one Ivan Ilyich, a typical personage of his time, as he lies dying while suffering physical and mental agony (the latter being as excruciating as the former), trying to grasp the seeming "unfairness" of his position and finally arriving at some startling realizations about his life. The surrounding characters come under harsh light as they hover around the dying man and reveal their most unattractive human traits, and Ivan Ilyich is finally able to see through the veil of human hypocrisy. Not an upbeat story in the least. But one with a pretty clever insight into human nature. It also does point to the unrelenting frailty of life.

[aliceanna-1 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

A brilliant short work. He captured the psychology of a dying man and those around him with a great deal of thoroughness. The end of Illych had him questioning so many of the silly societal mores which he had self-imposed, but in the end, his resignation to the peaceful pull of death put the angst behind him. Wonderfully written.

[lilywren · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

This is my first venture into the land of Tolstoy. As with Camus, I was intimidated by the name 'Tolstoy' and, as with Camus, this should never have been so. The Death of Ivan Ilych is a rather poignant, striking novella written following a time where it is said Tolstoy went through a religious conversion. The book provokes thoughts around mortality and provides us with a harsh lesson in 'live life well'.

Despite the book title, the story focusses upon the life which Ivan Ilych felt he had lived and the process of dying he goes through rather than the death itself. It is striking, emotive and, at times, frighteningly remorseful. It's that 3am in the morning kind of stuff. If you're the kind of person who lies in bed agonising over your mortality, that funny twitch in your arm, pain in your chest or asking yourself "Why is John's car far superior to mine?" "Is the cat ill running around like that or just being a cat?" then the themes running through this wonderful novella will certainly chime.

Ivan Ilych is a well-respected judge who receives an unspecified diagnosis but deduces that he is terminally ill. As his condition deteriorates, we witness Ivan Ilych struggling to come to terms with his condition and the fact that he is dying. He begins to look back on his life with some sadness and regret.

"Lately in that loneliness in which he found himself....in these late days of horrific loneliness Ivan Ilych lived only by his memories of the past. One after another he imagined scenes from his life. He would always begin with the most recent and proceed to the earliest, to his childhood, and settle there." p.92

Such memories proved painful to bear. On looking back through his life, Ivan Ilych realises that as he grew older, more removed from the innocence of childhood, as the worries of life, his career and family took hold, the more superficial and shallow his life had become.

"...the further back he looked, the more life there had been in him; both the more sweetness to life, and the more of life itself....There had been one point of light far back at the start of everything, and ever since everything had gotten blacker and blacker, and moved quicker and quicker." p.93

Ivan Ilych starts to look on his friends, colleagues and wife with the same feelings of bitterness, regret and hate which he has for life and himself. The only moments of tenderness and understanding he finds are in Gerasim, the butler's assistant, who is able to emphasise and understand his needs as Ivan Ilych views others around him as looking inwards to their own needs.

"His marriage...so accidental, and such a disappointment, with his wife's bad breath, and her sensuality, and their hypocrisy. His moribound professional life, the obession with money...The further on in years the more deadening it became. In perfectly measured steps I went downhill imagining I was on my way up.... In public opinion I was on my way up, and the whole time my life was slipping away from under me....and now it's all over, and it's time to die."p.88

The inevitability of death pervades the book and feeds into this readers mortality. As Ivan Ilych struggles to come to terms with his life, dying and death so the reader is also carried along and forced to ask questions of his/her own mortality and life. The fact that Ivan Ilych is terminally ill is, for want of a better word, irrelevant. Death is inevitable - we are all dying, we will all face death and this is the only thing we can be sure about in life. The important lesson we should learn is how to spend our time wisely as we move towards this inevitability.

I'm so glad that this is my first experience of reading Tolstoy. It's a quick, compelling read with so much feeling and emotion packed into the 104 pages of this edition. It is without doubt a fantastic masterclass in writing where we are witness to emotions being laid bare for all to see.