Play Audiobook Sample
The Death of Ivan Ilych Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 21,187 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
The novella ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ by Leo Tolstoy was published in 1886 and is considered a masterpiece of his late period fiction. It tells the story of a high-court judge in nineteenth century Russia. He lives a simple, carefree life with his family until he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Confined to bed, he is disgusted that his family avoids the subject of his death by pretending that he is only sick and not dying. He finds comfort only in Gerasim, the peasant boy who does not fear death. In his final days, Ivan distinguishes the artificial life – like his own – from the authentic life lived by Gerasim. Right at the end, he sees a bright light, fear leaves him, and he departs with a feeling of compassion for his family.
Download and start listening now!
"My first half of undergrad was spent in New Jersey. I have very little recollection of those years. What I do remember, very fondly, were the Russian Literature I, II and III courses I took. If you haven't read the Russian masters I strongly recommend you start with Tolstoy or Dostoevsky."
— Robin (4 out of 5 stars)
The Death of Ivan Ilych Listener Reviews
-
" A look at a man's life and his death. "
— Ariel, 2/19/2014 -
" Short, interesting read. "
— Ally, 2/15/2014 -
" This book set my life on its current course. After reading it in college, I was determined to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. "
— Summer, 2/10/2014 -
" This is one of my favorite short stories/novellas. Also a very good intro to Tolstoy if you are interested in him. "
— Liz, 1/23/2014 -
" One of the main things that this book has highlighted is the physical and personal pain that Ivan has to suffer. "
— Gerardo, 1/16/2014 -
" WOW! This book will be relevant as long as people live and die. One of the books that has changed my life. "
— Beth, 1/12/2014 -
" Brilliant! Shows you that material wealth isn't king. "
— Isabel, 1/11/2014 -
" Only two things are certain, death and taxes... "
— Paul, 12/3/2013 -
" one of my favorite books. short, but makes you really think about your life. "
— Lauren, 11/26/2013 -
" This is just one of those stories that hit me just right at a certain in my life. About a man finally getting to the "real" stuff in life while everyone around him is still living in the superficialness of life. "
— Wendy, 11/21/2013 -
" Interesting read - had to do it for college lit class. "
— Belle, 10/18/2013 -
" Um mestre! "
— Cris, 9/10/2013 -
" Since I consider myself a Christian Anarchist, I suppose I should read Tolstoy, since he is labeled one as well. This book was brilliant. He threads so many Christian concepts into a single story made more honest than an autobiography. Fantastic. "
— Brian, 6/25/2013 -
" Read this for one of my Master in Nursing classes which made it more interesting because of the required analysis. Otherwise, I probably would not have thought about life and death as much. Where is Palliative Care and Hospice? "
— Janet, 3/24/2013 -
" Is it strange to say this book made it easy to think of my own passing? Profound is a word used too often, but when it fits it fits. "
— Conan734, 3/6/2013 -
" If ever a piece of fiction validated the notion that life without death would be meaningless (and I use that word deliberately for all of its suggestive nuances), that work is Tolstoy's concise and potent accounting of the life and death of one Ivan Ilyich. "
— Walker, 11/7/2012 -
" Excellent, and especially relevant to someone my age. "
— Kathryn, 9/25/2012 -
" Maybe it is me, but I found this story too slow and melodramatic. However, that tone could be the intention of the writer, in order to show how miserable Ilyich's life is. "
— Ke, 6/25/2011 -
" so moving. no need to say more, just wonderful. "
— Cassidy, 5/29/2011 -
" Long short story or novella. My freshman lit project. Enjoyed every sentence. "
— Ctb, 5/17/2011 -
" Very well written short story and pretty sad "
— John, 4/25/2011 -
" First work by Tolstoy that I have read and already it has cemented his undeniable genius. The depth of characterization is incredible you'd be humbled and crushed immensely if you have ambitions of being a writer. "
— Kareef, 4/20/2011 -
" I can safely say this book changed my life. "
— Eric, 4/18/2011 -
" This was an interesting book on the process of one man's death. did make me want to read more of Tolstoy. "
— Joanne, 3/28/2011 -
" What is death? Why do we live? You can see Tolstoy wrestle with death in this book. A great read! "
— Trae, 3/25/2011 -
" Spend time with a timeless author and Ivan Ilych, a human being dealing with the discontinuity of life when all he's known is the sameness. If you are able to put aside resistences to the subject of death, you will find much to identify with and think about long after the end. "
— Cheryl, 3/23/2011 -
" It took a long, long time to die. "
— Eliana, 3/21/2011 -
" The paradox in this book is heartwrenching. It's a short story, so it's difficult to review without giving spoilers. My favorite Tolstoy. "
— Lynette, 3/18/2011 -
" Don't read the introduction before the book; it could ruin it. On the other hand, without a little knowledge of Tolstoy, I'd say all but the last pages are boring (sorry, Beth). "
— Andrew, 3/18/2011
About Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was born about two hundred miles from Moscow. His mother died when he was two, his father when he was nine. His parents were of noble birth, and Tolstoy remained acutely aware of his aristocratic roots, even when he later embraced doctrines of equality and the brotherhood of man. After serving in the army in the Caucasus and Crimea, where he wrote his first stories, he traveled and studied educational theories. In 1862 he married Sophia Behrs and for the next fifteen years lived a tranquil, productive life, finishing War and Peace in 1869 and Anna Karenina in 1877. In 1879 he underwent a spiritual crisis; he sought to propagate his beliefs on faith, morality, and nonviolence, writing mostly parables, tracts, and morality plays. Tolstoy died of pneumonia in 1910 at the age of eighty-two.