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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great read. Both novellas focus on life and death. They discuss this through the eyes of several characters, what they perceive in the world as good, successful and bad.
La morte di Ivan Il’ič 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Camminate nella luce finché avete la luce 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
Karma 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Il diavolo 2.5/5⭐️⭐️✨
Camminate nella luce finché avete la luce 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
Karma 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Il diavolo 2.5/5⭐️⭐️✨
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really liked these stories and Tolstoy's writing! I'm very excited to read more from him.
For "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" specifically:
“The main thing was that Ivan Ilyich had his work. The whole interest of life was concentrated for him in the world of his work. And this interest absorbed him.”
It can seem morose to read a famed story about death in the midst of a time of great death in our world. But when it’s done well, this type of tale actually serves to impart the greatest sort of lesson literature can offer: how to live well.
And in Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” I encountered what’s often considered one of the greatest short stories of all time.
My relationship with Tolstoy thus far in my reading life has been fruitful, if not a bit rocky. I tore through the first half of Anna Karenina a couple years back, only to be stalled when my baby daughter stopped sleeping for a bit. I never got back into it, and it’s been tormenting me from the bookshelf ever since.
Since that great novel plays such a big role in A Gentleman in Moscow, I was inspired again to read Tolstoy, though diving into Anna again was a bit intimidating. So I turned to the short stories, starting with his most famous.
There’s no real lead-in to Ivan’s death — we start right away with his former coworkers discussing the lawyer’s passing, including, most importantly, how it would impact their own standing in the business.
Eventually, Tolstoy turns the clock back a bit to get us to Ivan’s early life and marriage, long illness, and excruciating death at age 45. Honestly, I couldn’t always figure out what Tolstoy was trying to say. But, as I’ve heard from other fans of the story, the bits that do come through clearly are incredibly memorable and powerful.
Tolstoy presents a view of death that isn’t romantic in the least bit; it’s slow, painful, morally fraught. And yet, towards the end, as everyone seems to experience, Ivan at least begins to come to grips with the crummy life he led. With that, of course, is an acknowledgement about what makes life truly meaningful and fulfilling.
Could anything be more appropriate right now?
“In public opinion I was going uphill, and exactly to that extent life was slipping away from under me.”
If the very idea of Tolstoy scares you a bit, take a look at his short stories. This one is pretty easy-reading and comes with valuable and timeless insight into the human condition.
“The main thing was that Ivan Ilyich had his work. The whole interest of life was concentrated for him in the world of his work. And this interest absorbed him.”
It can seem morose to read a famed story about death in the midst of a time of great death in our world. But when it’s done well, this type of tale actually serves to impart the greatest sort of lesson literature can offer: how to live well.
And in Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” I encountered what’s often considered one of the greatest short stories of all time.
My relationship with Tolstoy thus far in my reading life has been fruitful, if not a bit rocky. I tore through the first half of Anna Karenina a couple years back, only to be stalled when my baby daughter stopped sleeping for a bit. I never got back into it, and it’s been tormenting me from the bookshelf ever since.
Since that great novel plays such a big role in A Gentleman in Moscow, I was inspired again to read Tolstoy, though diving into Anna again was a bit intimidating. So I turned to the short stories, starting with his most famous.
There’s no real lead-in to Ivan’s death — we start right away with his former coworkers discussing the lawyer’s passing, including, most importantly, how it would impact their own standing in the business.
Eventually, Tolstoy turns the clock back a bit to get us to Ivan’s early life and marriage, long illness, and excruciating death at age 45. Honestly, I couldn’t always figure out what Tolstoy was trying to say. But, as I’ve heard from other fans of the story, the bits that do come through clearly are incredibly memorable and powerful.
Tolstoy presents a view of death that isn’t romantic in the least bit; it’s slow, painful, morally fraught. And yet, towards the end, as everyone seems to experience, Ivan at least begins to come to grips with the crummy life he led. With that, of course, is an acknowledgement about what makes life truly meaningful and fulfilling.
Could anything be more appropriate right now?
“In public opinion I was going uphill, and exactly to that extent life was slipping away from under me.”
If the very idea of Tolstoy scares you a bit, take a look at his short stories. This one is pretty easy-reading and comes with valuable and timeless insight into the human condition.