A review by unoriginalinspiration
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

He considered his duty to be what was so considered by those in authority.

"Why these sufferings?" And the voice answered, "For no reason - they are just so."  Beyond and besides this there was nothing. 

Review:
This is Mr. Tolstoy's existential and spiritual crisis in the form of a book. Don't get me wrong, I love myself some existentialism, and the author has so perfectly managed to capture the emotions of a man suddenly confronted with his mortality. A man, who has never before reflected on his thoughts and actions, faces his life laid out before him, dealing with his inevitable death and illness.
This book was the first piece of Russian Literature I read, and for anyone looking to start their own Russian lit journey, I would 100% recommend this as well! Its short and it gives you a beautiful look into the style of writing!
This is definitely going to be an amazing read for those who do not contemplate death regularly. Unlike some of us in the book community.
To me, the things laid out in this book, even though it is done so beautifully, do not seem new and thought provoking. Existential crises have evolved over time, have they not? We have so much more to take into consideration when we look at our lives, the technological and cultural growth is immense, the effect an individual has on the planet itself is shocking to take note of. I'm going to cut myself short before I write my own version of the book, but, you get what I mean! There is just a little more spice,(for the lack of a better word), we can add to our own contemplation these days.
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