The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories
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Author Description
'no one pitied him as he would have liked to be pitied' As Ivan Ilyich lies dying he begins to re-evaluate his life, searching for meaning that will make sense of his sufferings. In 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' and the other works in this volume, Tolstoy conjures characters who, tested to the limit, reveal glorious and unexpected reserves of courage or baseness of a near inhuman kind. Two vivid parables and 'The Forged Coupon', a tale of criminality, explore class relations after the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and the connection between an ethical life and worldly issues. In 'Master and Workman' Tolstoy creates one of his most gripping dramas about human relationships put to the test in an extreme situation. 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' is an existential masterpiece, a biting satire that recounts with extraordinary power the final illness and death of a bourgeois lawyer. In his Introduction Andrew Kahn explores Tolstoy's moral concerns and the stylistic features of these late stories, sensitively translated by Nicolas Pasternak Slater. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
As a high-ranking judge faces his own mortality, he is forced to confront the hollowness of his previous existence and the superficiality of his social circle. Ivan Ilyich seeks to reconcile his past choices with the physical agony of his terminal illness, struggling against the indifference of his family and colleagues. The narrative framework utilizes a third-person perspective to examine the protagonist's internal psychological collapse as he moves toward an inevitable conclusion. His objective shifts from maintaining social status to finding authentic spiritual or moral meaning before his life ends.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Exploration of existential dread and the inevitability of death
- Satirical critique of bourgeois social conventions and hypocrisy
- Examination of class dynamics in post-emancipation Russia
- Use of extreme physical suffering as a catalyst for moral awakening
- Focus on the isolation of the individual within a rigid societal structure
- Inclusion of parables and moralistic tales alongside the title novella
- Detailed psychological realism in character development
- Analysis of the tension between worldly success and ethical integrity
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics frequently highlight the clinical precision with which Tolstoy dissects the human condition during moments of crisis. Discussion often centers on the stark contrast between the protagonist's external life of comfort and his internal experience of spiritual void. The pacing is noted for its deliberate, often uncomfortable focus on the physical realities of illness, which serves to strip away the protagonist's social masks. Many observers emphasize that the collection provides a window into the author's late-life moral preoccupations and his evolving philosophy regarding human connection. The work remains a primary reference point for those interested in the intersection of literature, ethics, and the existential experience.
Page Count:
272
Publication Date:
2015-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191649058
ISBN-13:
9780191649059
Existential Fiction
Classic Literature
English
Short Stories
English & College Success
Russian
Realism
