The Death of Ivan Ilych

The Death of Ivan Ilyich relates the story of a high court judge in nineteenth-century Russia who suffers and dies as a result of a fatal sickness. When Peter Ivanovich, a judge and close friend of Ivan Ilych, revealed that Ivan had died, a group of judges convened in a secret courthouse room. The others in the room, while comforted by the fact that it was Ivan who died and not them, couldn't help but think about the promotions and transfers that would arise from Ivan's death. The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a novella by Leo Tolstoy that was originally published in Russian. The work, written shortly after his religious conversion in the late 1870s, is regarded as one of the late masterpieces of literature.

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, known as Leo Tolstoy, was a towering figure in Russian literature and one of the greatest authors of all time. Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828 in Yasnaya Polyana, his literary works encompass a vast range of human experiences and spiritual depth. Tolstoy's writing is characterized by a unique blend of philosophical insights and detailed observations of 19th-century Russian society. His masterpiece, 'War and Peace' (1869), encapsulates the complexities of Russian society against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, while 'Anna Karenina' (1878) deals with issues of love, family, and politics. The novella 'The Death of Ivan Ilych' (1886), offers a profound examination of the human condition, mortality, and the search for meaning in life. Tolstoy's approach is often marked by a stark realism combined with a deep moral and ethical exploration, a combination that has influenced both his contemporaries and future generations. In addition to fiction, Tolstoy also penned essays and philosophical treatises, including 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You' (1894), where he outlines his anarchistic views on society and government. He died in 1910, leaving behind a legacy that endures through his extensive body of work as a novelist, essayist, and social reformer.