The Death of Ivan Ilyich

De: Leo Tolstoy

Narrado por: George Guidall

Leo Tolstoy is quite simply one of the greatest writers to ever set pen to paper. Immortalized by such epic novels as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Tolstoy's genius was also readily apparent in his short fiction. The Death of Ivan Ilych, first published in 1886, follows the career of the unremarkable title character, who does not question his desire to live an "easy, agreeable, gay and always decorous" life, until he is lying on his death bed.

Translation © 2003 by Ann Pasternak Slater.

Public Domain (P)2007 Recorded Books

It puts you in the body of the dying man

But I liked most was the way I could see myself acting or reacting either the same or differently. It was my first Tolstoy, chosen because I didn’t have a lot of time for listening right now. I want to listen to more. I may jump right into war in peace.

It felt so contemporary. It is a timeless story.

It took me a moment to embrace the readers accent. So I listened to it all a second time.

Timeless wisdom!

One of my favorite works by Tolstoy. This is required reading in Medical School, and for good reason!

So true to life!

Excellent internal monologue.
Tolstoy is a master. In this concise telling of a man in his times, we can see nothing has really changed!

Great Listening Experience!

Would you listen to The Death of Ivan Ilyich again? Why?

I've already listened to it twice. Of course, the book itself is wonderful, but Mr Guidall's narration is truly a performance. He handles the difficult Russian names with grace (and perfect pronunciation) and does a tremendous job of giving each character a distinct, recognizable voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ivan himself -- such an interesting study of the end of a life.

Well written and sincere

It vividly describes the pain experienced by a terminally ill man on his deathbed. I felt the author portrayed Illyich as a sincere man.

What a great story!!!

What a great couple of hours! enjoyed every minute of it. The best Narration too. worth a credit for sure! don't miss out!!!

A Tale That Hits Too Close To Home

The book depicts an accurate representation of one’s fear and denial of death. The bitterness one can feel seeing everyone else so healthy. How one longs to go back to simpler times when there wasn’t pain that wracks their body, to wanting the love they received as a child near the end. The narrator did a wonderful job depicting such emotions.

Brilliant narration of a brilliant story

No complaints at all. The narrator does a wonderful performance of a short but profound story from a master author. 100% recommended!

Everyone should read this

Tolstoy does such an excellent job weaving this important life lesson. It should be a required high school read!