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 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.