Review of The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

The book The Death of Ivan Ilyich, written in 1886 by author Leo Tolstoy tells the story of a normal businessman slowly and steadily spiraling down into self-isolation and total existentialism. Through the complications of having a family, and the introduction of a child, Ivan Ilych becomes intolerant of his personal life, and spends too much time focusing on his work. This, being something all too common in today's society, is something we all can reflect on to realize what is important.

Something special about The Death of Ivan Ilyich is that it is told almost in reverse order, similar to Purple Hibiscus. The book starts with the unfortunate death of Ivan Ilyich, then rewinds to Ilyich's early life to show what led up to his final moments. This book is also similar to Purple Hibiscus in the matter previously mentioned, as in a family man that is publicly respected but has a negative private life, however, Purple Hibiscus is a much more stark example of this theme. At the beginning of the book, all that the reader knows about Ivan Ilyich is that he held a respectable job position. One important detail also mentioned in the beginning is that many "fake friends," as they would be called in today's world, claimed to respect Ilyich, when in reality, it is clear they are only hoping they are able to fill in Ilyich's job position.

Ivan Ilyich is also a much more complex character than it might seem, and he has a very interesting character arch. At the chronological beginning of the book, he can be seen as a normal, high-potential law student. He was described as "...neither as cold and punctilious as his elder brother nor as reckless as his younger." At a relatively young age, his character matures, and he becomes a real businessman, with no real life or focus outside of his business. This changes when he meets Praskovya Fedorvna, however not immediately drastically. Meeting Praskovya actually barely affected Ilyich's work life, but they marry, and soon after have a child. This triggers a large turning point towards depression in Ilyich. Praskovya's extreme care about the child is too much stress in Ilyich's mind, so he only further plunges himself into his work. Without further spoiling the book. I will say that his luck turns for the worse, and only in his final moments does he realize what truly matters in life.

If you enjoy a short, but thought-provoking book, this is definitely the book for you, being barely over 100 pages, but rather dense. I myself read it because of a suggestion from a friend, and I do not regret it. -Ethan Roberts

Comments

  1. ZevNovember 9, 2019 at 9:15 AM

    After reading your review, I was surprised to hear that the book is just about 100 pages. I’m interested to see how it is able to deal with these heavy topics in such a small number of pages. I like how you connect it to Purple Hibiscus and also how you added some vague foreshadowing that makes me really want to know what happens. Good job on writing an informative, captivating review, without giving away too many spoilers.

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  2. Jashan TNovember 9, 2019 at 5:49 PM

    It was intriguing to read about this book considering Tolstoy's beliefs of anarchy. Your review made a very dense and complicated book understandable. I also liked how most of your review was analysis of the book, instead of just summary. It sounds like an interesting book to read, especially after reading Purple Hibiscus. Nice job.

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  3. Lili TiouririneNovember 10, 2019 at 12:02 PM

    I like how you compared the book to Purple Hibiscus and the way that it is written, it helps the reader get a sense of what the book is like (if they've read the book.) In the introduction you did a good job at connecting the books storyline to real life when you mention that getting too caught up in work is an issue in today society. I find it interesting that the character has such a complex story, only told in about 100 pages. You did a good job at thoroughly describing the character, and a great job overall!

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  4. Charlie HechlerNovember 10, 2019 at 2:46 PM

    Great analysis! I like how you compared the book to Purple Hibiscus so it was easier for readers to understand. The way you described Ilyich's character arch added an extra amount of depression to the overall mood of the story. The book seems very simple, but effective in making its purpose clear. Great job!

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  5. Wes LNovember 10, 2019 at 6:31 PM

    I totally agree that The Death of Ivan Ilyich has many things we can take away from it based on what you have written about it. The plot seems thought-provoking, and I am amazed at how the author can fit such information into so few pages. And as an enjoyer of PH, I think that the way this book tells the narrative will be something that I find interesting. Thank you for sharing this book with all of us!

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  6. Emma MurawskiDecember 13, 2019 at 1:41 PM

    This review is engaging and your analysis of the variety of emotional and moral ups and downs Ivan Ilyich takes is perceptive. The fact that Ivan was able to fall in love with Praskovya, and I would assume be content with life, then having a child sabotage his life by causing him to fall into a depression is really despairing. I also really liked how you related The Death of Ivan Ilyich back to Purple Hibiscus in several ways. I will be sure to check this book out!

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