Reviews

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

aboo90's review against another edition

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5.0

this book is good i deducted a star for giving me an existential crisis though

grrrlmacabre's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kolez's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a short novel and it has a quick introduction to its characters. Here we see the characters that are much obsessed with their own lives. For example when the so called friends get to know of his death they immediately think of what effect it has on them. I feel like this is inevitably true in all aspects but people do not admit that.

Even his wife and children they feel as if an obstacle just passed away.

I particularly love how Ivan Ilych comes into conversation with his own mind as to whether or not he spent his life in the right way and then he eventually understands there is no right way and all he has to do is to let go.

I loved the style of writing and maybe wished it was a bit longer with much more dwelling into its characters like Anna Karenina but enjoyed it all the same.

chandlerkircher's review against another edition

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3.0

“They were islands at which they anchored briefly before setting sail once again over a sea of suppressed hostility, which was expressed in mutual aloofness.”

“It occurred to him that he had not spent his life as he should have done. It occurred to him that his scarcely perceptible attempts to struggle against what was considered good by the most highly placed people, those scarcely noticeable impulses which he had immediately suppressed, might have been the real thing, and all the rest false. And his professional duties and the whole arrangement of his life and of his family, and all his social and official interests, might all have been false.”

michellenet's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

52Books2024 Reading Challenge: November Mini-Challenge: Set in a country bordering at least five other countries

attabeyrodz's review against another edition

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5.0

*life crisis triggered*

traveltounravel's review against another edition

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Well, that was a nice read to further encourage my existential dread of death...

karenglez's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

lapittenger's review against another edition

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5.0

I mean, what else is there to be said .... those Russians, they get life.

brightredglow's review against another edition

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4.0

Short, but dense and focused. Not a hard read but does take patience. I admire the writing even if I had difficulty connecting.