The Death of Ivan Ilyich

The Death of Ivan Ilyich, published in 1886, is one of the most searingly honest works in all of literature. Ivan Ilyich Golovin is a respectable, successful judge who has lived his life by the rules of polite society — correct, ambitious, and emotionally hollow. When he is struck by a terminal illness, he is forced to confront the terrible question: has his life had any real meaning at all? Tolstoy strips away every pretension and comfort, leaving only a man alone with his dying and his conscience. Only Gerasim, a simple peasant servant, shows him genuine human warmth. Short enough to read in a single sitting, devastating enough to change the way you see your own life. Stream free, no account required.