Nick’s Reviews > A Morte de Ivan Ilitch > Status Update

“…the mere fact of the death of a near acquaintance aroused, as usual, in all who heard of it the complacent feeling that ‘it is he who is dead and not I.’ Each one thought or felt, ‘Well, he’s dead and I’m alive!’”

I have to admit that when I think about someone’s death, I feel sad, but there is also this guilty relief, something like: “at least I still — probably — have some time.”