Johannes’s Reviews > The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories: "The Raid", "Woodfelling", "Three Deaths", "Polikushka", "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", "After the Ball", "The Forged Coupon" (Penguin Classics) by Leo Tolstoy (28-Feb-2008) Paperback > Status Update
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Johannes
is finished
Finally finished the main work (and the one I actually bought this book for): The Death of Ivan Ilyich.
It was certainly an interesting read, I think Tolstoy was certainly able to write about the agony of, not only death of the body, but the death of the soul(?). Ivan Ilyich’s last three months alive are described in brutal detail: his illness, loneliness, and reflections, fear not only of death, but of living.
— Aug 21, 2026 08:12AM
It was certainly an interesting read, I think Tolstoy was certainly able to write about the agony of, not only death of the body, but the death of the soul(?). Ivan Ilyich’s last three months alive are described in brutal detail: his illness, loneliness, and reflections, fear not only of death, but of living.
Johannes
is finished
My first venture into the works of Tolstoy, and it’s certain to say he lives up to the great expectations I had of him.
Just finished the first story, The Raid, and was thoroughly invested the whole way through. It was a very interesting look into war. The characters are very well written, my favourite was the young Ensign Alanin, but Captain Khlopov was certainly a close second.
— Jul 23, 2026 11:48PM
Just finished the first story, The Raid, and was thoroughly invested the whole way through. It was a very interesting look into war. The characters are very well written, my favourite was the young Ensign Alanin, but Captain Khlopov was certainly a close second.