icy ❅’s Reviews > The Death of Ivan Ilych > Status Update

Chapters X-XII. More pain and philosophy from Ivan's point of view. He's easily vexed at this point, and at simple comments from his wife and daughter about his own health, he replies that soon they'll be free of him. Tolstoy portrays a very ill man, full of bouts of pain and internal rambles.

Chapters VII-IX. Ivan, still deeply ill, believes himself to be dying. He's able to stay positive, in part, by appreciating the vigor and youth of his servant Gerasim, even putting his legs upon the lad's shoulders sometimes to ease the pain, but then slowly spins into depression again. Internal monologues race through his mind, and I wonder if Ivan is at the edge of insanity, or has already stepped into it.

Chapters I - III. Lot of well-crafted prose, with many little details that seem to flow effortlessly onto the page. Tolstoy paints the recently deceased main character as a workaholic, trying to do well in his magistrate career while not spending much time at home. There is very little dialogue as much of this section is dedicated to how Ivan lived.