The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy is a compelling collection born from a profound spiritual crisis, during which Tolstoy confronted the reality of death itself. These seven stories explore mortality in varied and thought-provoking ways. ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ portrays a man facing his inevitable end and wrestles with the existential question of why a good person must die prematurely. ‘Polikushka’ tells of a light-fingered drunk whose chance at redemption ends tragically, while ‘Three Deaths’ presents the final moments of an aristocrat, a peasant, and a tree. ‘The Forged Coupon’ examines how a minor offense can trigger escalating horrors, and three stories about soldiers—‘After the Ball’, ‘The Wood-felling’, and ‘The Raid’—depict the cruelty inherent in military life.
Translated with clarity and vividness by Anthony Briggs, David McDuff, and Ronald Wilks, this edition includes a new introduction, a chronology, notes, and suggestions for further reading. Tolstoy’s insights into life, death, and morality resonate as powerfully today as they did in his own time, making The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories a timeless exploration of the human condition.
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