The Death of Ivan Ilych

by Leo Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilych (1886) is considered one of the best novellas and Tolstoy's masterpiece after his religious conversion. It tells the story of a judge's terminal illness in 19th century Russia. We feature it in our guide to Russian Writers.
[Painting by Nikolai Ge, Leo Tolstoy at his desk, 1870].

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