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title: "The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories (Vintage Classics)"
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# The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories (Vintage Classics)

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## Description

A vibrant translation of Tolstoy’s most important short fiction by the award-winning translators of War and Peace . Here are eleven masterful stories from the mature author, some autobiographical, others moral parables, and all told with the evocative power that was Tolstoy’s alone. They include “The Prisoner of the Caucasus,” inspired by Tolstoy's own experiences as a soldier in the Chechen War, “Hadji Murat,” the novella Harold Bloom called “the best story in the world,” “The Devil,” a fascinating tale of sexual obsession, and the celebrated “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” an intense and moving examination of death and the possibilities of redemption. Pevear and Volokhonsky’s translation captures the richness, immediacy, and multiplicity of Tolstoy’s language, and reveals the author as a passionate moral guide, an unflinching seeker of truth, and ultimately, a creator of enduring and universal art.

Review: A masterful collection - This is a representative collection of Tolstoy’s short stories. One of my favorites, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?,” isn’t included, but the ones represented here are an excellent introduction to Tolstoy’s mastery of the short story form. The first, “The Prisoner of the Caucasus,” is an exciting tale of a Russian soldier named Zhilin, captured in the war in that area, and his attempts to escape. The reader cannot but admire Zhilin’s courage, ingenuity, perseverance, and overall competence in everything he does. Out of the entire collection, this is the one I’d make into a movie. Zhilin is a supremely likable protagonist; I can’t say the same for the protagonists in the following three stories, actually the narrator as the stories are told in the first person. “The Diary of a Madman” is a disturbingly accurate description of what a panic attack is like. “The Kreutzer Sonata” is framed in the third person as a conversation between two men in a railway car, but the main story is in the first person. This is one of Tolstoy’s most renowned short stories; I found it underwhelming, probably because the narrator was so repugnant. The theme is one of jealousy, which is a reaction to another person’s behavior, but the decision to feel jealousy is always a matter of choice. “The Devil” is even worse; an account of a man who has sex with a woman below his social class, and develops feelings for her. Again, all of this was avoidable. “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is the best treatment of individual death I’ve ever come across. It begins with the effect Ivan’s death has on his co-workers, who are mainly concerned with the vacancy thus created and how they might best take advantage of it. It then progresses inward to the effect Ivan’s death has on his family. The story then flashes back to Ivan’s childhood, education, career, and marriage, with his fatal illness arriving, as they so often do, as an almost trivial perception. As his illness progresses, he visits doctors, takes medication, and changes his diet in a futile attempt to ward off the inevitable. Continuing inward, as death approaches, Ivan wonders if he’s lived his life in the right way. He’s followed all the rules, he attained a prestigious position, he has a family and is a respected individual, so what did he do wrong? I’m reminded of Socrates’ observation that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” and Ivan has definitely lived an unexamined life. On the other hand, the young muzhik Gerasim, who has an uncanny ability to help Ivan feel better by holding his legs up, as far as we can tell is definitely living an unexamined life, but he’s also a very good and kind person, contrasting with Ivan who is petty, argumentative, and superficial. Tolstoy suggests conclusions but doesn’t clearly present any as Ivan gradually loses touch with the outside world and the progress of the story, from the external to the internal, is complete. “Master and Man” is a wonderful and very real description of what it’s like to get lost in a snowstorm, and the unexpected behavior this engenders. “Father Sergius” is another unexpected progression, of a young officer who, upon learning that his fiancée isn’t a virgin, embarks on an ascetic life as a monk. Tormented by feelings of inadequacy and inauthenticity, and disturbed by his growing reputation, after many years he finally understands what he must do to achieve fulfillment. Tolstoy’s description of this is short and concise, suggesting a sudden and unexpected revelation. “After the Ball” describes a young man’s disillusionment with a young woman caused by an unrelated act of violence. Unlike the other stories of lust and sex, the change in the narrator is caused by the actions of others. “The Forged Coupon” describes the effects of a petty crime as they ripple outward and entangle a growing number of unrelated individuals. It may be the first description of the Butterfly Effect. “Alyosha the Pot” is the shortest story in the collection, about a hapless young man who nevertheless accepts his fate cheerfully and without resentment. Is this Tolstoy’s answer to Ivan Ilyich and the question of what constitutes a good life and how a man should live? As usual, the answer is up to the reader. “Hadji Murat” is also a frame tale, sparked in the narrator’s mind by his observation of a thistle. As with “War and Peace,” Tolstoy interviewed several of the surviving participants and utilized original materials. On its face, the story is simple. A Chechnyan sub-commander hates the rebel leader, and wishes to come over to the Russian side in the war, but first has to negotiate the release of his family, which the leader is holding hostage. Within this basic framework, we learn the origins of the conflict and are introduced to a dizzying array of Russian and Chechnyan soldiers and commanders as Tolstoy illuminates an entire world for us. We’re only reminded at the end that this is a frame tale, and the narrator, who I assume is Tolstoy himself, remains mysterious. The Pevear-Volokhonsky translation is up to their usual high standards, and includes a glossary of Caucasian mountaineer terms, along with extensive footnotes to explain references that modern readers may not be aware of. French dialog present in the originals is preserved with footnoted translations.
Review: Arguably some of the greatest stories ever put down on paper. - Many people agree that The Beatles are the best band of all time (I'm actually not of this camp, but let's forget that for the sake of argument). However, imagine if The Beatles had a reputation as unlistenable, opaque, and virtually impenetrable. The first time you heard some actual songs by them, you'd be surprised at how easy it is to listen to them; the melodies are beautiful yet catchy, the instrumental parts well-structured and well-played. This is the big surprise for me with Tolstoy. I've never come across an author, band, artist, etc. whose reputation is so contrary to their actual nature. Starting in childhood, we're told that War and Peace is an inaccessible tome of a novel. Tolstoy's prose is famously thought to be cold, formal, and difficult to get through. This couldn't be further from the truth. Tolstoy's writing is beautifully flowing and sometimes even playful; his characters are well thought-out and sympathetic; the narrative motion of his stories is perfectly paced. This is not just true of this translation of some of his short stories, although Pevear and Volokhonsky seem particularly adept at honoring Tolstoy's gift with language. At the danger of sounding fanatical, these stories are perfect. Literally nothing about them could be changed for the better. The volume begins with a fragment, Diary of a Madman, which discusses a religious man's breakdown. Parts of the story are even reminiscent of Sartre's Nausea, a book that came several decades later. There are two stories in the book that involve a realistic depiction of war: A Prisoner of the Caucuses and the novella Hadji Murad. I don't usually enjoy war writing, but Tolstoy has such a love for his characters, such a brutally honest and yet somehow optimistic view of human conflict, that these stories seem less about the actual logistics of war and more about man's contradictory disposition to violence. The jewel of this book is the title story, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. I've recommended this story (among many others by Tolstoy) to several friends, and I've yet to find anyone who isn't in some way moved by it. The story involves a man who, at the end of his life, begins to question the choices he's made and how he's lived. Again, Tolstoy's compassion paints his characters as flawed but well-intentioned. If you have any doubts about this book, I'd recommend first reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich (even if it's an older translation -- some of these are even available online for free). The translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky is definitely superior, but the story is so strong that its genius is readily seen even in the older, stodgier translations. Another thing that surprised me was the modern feel of Tolstoy's stories. These stories would be right at home in the 20th century literary canon -- sometimes it's even a shock when a character pulls up in a troika. You find yourself saying, "Oh, right -- this takes place in the 1800s." Because Tolstoy deals in morals and characters' subtle motivations, the writing is truly timeless. Of course, once you read these stories, I'd recommend moving on to either Anna Karenina or War and Peace. Pevear and Volokhonsky have superb translations of both. And, when you come to the end of War and Peace, you'll have the same epiphany reached by most people who've read it: that this book, forever depicted as a cold, stern, tome, has some of the most beautifully depicted characters, the most involving and page-turning narratives, and the most memorable passages of any book you've ever read. ***One quick note: Many of the 1-star and 2-star reviews for this book claim it's full of errors and typos. However, if you look closely, you'll see that these reviews are actually for other Tolstoy compilations (which are also named for The Death of Ivan Ilyich), not for the P&V translation. For some reason desertcart lumps all these reviews together even though the books are vastly different. It's worth noting that, since Tolstoy's work is in the public domain, there are a lot of very shoddily put-together books of his stories.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #285,889 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #56 in Translated Short Stories #268 in Classic Fiction Anthologies & Collections #301 in Classic Short Stories |

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A masterful collection
*by L***N on November 17, 2025*

This is a representative collection of Tolstoy’s short stories. One of my favorites, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?,” isn’t included, but the ones represented here are an excellent introduction to Tolstoy’s mastery of the short story form. The first, “The Prisoner of the Caucasus,” is an exciting tale of a Russian soldier named Zhilin, captured in the war in that area, and his attempts to escape. The reader cannot but admire Zhilin’s courage, ingenuity, perseverance, and overall competence in everything he does. Out of the entire collection, this is the one I’d make into a movie. Zhilin is a supremely likable protagonist; I can’t say the same for the protagonists in the following three stories, actually the narrator as the stories are told in the first person. “The Diary of a Madman” is a disturbingly accurate description of what a panic attack is like. “The Kreutzer Sonata” is framed in the third person as a conversation between two men in a railway car, but the main story is in the first person. This is one of Tolstoy’s most renowned short stories; I found it underwhelming, probably because the narrator was so repugnant. The theme is one of jealousy, which is a reaction to another person’s behavior, but the decision to feel jealousy is always a matter of choice. “The Devil” is even worse; an account of a man who has sex with a woman below his social class, and develops feelings for her. Again, all of this was avoidable. “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is the best treatment of individual death I’ve ever come across. It begins with the effect Ivan’s death has on his co-workers, who are mainly concerned with the vacancy thus created and how they might best take advantage of it. It then progresses inward to the effect Ivan’s death has on his family. The story then flashes back to Ivan’s childhood, education, career, and marriage, with his fatal illness arriving, as they so often do, as an almost trivial perception. As his illness progresses, he visits doctors, takes medication, and changes his diet in a futile attempt to ward off the inevitable. Continuing inward, as death approaches, Ivan wonders if he’s lived his life in the right way. He’s followed all the rules, he attained a prestigious position, he has a family and is a respected individual, so what did he do wrong? I’m reminded of Socrates’ observation that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” and Ivan has definitely lived an unexamined life. On the other hand, the young muzhik Gerasim, who has an uncanny ability to help Ivan feel better by holding his legs up, as far as we can tell is definitely living an unexamined life, but he’s also a very good and kind person, contrasting with Ivan who is petty, argumentative, and superficial. Tolstoy suggests conclusions but doesn’t clearly present any as Ivan gradually loses touch with the outside world and the progress of the story, from the external to the internal, is complete. “Master and Man” is a wonderful and very real description of what it’s like to get lost in a snowstorm, and the unexpected behavior this engenders. “Father Sergius” is another unexpected progression, of a young officer who, upon learning that his fiancée isn’t a virgin, embarks on an ascetic life as a monk. Tormented by feelings of inadequacy and inauthenticity, and disturbed by his growing reputation, after many years he finally understands what he must do to achieve fulfillment. Tolstoy’s description of this is short and concise, suggesting a sudden and unexpected revelation. “After the Ball” describes a young man’s disillusionment with a young woman caused by an unrelated act of violence. Unlike the other stories of lust and sex, the change in the narrator is caused by the actions of others. “The Forged Coupon” describes the effects of a petty crime as they ripple outward and entangle a growing number of unrelated individuals. It may be the first description of the Butterfly Effect. “Alyosha the Pot” is the shortest story in the collection, about a hapless young man who nevertheless accepts his fate cheerfully and without resentment. Is this Tolstoy’s answer to Ivan Ilyich and the question of what constitutes a good life and how a man should live? As usual, the answer is up to the reader. “Hadji Murat” is also a frame tale, sparked in the narrator’s mind by his observation of a thistle. As with “War and Peace,” Tolstoy interviewed several of the surviving participants and utilized original materials. On its face, the story is simple. A Chechnyan sub-commander hates the rebel leader, and wishes to come over to the Russian side in the war, but first has to negotiate the release of his family, which the leader is holding hostage. Within this basic framework, we learn the origins of the conflict and are introduced to a dizzying array of Russian and Chechnyan soldiers and commanders as Tolstoy illuminates an entire world for us. We’re only reminded at the end that this is a frame tale, and the narrator, who I assume is Tolstoy himself, remains mysterious. The Pevear-Volokhonsky translation is up to their usual high standards, and includes a glossary of Caucasian mountaineer terms, along with extensive footnotes to explain references that modern readers may not be aware of. French dialog present in the originals is preserved with footnoted translations.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Arguably some of the greatest stories ever put down on paper.
*by S***T on July 15, 2013*

Many people agree that The Beatles are the best band of all time (I'm actually not of this camp, but let's forget that for the sake of argument). However, imagine if The Beatles had a reputation as unlistenable, opaque, and virtually impenetrable. The first time you heard some actual songs by them, you'd be surprised at how easy it is to listen to them; the melodies are beautiful yet catchy, the instrumental parts well-structured and well-played. This is the big surprise for me with Tolstoy. I've never come across an author, band, artist, etc. whose reputation is so contrary to their actual nature. Starting in childhood, we're told that War and Peace is an inaccessible tome of a novel. Tolstoy's prose is famously thought to be cold, formal, and difficult to get through. This couldn't be further from the truth. Tolstoy's writing is beautifully flowing and sometimes even playful; his characters are well thought-out and sympathetic; the narrative motion of his stories is perfectly paced. This is not just true of this translation of some of his short stories, although Pevear and Volokhonsky seem particularly adept at honoring Tolstoy's gift with language. At the danger of sounding fanatical, these stories are perfect. Literally nothing about them could be changed for the better. The volume begins with a fragment, Diary of a Madman, which discusses a religious man's breakdown. Parts of the story are even reminiscent of Sartre's Nausea, a book that came several decades later. There are two stories in the book that involve a realistic depiction of war: A Prisoner of the Caucuses and the novella Hadji Murad. I don't usually enjoy war writing, but Tolstoy has such a love for his characters, such a brutally honest and yet somehow optimistic view of human conflict, that these stories seem less about the actual logistics of war and more about man's contradictory disposition to violence. The jewel of this book is the title story, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. I've recommended this story (among many others by Tolstoy) to several friends, and I've yet to find anyone who isn't in some way moved by it. The story involves a man who, at the end of his life, begins to question the choices he's made and how he's lived. Again, Tolstoy's compassion paints his characters as flawed but well-intentioned. If you have any doubts about this book, I'd recommend first reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich (even if it's an older translation -- some of these are even available online for free). The translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky is definitely superior, but the story is so strong that its genius is readily seen even in the older, stodgier translations. Another thing that surprised me was the modern feel of Tolstoy's stories. These stories would be right at home in the 20th century literary canon -- sometimes it's even a shock when a character pulls up in a troika. You find yourself saying, "Oh, right -- this takes place in the 1800s." Because Tolstoy deals in morals and characters' subtle motivations, the writing is truly timeless. Of course, once you read these stories, I'd recommend moving on to either Anna Karenina or War and Peace. Pevear and Volokhonsky have superb translations of both. And, when you come to the end of War and Peace, you'll have the same epiphany reached by most people who've read it: that this book, forever depicted as a cold, stern, tome, has some of the most beautifully depicted characters, the most involving and page-turning narratives, and the most memorable passages of any book you've ever read. ***One quick note: Many of the 1-star and 2-star reviews for this book claim it's full of errors and typos. However, if you look closely, you'll see that these reviews are actually for other Tolstoy compilations (which are also named for The Death of Ivan Ilyich), not for the P&V translation. For some reason Amazon lumps all these reviews together even though the books are vastly different. It's worth noting that, since Tolstoy's work is in the public domain, there are a lot of very shoddily put-together books of his stories.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Morality of Literature
*by G***Y on July 20, 2010*

I've previously posted on one long piece in this book - Hadji Murat - on my blog, Gridley Fires The remainder of this book is a collection of short stories selected by the book's translators, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, no doubt to show off the diversity in Tolstoy's story structure and subject matter. But in doing this, they've perhaps inadvertently selected stories that, except for a pair, depict Tolstoy's project of using story to demonstrate his views on morality and ethics. Some of his moral depictions here (and almost all literature trifles with ethical dilemmas of the author's times, to one degree or another) are as subtly put as those modern by a hundred years. On the other hand, others are actually quite ham-handed. But more on this subject below. The translators made these stories entertaining - not only by showing us the more timeless aspects of Tolstoy's literary thinking - but in herding them ever so gracefully into modern times via a more contemporary language that refuses to betray Tolstoy and the language of that time. As I've implied previously, these two translators are likely without peer in doing so. Possibly since I'm a blue collar dude by sensibility, my favorite story (besides Hadji Murat) is Master and Man, in which a man of means, Vassily Andreich and a servant, Nikita, an older muzhik, or peasant, take off on a winter trip to another town with a snowstorm looming. The story is a masterwork of the dynamics between the two men, how they both complement one another and manage inherent class conflicts. As well, it depicts as deftly as any modern work might the ways in which Nikita belongs to nature, in which he understands, despite his usual drunken state, how to navigate nature in such times and how to yield to it in order to survive. Vassily, on the other hand, is headstrong to a fault, which proves his undoing in this Jack London-style story of man versus the elements.

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