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Petra is wondering when this dawn will beome day's Reviews > The Death of Ivan Ilyich
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
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by
Petra is wondering when this dawn will beome day's review
bookshelves: fiction, 2014-read, 2015-reviews, reviewed
Dec 21, 2014
bookshelves: fiction, 2014-read, 2015-reviews, reviewed
Read 2 times. Last read January 15, 2015.
Socrates said that an unexamined life was not worth living. In Kafka's The Metamorphosis poor Gregor Samsa is transformed into a being that cannot take part in the daily round of society and becomes more and more sidelined and ignored by those around him. This book, the Death of Ivan Ilych, has both of these notions contained within it's theme.
Ivan Ilyich is dying. As he grows sicker and fits in less with his fairweather friends and family and their preoccupations with their social lives, they leave him be, they cannot stand his sickness, they cannot stand him. All Ivan Ilyich has is the simple, unschooled manservant with the good heart who doesn't want his master to die alone and afraid. He is almost the Angel of Mercy, all good, his role is just to be there to help his master pass from this life with a good companion.
Ivan Ilych progresses through the endless scream of 'Why me?" to where he is almost at the end. And then he sees his rather petty life of moderate success and a little excess as it really was He stops hating his selfish wife and self-centred daughter and ceasing to be afraid of death hopes his demise will bring them peace. And by this examination of his life and the letting go of his more shabby and trivial emotions, he elevates himself. And dies.
Finished end of Dec. 2014.
Ivan Ilyich is dying. As he grows sicker and fits in less with his fairweather friends and family and their preoccupations with their social lives, they leave him be, they cannot stand his sickness, they cannot stand him. All Ivan Ilyich has is the simple, unschooled manservant with the good heart who doesn't want his master to die alone and afraid. He is almost the Angel of Mercy, all good, his role is just to be there to help his master pass from this life with a good companion.
Ivan Ilych progresses through the endless scream of 'Why me?" to where he is almost at the end. And then he sees his rather petty life of moderate success and a little excess as it really was He stops hating his selfish wife and self-centred daughter and ceasing to be afraid of death hopes his demise will bring them peace. And by this examination of his life and the letting go of his more shabby and trivial emotions, he elevates himself. And dies.
Finished end of Dec. 2014.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
(Paperback Edition)
January 1, 1992
–
Finished Reading
(Paperback Edition)
June 18, 2008
– Shelved
(Paperback Edition)
June 20, 2008
– Shelved as:
fiction
(Paperback Edition)
December 21, 2014
– Shelved
December 21, 2014
– Shelved as:
fiction
January 1, 2015
– Shelved as:
2014-read
Started Reading
January 15, 2015
– Shelved as:
2015-reviews
January 15, 2015
–
Finished Reading
May 5, 2015
– Shelved as:
reviewed
Comments Showing 1-16 of 16 (16 new)
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by
Dolors
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Jan 15, 2015 12:10PM
Must have read the book around the same time you did Petra. The scene where Ivan's son takes the dying man's hand totally undid me. Also the realistic account of what dying does to one's body impressed me deeply. Great comparison with Kafka's famous bug, by the way.
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Ta :-)
Thank you.
Emir Never wrote: ""And dies."A fitting final sentence that captures the whole story of Ivan Ilyich - and us all."
The ultimate existential crisis.
I wonder why Emir Never deleted his comment.
This is a wonderful review!
Kenny wrote: "This is a wonderful review!"Thank you so much. I must get back to reading Russians, I used to love them but recently have forgotten all about that genre.
Ixan wrote: "I used to like reading the Russians too, but they write such loooong books and time is short."This book is only 53 pages. Not so long.
I might go for it!
It was certainly a painfully examined life. Yes, he was finally able to let go, but only because he accepted communion and repentance. Rather too preachy for me.
Cecily wrote: "It was certainly a painfully examined life. Yes, he was finally able to let go, but only because he accepted communion and repentance. Rather too preachy for me."I thought the communion and repentance were the result of his self-examination. Not as is more general, a last minute turn to religion where it is the repentance and communication that are important, forget the self-examination.
Petra X is emotionally in a 14.5 year old state wrote: "I thought the communion and repentance were the result of his self-examination..."He had been reflecting, but the priest was his wife's idea, and initially he rejected it.
Cecily wrote: "He had been reflecting, but the priest was his wife's idea, and initially he rejected it..."As they say, there are no atheists in the foxholes.
Petra X is emotionally in a 14.5 year old state wrote: "As they say, there are no atheists in the foxholes."Remind me to stay away from foxholes. 😉
Cecily wrote: "Remind me to stay away from foxholes. 😉"Definitely. Should you show any signs of wanting to sign up for the military, or of flying out to Kyiv to support Ukraine, I will whisper loudly "FOXHOLES". :-)
