The Death of Ivan Ilyich

What if, at the moment of death, you realized your whole life had been lived in vain? The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), by Leo Tolstoy, is one of the most powerful works of existential literature ever written. The novella tells the story of Ivan Ilyich, a high-ranking judge who has lived his life by society's expectations—focused on career, appearances, and propriety. But when he is struck by...