Book · 2010 · Fiction
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories
- mentions
- 14
- people
- 8
- podcasts
- 5
- episodes
- 7
- critical mentions
- 0
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is simply one of the greatest considerations of human mortality.
Dana Gioia · Conversations with Tyler · Apr 2021 Listen at 1:02:57 What they say about it
- Discusses mortality and life“greatest considerations of human mortality”3
- Analyzes the protagonist's life“lived his life by the credo”2
The best things said about it
This will happen to you and you don't want to come to this moment of death thinking I actually just skimmed the surface of life and I never felt anything real.
It's supposed to shock you into realizing whether you've lived or not. It's like Ivan Ilyich is a Yom Kippur book.
Tolstoy makes a really interesting choice. He does not start with Ivan Ilyich dying. He starts with people's reactions to his death.
David Wolpe EconTalk · Oct 2026 In that book it's a much more modest sinner and his sin is just that he lived his life by the credo that I just want to do what everybody else is doing.
Where and when it comes up
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How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
8 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Leo Tolstoy’s novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, examines the superficiality of conventional bourgeois life and a dying man's agonizing confrontation with his own mortality. On EconTalk, Russ Roberts and Richard Gunderman both recommended the work, with Roberts suggesting it as a vital text for young people contemplating how to live without regret and Gunderman linking it to themes of self-deception. During a dedicated episode, Roberts and David Wolpe discussed Tolstoy's deliberate narrative choice to begin with reactions to Ivan's death rather than the death itself. Wolpe highlighted how the story exposes the emptiness of Ivan's earlier life and the harsh truths he must confront upon his deathbed. Roberts and Wolpe further likened the psychological shock of the book to a Yom Kippur experience meant to wake readers up from superficial living. Finally, Roberts noted how the protagonist finds his only genuine comfort in the simple human compassion shown by his servant, Gerasim, reinforcing Tolstoy's underlying message about seeking authentic connection before it is too late.
Every mention
Russ Roberts But to meditate I think is a healthy thing. To explore religion I think is a healthy thing. Not everybody i… 6
Discussed
“Our topic for today is Tolstoy's short story. You could call it a novella. The death of even Illyitch. David, welcome to Econ Talk.”
Discussed
“It's supposed to shock you into realizing whether you've lived or not. It's like Ivan Illich is a Yom Kippur book. Yeah, absolutely. In a very powerful way.”
Discussed
“And the only thing that gives him comfort is his interaction with his servant, whose name is Gerasim, and he gets comfort because Gerasim will often hold his legs up higher than he can hold them himself, propped on a pillow”
Discussed
“And I think that that's part of what Tolstoy wants the reader to guess from the book, is this will happen to you and you don't want to come to this moment of death thinking I actually just skimmed the surface of life and I never felt anything real.”
Discussed
“He's led an exemplary life, but it's only exemplary by the standards of his superficial society that he's chosen to join and be partners with. So this idea, and I'm reminded of the ending of Mary Oliver's poem, The Summer Day”
Recommended
“But to meditate I think is a healthy thing. To explore religion I think is a healthy thing. Not everybody is gonna have faith, but so choose therapy or choose meditation then or read Anakaranana or the death of Ivan Ilyich.”
Richard Gunderman it reminds me a little bit of the the death of ivan ellich which another story of tolstoy's i recommend 1
Recommended
“it reminds me a little bit of the the death of ivan ellich which another story of tolstoy's i recommend”
David Wolpe And in fact, in the non-death scenes, and a serious chunk of the book is about Yvonne's life and his attitu… 2
Discussed
“And I'll start by saying that Tolstoy makes a really interesting choice. He does not start with Ivan Illyitch dying. He starts with people's reactions to his death.”
Discussed
“And in fact, in the non-death scenes, and a serious chunk of the book is about Yvonne's life and his attitudes and his actions, a life that Tolstoy doesn't think very much of, and that Yvonne has to confront in his deathbed”
Andrew Solomon if one wants to talk to story it was more like The Death of Ivan ilich 1
Discussed
“if one wants to talk to story it was more like The Death of Ivan ilich”
Dana Gioia Death of Ivan Ilyich. Uh which I think Well, first of all, if you asked me who was the greatest fiction wri… 1
Discussed
“Death of Ivan Ilyich. Uh which I think Well, first of all, if you asked me who was the greatest fiction writer who ever lived, I would say Tolstoy. Uh and and his short stories are full of masterpieces, but The Death of Ivan Ilyich is simply one of the greatest considerations of human mortality”
George Saunders One of the books I had in mind while I was writing this was death of Ivan Illich by Toltoy. In that book it… 1
Discussed
“One of the books I had in mind while I was writing this was death of Ivan Illich by Toltoy. In that book it's it's a much more modest sinner and his sin is just that he he lived his life by the credo that I just want to do what everybody else is doing.”
Pamela Paul and I don't want this to reflect badly on the book which is morat by Leo Tolstoy 1
Discussed
“and I don't want this to reflect badly on the book which is morat by Leo Tolstoy”
Yann Martel And the first one I sent him was the death of Ivan Illich by Leo Toltoy. Dead white male but it's amazing you. 1
Discussed
“And the first one I sent him was the death of Ivan Illich by Leo Toltoy. Dead white male but it's amazing you.”
