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The Death of Ivan Ilych

July 5, 2025 by Daniel Dignan Leave a Comment

A successful middle-aged judge suffered a freak accident and faces a slow, painful death. As his condition worsens, he thinks about his life: his childhood, ambitions, regrets, and his personal conduct crowd into his mind. He wonders if he lived life as he should have.

Leo Tolstoy is one of the greatest fiction writers in all of history. He’s known for books like War and Peace, which is a very long novel. The Death of Ivan Ilych is a short, shocking read. It forces one stop and take stock of life, and it could change your life for the better.

The great Greek philosopher Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living. Know thyself.” The idea is to make sure you are not living for things that ultimately do not matter, like fame and fortune. Instead, make sure you are living for what is true and good.

At the end of the story, something significant happened. What do you think occurred?

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