David Swinstead reviewed The death of Ivan Ilyich by Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoy (A Bantam classic)
The fascination of the mundane - but with rather flat prose
3 stars
I'd been wanting to dive into some Russian classics for a while, and Google told me this one was the most accessible so there it is.
Found a cheap used copy from a little independent store, result!
Unfortunately, and I wonder if it was maybe due to the translator, I found the prose a little flat, lacking much depth or character.
I did like the story, there's something quite fascinating about a tale of the fantastically mundane.
I did also like how it ended but of course I won't say any spoilers here.
So... I didn't love this book.
I liked it but I didn't love it.
It is short and accessible so if you're like me and just wanting to experience some Tolstoy in a few hours, it's a good choice.
