The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Preface

Preface

Introduction

Historical Context

About the Author

Other Works/Adaptations

Discussion Questions

Additional Resources

Credits

Teacher's Guide

No author ever wrote greater fiction than Leo Tolstoy, and he never wrote a more powerful work than The Death of Ivan Ilyich. This stark, compelling, and concise book deals—quite literally—with matters of life and death. I have read this startling novella at least ten times, and I never finish it without a sense of awe and wonder at how profoundly Tolstoy reveals the heights and depths of our common humanity.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a 2004 NEA report, identified a critical decline in reading for pleasure among American adults. The Big Read aims to address this issue directly by providing citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities.

A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us. Whether you’re a regular reader already or a nonreader making up for lost time, thank you for joining the Big Read.

Dana Gioia
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts