By Leo Tolstoy
A carefree Russian official has what seems to be a trivial accident…
My second Russian literature book. It tells the story of Ivan, the second born son and his career in the Russian legal system. We see him go through a spotless career, earning promotion after promotion as he rises to become a judge.
He marries, has children and one day when everything seems to be going well he falls ill.
The book relates the story of his gruelling battle with death and his frustration with his family spills over. Clearly, he is in pain and scared.
Ivan feels his death to be unjust, especially as he has led what he believes to a moral life.
towards the end he reckons his life to somewhat difficult as he compromises to her servant Gerasim, a peasant boy with a kind and gentle nature who is one of the few who treat him with compassion and sympathy.
The book ends with Ivan drawing his last breath he releases his life was not about what it should have been bit an be put right.
