4 estrellas para "La muerte de Iván Ilich" que al final es el relato más importante y largo (70 pags de los 128)
El resto de relatos, aunque entiendo la importancia del mensaje y escribe muy muy bien, me han dejado un poco frío, me han dado bastante igual ...

I picked this up earlier this year for a book-club read of The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and then I continued dipping into it throughout the year to read the rest of the stories. The first couple of stories (The Prisoner of the Caucasus and The Diary of a Madman) are relatively light, but then starting with The Death of Ivan Ilyich, it’s one brilliant story after another. Tolstoy has a way of plainly writing the deepest, most complex aspects of human nature. It’s sometimes such an accurate portrayal of humanity’s worst impulses that it’s hard to read—but worth confronting and contemplating. I’ll need to reread Hadji Murat sometime, as I wasn’t patient or engaged enough to fully get into all the historical detail. Having just rewatched The Bridge on the River Kwai as I was reading Hadji Murat, however, I was struck by the parallels in the two war stories. Tolstoy’s story could almost end with a character repeating, “Madness . . .”

(Closer to 3.5)

Maybe there are those who think that Tolstoy didn't have much of a writing life beyond 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina'. Lord knows he could certainly have capped his pen upon completion of those massive tomes. But, no, he wrote on; I suppose to varying degrees of success. ~ as evidenced by this volume of stories.

My main interest in picking the volume up had to do with something I read in passing re: Kurosawa's 'Ikiru' (a film I admire). It seems the film was inspired by 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich'. Well... that turns out to be something of a stretch. Aside from a few details that Tolstoy used (granted, significant ones), the two stories have almost nothing in common. But Akira did seem rather fond of the Russians so maybe running with a few details was enough for him.

Overall, I'd say that 6 of the 11 stories here (covering such themes as love / jealousy, ambition, mortality, temptation, loyalty, human darkness) make for compelling reads - for the fact that they contain consistently engaging writing throughout, even if they aren't particularly great stories. Those 6 are:

'The Death of Ivan Ilyich'
'The Kreutzer Sonata'
'The Devil'
'Master and Man'
'Father Sergius'
'The Forged Coupon'

One of them - 'Master and Man' - comes very close to great. ~ which is odd, considering I had thought early into the read that it might be a chore to get through. It didn't seem promising. Yet, there was something in the story that whispered, 'Stay with me. I'm taking you somewhere interesting.' And, yes, it did - it took me to a place not only interesting but rather moving as well.

'The Forged Coupon' is of note for its pointed domino-theory depiction of both wrongdoing and spiritual allure.

The volume concludes with (the very long) 'Hadji Murat' - which shows Tolstoy as historian more than storyteller. While the tale is sort-of vivid in a cross-cultural sense, it's a bit of a snooze as a narrative.

I should add that this is yet another satisfying Pevear and Volokhonsky translation. The duo managed to keep things fluid and energized, almost no matter what.

The version I read included: Family Happiness, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, The Kreutzer Sonata, and The Devil. To put it very simplistically and in the order in which I appreciated the stories, Family Happiness is about love and relationships, Ivan Ilyich is about dying and selfishness, The Kreutzer Sonata is about jealousy and mistrust, and The Devil is about lust and desire. Most of these themes are found in most of the stories, however; it is simply a matter of emphasis.

Each story was, for me, besides a wonderful read also a stimulus for reflection about the topics that Tolstoy tackles. Especially Family Happiness has stuck with me; in fact, days after I finished the story it inspired me to write a long letter to my ex-girlfriend. No I won't share any details, and no I wasn't (even) drunk. ;) In all seriousness, it is a fantastic story that will appeal especially to the romantics amongst us.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Kreutzer Sonata were captivating and terrifying each in their own way while I could relate less to The Devil, which is probably why, although I still very much enjoyed reading it, I feel the least for it in the end.

Veamos, veamos señor Tolstói. Le doy 4 estrellas porque el relato que ocupa gran parte del libro, "La muerte de Iván Ilich", es, sino el mejor, uno de los mejores relatos que he leído. La forma en que Tolstói nos muestra las diferentes inquietudes de una persona para afrontar la muerte y todo lo que rodea a esta misma ha hecho que merezca la pena rebuscar entre los libros de segunda mano de una tienda random durante 30 minutos.

Al igual que hace mi compañero Juan voy a valorar con estrellas cada relato del libro, pero yo lo haré sobre 5.

La muerte de Iván Ilich: 5 ⭐ (Brillante)
Los tres ermitaños: 3,5 ⭐ (Un relato religioso interesante)
Las tres muertes: 2,75 ⭐ (Sin más)
El ahijado: 3,15 ⭐ (Otro relato religioso, comienza bien pero siento que se le lia un poco la cosa)

Each story is brilliant in its own way, but I would definitely recommend reading each story separately and not reading them one after another. I found that when I previously read the Kreutzer sonata I loved it because I could get into Tolstoy's story and philosophy completely whereas this time round I already had much to think on from the previous stories.
I think each story says so much about human nature, relationships and who we are that to do them justice they need to be read individually.

This contains 4 of Tolstoy's short stories, although all four are relatively long tales. I found them all a bit slow for my tastes but there is some very good stuff here that hits pretty hard. The first story is "Family Happiness," about a love affair developing between a young woman just coming of age and a considerably older man. It details the build up of passion in the relationship that then matures into a more long-term emotional bond. I found it quite good, although longer than necessary.

Then we have "The Death of Ivan Ilych," the best story I've read by Tolstoy, and one that wrings the last measure of emotion out of the reader as Ivan Ilych lies dying. A very good story. Next we have "The Kreutzer Sonata," a kind of treatise on love. Despite having the story told second hand rather than being shown, I found the tale about a man's developing jealousy and the murder of his wife to be compellilng.

The last tale here is "Master and Man," which was--in my opinion--definitely second rate and not up to the quality of the other three. A rich man who is concerned only with accruing more wealth forces one of his workers to take him out in a blizzard so that he can make a business deal. They get lost in the snow twice and find their way to a village, but rather than take the hint the man heads out again and the expected happens. They get completely lost and must try to survive the night in freezing conditions. I felt sorry for the worker and the horse pulling their buggy but absolutely no sympathy for the rich man and could only hope that he would die as quickly as possible.

اقتنيت هذا الكتاب لأقرأ قصة ايفان ولم انتبه في البدايه لوجود قصص اخرى مدرجه معها ، وعليه فإن رأيي سيكون مقتصرا على موت ايفان ايليتش ذلك اني لم اكمل باقي القصص لأكثر من سبب :
الاول :اني لم استسغ أن أقرأ بأسلوب تولستوي لفتره طويله رغم أن القصص قصيره ، لكني افضل ان اترك مسافه بين كل نص ونص أقرأه لكاتب
الثاني وهو الأهم : المترجم ! قرأت التعليق المدرج اول الصفحات وهو يحكي فيه عن ما يتضمنه الكتاب وذكر أنه هنالك قصتين اضافييتن مع ايفان ، لكني اكتشفت وجود عدة قصص اخرى لم يأتي على ذكرها ، وبرأيي أما أن تفصل وتوضح أو تجمل بالعموم .
طبعا ليس هذا السبب بالتحديد ، الترجمه بالنسبه لي كانت كارثه ، انا لا أقبل أن أقرأ قصة عن راهب مسيحي يقول :" اللهم جنبنا الفتن ما ظهر منها وما بطن"! نص مقتبس من القرآن لان هذا يخرجني من جو الكتاب وينقلني الى الواقع بطريقه سيئه ، انا افهم أن الترجمه مقاربة للغات والثقافات لكن ليس بهذه الطريقه ، في موضع آخر يقول على لسان البطل " كالانعام بل هم اضل سبيلا " !! هذا الأمر استفزني ف اكتفيت بقراءة قصة ايفان لأنها هدفي الأساسي

نأتي الآن إلى موت ايفان ، ايفان هذا رجل يتقلد اعلى المناصب القضائيه ويكون أسرة يسعى لأن تبدو سعيده أما في حقيقتها فهي بالغة التعاسه ، يصاب ب مرض وتبدأ هنا معاناته واسئلته ومجادلاته مع الرب : لم حدث لي انا كل هذا ؟ اين أخطأت؟
عاش حياته بصورة يعتقدها صحيحه ، لكن ايام مرضه أوحت له بالعكس ، فازداد رعبا ، أن تعيش عمرا كاملا بطريقة سيئه ولا تكتشف ذلك إلا متاخرا أمر مرعب !
يموت ايفان وهذا أمر نعرفه من بداية القصه ، ويترك لنا عبئ التفكير في حياتنا الباقيه ، هل نحياها بصورتها الافضل؟ وهل قراراتنا التي نأخذها لن تنقلب علينا فيما بعد ؟
أجاد تولستوي عرض القصه وتقمص مشاعر المريض البائس المخذول

The Death of Ivan Ilych is notable for many things not the least being its focus on the life of Ivan Ilych; for, after introducing the narrative with the announcement of his death the story continues with his life up to and including his last days. This is the story of a very ordinary man, a Russian equivalent of an American John Smith, who is notable by his coworkers as being likable, but not so important that they do not make their first thoughts upon his death an intense discussion about how each might benefit from his passing -- whether through promotion or increase in salary.

A deceptively simple tale, it is admirable in its brevity, succinctness, and even ordinariness. Reading this short novel reminded me of some of the existentialist works that I have read and studied over the years (think of Camus' The Stranger or The Plague).
Tolstoy's story is a meditation on the death of an every man, a bureaucrat whose life was anything but uncommon. Effortlessly, Tolstoy examines life’s shallow exteriors as well as its inner workings. And in the quotidian details of a life we see pageant of folly. After noting Ivan's rise to apparent success in chapter three, there begins a slow descent into illness and inevitably death. As death approaches there are signs ignored, reality deferred, and only slowly does wisdom emerge not like a dull moral lesson, but heavy, as if from a downpour, with all the weight, shine and freshness of real life. We see, vividly, Ivan Ilych’s errors until one day we realize that someone is looking at us as if we were a character in The Death of Ivan Ilych. This is a small book with a large impact on the reader. It is one that has not lost its power more than a century after its first appearance.

The Devil is a fable-like short story from the from the latter period of Tolstoy's fiction writing career, almost thirty years after his own marriage. In it two young men, Eugene Irtenev and his brother, are left a large inheritance after the death of their father. In spite of the debts associated with the inheritance, Eugene accepts it and buys off his brother's portion, thinking that he can sell off large tracts of land while making improvements to the rest. Living alone with his mother while working on the farm, Eugene misses the relations he had with women while living in St. Petersburg. After inquiring in the village, he is introduced to a young peasant named Stepanida whose husband lives away in the city. For several months Eugene and Stepanida have encounters, with Eugene paying her each time. Eventually, Eugene's mother thinks it is time for him to get married, preferably to an heiress who will help them with their debts. However her plan is foiled when Eugene falls in love with Liza Annenskaya, a charming middle-class girl, and they are married after Eugene breaks off relations with Stepanida.
After a year of marriage, Liza employs two peasant women to help with cleaning the estate. One of them is Stepanida. When Eugene notices her, all the passion for her that he thought was forgotten comes rushing back. He can't stop thinking about her and decides that she must be sent away. Liza later suffers a harmful fall while pregnant, and Eugene takes her for a rest cure to the Crimea for two months on doctor's orders. She gives birth to a daughter, and Eugene's financial prospects are starting to look promising. His estate is described as being in the best working condition it has ever been, and he thinks he is finally happy.
At a village festival, Eugene notices Stepanida dancing, and their glances re-awaken his desire. Tormented by lust, he thinks of resuming relations with her, but realizes that the affair would cause too much of a scandal. Eugene says of Stepanida,
"She's a devil. An outright devil. She's taken possession of me against my will. Kill? yes. Only two ways out: kill my wife or her. Because to live like this is impossible." (p 204)
(Following this there are two versions of the ending presented by the translators, Pevear and Volokhonsky) Each version of the ending is fundamentally similar for while in the original version Eugene commits suicide with a revolver, in the revised version he kills Stepanida followed by prison and a return home where he drowns himself with drink.
This story seems like a straightforward cautionary tale with Eugene refusing to take responsibility for his own lack of moral fiber or will. Tolstoy is suggesting we should be responsible for our actions, but are we ever really able to control our will? Is there instead an "Imp of the Perverse" who takes control out of our hands and minds? That was an idea suggested by Edgar Allan Poe and it may be the reason why we sometimes lose our mind. If we are luckier than Eugene we may be able to keep our life (if not our mistress).

Tough read very dense but very good

Perhaps the best indicator of how much I enjoyed these short stories and novellas by Leo Tolstoy is the fact that halfway through reading this I ordered his entire catalogue of his shorter works. Many of the works contained in this collection are also available for individual purchase. As someone whose wife is becoming more and more irritated by the weekly arrival of book purchases, this ~500 page collection was clutch.

"Why should it go on, this human race?" he said.
"Why, if it didn't we wouldn't exist."
"And why should we exist?"
"Why? In order to live."
-The Kreutzer Sonata.

I remember initially being intimidated by the so-called "Great Russian Novelists" and wondering if their prose would be decipherable by someone such as myself. While the patronymics can sometimes be confusing, the translations of almost every major work are readable by anyone I think I know.

All serious readers are blessed to have Tolstoy in our lives. I'm already looking forward to cracking open the books that I purchased while reading this. They appeared on my bookshelf without my wife even knowing they arrived.

Io amo profondamente la letteratura russa, perché ti entra dentro e non ti lascia più andare. Quando termino un grande classico russo, ho sempre l'impressione che l'esperienza di lettura non sia terminata avendo riposto il volume nella libreria di casa. Per giorni, settimane, mesi, e a volte anche anni, questi romanzi e questi scrittori mi fanno riflettere, e mi tormentano con questioni esistenziali.

E' anche il caso di questa breve novella di Lev Tolstoj, pubblicata nel 1886, che offre una profonda riflessione sulla vita, la morte e il senso dell'esistenza umana, e che rappresenta uno dei più grandi esempi della capacità di Tolstoj di esplorare le questioni morali e filosofiche attraverso la narrazione.

Le vicende narrate ruotano intorno alla figura di Ivan Il'ič Golovin, un giudice di corte di mezza età che conduce una vita ordinaria, apparentemente soddisfacente e conformista. Tuttavia, la sua esistenza viene sconvolta quando scopre di essere affetto da una malattia incurabile; un evento catastrofico che porta Ivan Il'ič a una dolorosa presa di coscienza della propria mortalità e della vacuità della sua vita fino a quel momento.

Tolstoj, con la sua straordinaria maestria narrativa, ci conduce all'interno del mondo interiore del protagonista, rivelando il processo di lenta disintegrazione fisica e psicologica che Ivan Il'ič sperimenta. La malattia non è solo una condizione fisica, ma diventa un simbolo della crisi esistenziale che lo consuma. Ivan si rende conto che la sua vita, basata su valori superficiali come il successo professionale, il denaro e il rispetto sociale, è stata priva di vero significato. La scrittura di Tolstoj è potente e penetrante. Ogni parola sembra essere accuratamente scelta per catturare l'intensità delle emozioni di Ivan e per riflettere il suo graduale avvicinarsi alla consapevolezza della verità della propria esistenza. La descrizione dei suoi ultimi giorni è struggente e rende con straordinaria vividezza il senso di angoscia, solitudine e disperazione che lo pervade. Tuttavia, è proprio attraverso questa profonda sofferenza che Ivan alla fine riesce a raggiungere una sorta di liberatoria epifania spirituale.

"La morte di Ivan Il'ič" è un romanzo breve che non solo racconta la storia di un uomo, ma esplora l'esperienza universale della morte e del significato della vita, e lo fa con una tale profondità emotiva e intellettuale che rimane impresso nella mente e nel cuore del lettore anche molto tempo dopo aver girato l'ultima pagina.

In questa edizione gli Adelphi infine, è presente anche il racconto "Tre morti", che esplora allo stesso modo il tema della morte attraverso le esperienze di tre personaggi diversi: una nobildonna, un contadino e un albero. Tolstoj mette a confronto i diversi modi in cui le persone affrontano la morte, evidenziando le contraddizioni tra la vita artificiale e ipocrita della nobiltà e la vita semplice e naturale del contadino. L'albero invece, che muore anch'esso nel racconto, simboleggia la connessione profonda con la natura e la ciclicità della vita. Con il suo stile sobrio ma profondamente evocativo, Tolstoj ci invita a riflettere sulla mortalità e su come il nostro atteggiamento verso la vita influenzi inevitabilmente il modo in cui affrontiamo la fine. Una lezione sulla dignità e sull'accettazione della morte come parte integrante della vita.