The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Master and Man [Hardcover]

Leo Tolstoy (Author), Ann Pasternak Slater (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2003

This new edition combines Tolstoy’s most famous short tale, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, with a less well known but equally brilliant gem, Master and Man, both newly translated by Ann Pasternak Slater. Both stories confront death and the process of dying: In Ivan Ilyich, a bureaucrat looks back over his life, which suddenly seems meaningless and wasteful, while in Master and Man, a landowner and servant must each confront the value of the other as they brave a devastating snowstorm. The quintessential Tolstoyan themes of mortality, spiritual redemption, and life’s meaning are nowhere more movingly and deftly explored than in these two tales.

This unique edition also includes a critical Introduction and extensive notes by Ann Pasternak Slater, a Fellow at St. Anne’s College, Oxford.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“No one has ever excelled Tolstoy in expressing that specific flavor, the exact quality of a feeling.” —Isaiah Berlin

From the Inside Flap

This new edition combines Tolstoy?s most famous short tale, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, with a less well known but equally brilliant gem, Master and Man, both newly translated by Ann Pasternak Slater. Both stories confront death and the process of dying: In Ivan Ilyich, a bureaucrat looks back over his life, which suddenly seems meaningless and wasteful, while in Master and Man, a landowner and servant must each confront the value of the other as they brave a devastating snowstorm. The quintessential Tolstoyan themes of mortality, spiritual redemption, and life?s meaning are nowhere more movingly and deftly explored than in these two tales.

This unique edition also includes a critical Introduction and extensive notes by Ann Pasternak Slater, a Fellow at St. Anne?s College, Oxford.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library; 1st edition (September 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679642935
• ISBN-13: 978-0679642930
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,050,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) wrote two of the great novels of the nineteenth century, War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great short fiction, May 3, 2007

By 

Jake Barnes "docmoog" (Birmingham, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Master and Man (Hardcover)

These are two of Tolstoy's best short novels, wonderfully translated, with an insightful introduction and biographical note. Both stories are masterpieces of craft -- fun to read, but with a strong moral center -- the way all good fiction should be. I had stayed away from Tolstoy for a long time, unwilling to tackle War & Peace or Anna Karenina, but these two short novels show his mastery of story and psychological insight, so this is a great place to start. I know I'll be reading more Tolstoy after this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Living a right life, October 18, 2009

By 

Wordsworth (Greenwich, CT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Master and Man (Hardcover)

In the end as death approaches Ivan Ilyich gives himself credit for living a right life. That is, he considers that he has lived a life which fulfills the expectations that he has had for himself. He has after all become a successful and even influential magistrate in the judicial council. Essentially, he considers himself an ethical man. The question which which torments him, as he approaches the end of his life, is whether he led the right life. Did he lead a life that was the best possible one for him? It's one thing to become educated, marry, have children, work hard and die. It's quite another to choose a life which is fulfilling. "There is no explanation. Suffering, death ... for what?" he asks. He becomes consumed with the question as to what is the point of his life? And he has no satisfying answers to this question. His ultimate judgment is upon himself and yet the verdict lacks clarity. Ultimately, to his colleagues the greatest importance is who will take his place upon the judicial council after he is gone. The irony is rich in this story by Tolstoy who has a gift for defning the great questions of life (How Much Land Does a Man Need?) You can never do wrong by reading Tolstoy: this is a very fine and accessible piece of writing beautiflly and lyrically translated by Ann Pasternak Slater.

4.0 out of 5 stars Need a close reading, July 23, 2011

By 

S. Girard (NH, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Master and Man (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

The former was thoroughly engrossing but I don't think I gave the latter adequate attention with all that has been going on and will have to go back to it again at some point. It was my first Tolstoy, he has been on my list forever but his longer works are daunting :-) I have always wanted to read Anna Karenina.