Tolstoy is most famous for his two major novels, Anna Karenina and War and Peace, but he also produced several minor masterpieces, of which The Death of Ivan Illyich is the most outstanding. In this tale he deals with the subject of death, which is a subject often considered taboo.

Before opening this book the reader should be warned: this is strong meat, not to be tasted by the squeamish. Whether the reader finds the hero's spiritual conversion convincing or not, they cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer power and artistry of Tolstoy's writing.