The Death of Ivan Ilyich

On his deathbed, the gravely ill judge Ivan Ilyich reflects on his life with bitter realizations: his profession means nothing to him, he and his wife have grown apart, and all the pleasures he shared with his friends now seem like wasted time. In short, he wishes he had lived differently. Isolated from his family, Ivan suffers both mental and physical torment, which his doctors are completely helpless to alleviate. Tolstoy's tale of the death struggle of a disillusioned man is narrated by Gert Westphal, whose storytelling enhances the profound intimacy and linguistic power of the text. Unabridged reading with Gert Westphal, 1 mp3-CD, approx. 2 hours 23 minutes.