Though famous for War and Peace, Tolstoy was equally adept at shorter works as is shown by this novella. Ivan Ilyich Golovin is a high court judge living a carefree life in St Petersburg. One day, without warning, he is beset by pains and soon has to come to terms with the fact that he is going to die. The judge must learn to face death without fear and yet feel compassion for the family he is leaving behind.
