A review by elizabethmercas
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Devil by Leo Tolstoy

dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

The Death of Ivan Ilych - 1.75 🌟

read the Hugh Alpin translation - completely and utterly hated it.
this, for me, is the first book by Tolstoy that I've read and did not like - I tried to like it, but just felt helples in the process.

*but maybe someday I might try another translation

The Devil - 3 🌟 

read the Hugh Alpin translation - and it was not nearly as tragic as with The Death of Ivan Ilyich.
I liked the pacing and the writing style (although...😳) but I expected more from the story that what it delivered.
A good short-story nonetheless, but for me Tolstoy works best in a larger format.