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 Illyichis the most outstanding. In this tale he deals with the subject ofdeath, which for civilised people of our time has become a taboo.Beforeopening this book the reader should be warned: this is strong meat, notto be tasted by the squeamish. Whether the reader finds the hero'sspiritual conversion convincing or not, he/she cannot fail to beimpressed by the sheer power and artistry of Tolstoy's writing.