Book Recommendation: The Death of Ivan Ilyich 

Many thanks for this Conor. Great to have a book recommendation and inspirational message combined in this video. I particularly like your suggestion that we should be looking how to go beyond 'the system' to actualize oneself in life. It reminded me of that quote from the Dalai Lama:'Make sure you learn all the rules really well, so you will know how to break them'! I'll definitely be checking this novel out!

The story of the park is actually from Akira Kurosawa's film Ikiru, based pretty heavily on Tolstoy's novella, but with some changes, including making the transformation a little more clear with the resolution of the park. Tolstoy's ending is a little more psychological and metaphysical, but either way, it amounts to nearly the same meaning! Loved the video!

That's one of those strange coincidences. I just today listened to an Italian audiobook version; and here you are with the video. Very good analysis, Mr Neill. Maybe you could make this a habit and keep anticipating what I read and provide prescient immediate interpretation…

Thank you so much for your recommendation. As always, you are insightful with any topic you present. I will definitely read this book and reflect upon it.

Interesting how each person takes different messages from the same book. The main one for me was you can't live a life seeking only pleasure & social recognition. Ignoring and avoiding his wife's recurrent complains, ignoring his kids .. and instead focusing ever more on work/career and games with friends .. he ended up having the end he perhaps deserved. Maybe in 5-10 years I read again and take a different message. Thanks for the tip, very much appreciate them

I have been following you for many years. You have a great ability to inspire people. Thank you for making an impact. Wish you and your family a happy new year and a beginning of a new decade!!

Thanks Conor you're really an amazing speaker, listening to you always gives me hope. I' ll read the book, it seems a good one. 💗

Hey Conor, hope your next video is going to drop sometime this week. You’re a fantastic teacher. I have been thoroughly learning and taking great value from your videos. Keep up the good work

Happy New Year Professor ! Nice story to start the new decade with. Wish you all the very best.

I actually read this back in high school but will read again!

It's so profound, thank you Conor! It is so difficult to stop and think!

Happy new year! Next week I begin my biggest leadership challenge. Your videos are an inspiration. Thanks. Keep doing them.

Thank you, Conor, for another inspiring video. Years ago I read 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich'. After watching your video I have read it again. Surprisingly, the first “celebrated doctor” he consults does not tell him that he is going to die and that he has two months to live. On page 24 of the free version that you have shared can be read: “To Ivan Ilych only one question was important: was his case serious or not? But the doctor ignored that inappropriate question”. On the other hand, the project to build a city park and the determination of the protagonist to make it a reality does not appear in the story either. Now, Conor, I'm intrigued and would like to know if there are two versions of the novel or if (perhaps) it's another story. Have a great 2020!

I just finished this book and loved it. So thought provoking. Enjoyed your video talking about this great book! I’m surprised how overlooked this book is!

Thank you Conor for the talk and a Happy New Year .The Mark Twain quote is one I'll remember. I believe you've found your purpose and found it quite some time ago.

I read the book and found no mention of the Park... Maybe Conor read another version of Tolstoi’s book. The ending of the book is quite confusing, and Ivan Ilyich never heard from the doctors that he’s gonna die. The doctors could not figure out what he was exacly suffering from. His illness remains a mystery for him and his doctors. Their treatments didn’t work at all. Ivan Ilyich spends his last weeks and hours facing excruciating pain (both physically and psychologically) and he was constantly wondering why he had to die in such a way whereas he lived his life trying to fulfill dis duties. It’s an amazing story about the meaning of life, about the deception of what we tend to see as really worth living... Maybe Conor did read a translated version whose plot was modified and is different from the original one...

Where is this park in the story? How does Ivan lead the building of a park from his bed? The end is nothing to do with kids in a park, it his death! Did you read a fake edition or are you making this up?

Thank you, Connor for this great insight! It comes at a very important time in my life. Just finished writing a book and having (much expected) hard time getting a contract with publishers. And your talk moved me toward having the courage to just publish it online for everyone to read and hopefully extract from it something useful and applicable. As opposed to waiting out indefinitely on a contract. You reminded me of the good old 'memento mori'. After all it is the first book I wrote and who knows - it may be my last and only. It may be as well to take easy and put it out there for free while I still have the chance to share something useful. Thank you!

There is a story in Mahabharat, the Indian Ancient Epic. In this story once a Guru askes all his students to aim a bird on the tree with their arrows, & then asks them what they see. Every student tell different things, such as some said he see fruits on the tree, some said large tree and bird on it & so on. But the Arjun, who later becomes the greatest Archer & Warrior replies that he see only birds eye. Different perspectives as per their abilities. With your today's piece of video, I reckon that story. Great Conor, as always. I would certainly read this book. And have a very happy new year.

What can I say? You, professor is a "lesson for me", thanks!I'm always learning more and more with you. What a message ! I think that I've just begun my second life...I've just realized that we only live once...ThanksMaria Luiza Rodriguez Acerbi

Amazing I love this... keep it up Peace love and Abundance

Thanks for sharing true meaning of our life

very inspiring my mentor... I learned a lot for very videos you are sharing...You are an excellent mentor...

Looking forward to reading this. Thank you. It reminds me of Akira Kurosawa's film Ikiru.

This is truly inspiring

??? what book version did you read? The park you speak is in a movie called IKIRU. Ivan Illich just dies at the end. Not sure who wrote the park bit tho.

There is no City Park in soviet edition, I'm afraid. (Л.Н.Толстой. Собрание сочинений в 22 т. М.: Художественная литература, 1982. Т.12). So the story is more depressive and much closer to the real life. The real prototype of Ivan Ilyuch Golovin was Ivan Ilyich Mechnikov, a prosecutor of the circuit court of Tula, died 2nd June 1881; he was the brother of Ilya Ilyuch Mechnikov -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lie_Metchnikoff -- russian and french zoologist. So the death was real. Almost. So this very story, I guess, is some kind of that City Park for Ivan Mechnikov; but it's much better than just a park, for so many people are able to learn from it at any time all around the globe. (And also this "Park" doesn't have the name "Mechnikov" on it -- it's "Golovin").

👍👍 so useful. I am gonna read the book

thanks conor for your advice.

Thank you Conor for this video. I am inspired to reflect on the impact and purpose of my life. #HRwithEM

I am so excited to read it

Happy new year sir 🙂

I adore your videos. plz what microphone are u using. I wanna buy it ?

Awesome book!!! 😃

Thank you!

Nice massage for 2020.

Nice! I read that story in my English 102 class here in the USA. Can you do a video about critical thinking 👏

I did read Ivan Ilyich in my early twenties, I did appropriate the book very much. The story stuck with me for more than thirty years now, I would always remember how Ivan Ilyich from a simple unplanned minor fall could suffer death. Lesson learned for me was not to have an unexpected fall, always plan. I appropriate you giving us another way to look and ponder this great story. Mouness

Thank you for recommending books, please keep doing so. To answer your question on purpose of Ivan's life, I believe it is to fit-in into "higher" society by taking on its specific behaviour and customs. However by trying to do so, he distanced himself from people and kept running away from family problems, which led him to loneliness and mental controversy during the last weeks of his life. This book exemplifies yet again, death is imminent and life is too short to live it superficially and unsubstantially.

Thank you

Happy new year

Just downloaded it on Audible--thanks, CN

Thanks

When light be ON. Thank you Master*

Iam Algeria I like so much to follow you

I like the video very much. Real life is not about following orders only but firstly being sure that these orders are humane doing something to change life of people to the best. Thank you for the video

8 words. => culture, philosophy, Pieces of amazing advices. I ve just noticed we live just once. Mark Twain.Thanks Maria Luiza

Hey neil love from india, keralam...

If you liked the book, you must watch Kurosawa's Ikiru

Seems like a very interesting book

twenty twenty like...twenty love...twenty wishes of happy and good health for you and for your family...we love you😉👍

Any translation that is particularly good?

Hebrews 9:27

Almost 8 wo. rds How to thank you for all ypu"ve brought to my life

I'm pretty happy to have an ability to read it in Russian))

This 'park' sub plot is not in the book.

You are agreat man

What an absolutely bizarre review. There is nothing in Tolstoy’s book that even remotely resembles the city park episode described at the 6:30 mark. Sounds like he didn’t bother reading it and found a film adaptation to watch.

Finished reading the Libravox audio version off of RU-vid last night. In 2004, I was in the hospital and started down a path similar to Ivan Ilyitch. My family and friends would come see me and it was as if they were in a different world. I somehow knew I was not going to die. The surgeons removed a non-cancerous mass from my intestine and I recovered. I have always believed in the faith I had during the experience. Now, 15 years later, I read this book and wonder... Ivan Ilyitch had the same faith at one point, but it proved unfounded. The experience certainly led me to change my life priorities. However, life is like a river that drags one away from their destination on the other side. A reminder of one's mortality helps with perspective. Thanks for pointing me this way!

Another awesome book on the same theme is 'On the shortness of life', by Seneca. Link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ABRN0E_mI0U.html