Interesting read. The beginning felt a little underwhelming but it grew on to be better by the end. I particularly liked the way Ivan is written to have a yearning for pity and detest for reminders of life from those around him, a more unique take on a chronically ill character aware that death is approaching him.

4/5 that up until halfway through was going to be a solid 3. I still do not believe Tolstoy's characters are such intricately designed masterpieces for a man that criticised Dostoevsky for his archetypal doomed protagonist.