Highly recommend Tolstoy's Death of Ivan Ilyich. One alternative sequence is you can start at part II, read to the end, then read part I. Edit: My guess is part

Highly recommend Tolstoy's Death of Ivan Ilyich. One alternative sequence is you can start at part II, read to the end, then read part I. Edit: My guess is part I is there to show the reader what his/her own reaction to death is, before he begins his lesson. http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/english/Tolstoy_Ivan.pdf http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/english/Tolstoy_Ivan.pdf