The Death of Ivan Ilyich: Fight Club without the violence or snarky rants.

Our protagonist discovers how differently people treat you if they think you are dying. He realizes the meaninglessness of modern materialistic culture, of seeking status and money. But instead of starting a secret boxing cult, he just *SPOILERS* dies.

Confession: Tolstoy has a mid-life crisis.

The author, at the peak of his life, has everything that he could ask for: a loving family, wealth, respect, fame, health. He takes the advice of Ozymandias, looks upon his works, and despairs.
"Why? Well, and then what?"
Realizing everything he has done will eventually be gone and forgotten, that he and everyone he knows will be dead, wonders what the point of all of it is and why he should bother continue going on with it.
Science and philosophy fail to provide him any satisfying answers. He notices that the uneducated working class don't seem bothered by questions of existential nihilism and tries the opiate of the masses. His attempt to get right with Jesus is hindered by his disgust with the hippocrocy of the church.
Then he has a weird dream.

Thanks for nothing Tolstoy!