About On the Shortness of Life
What it's about
A Roman Stoic writes to a busy friend: life is not short, we waste it. Seneca shows how greed, ambition and putting things off steal our days, and how the great minds of the past can make a life long.
Who it's for
Busy students and workers who feel there is never enough time, and readers of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus who want another Stoic voice.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 748 words
- Reading time
- about 6 minutes (~2 min per part)
- Author
- Seneca
If you liked this, read
- Meditations · B2
- The Enchiridion · B2
- Walden · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading On the Shortness of Life in English: quick answers
- What English level is On the Shortness of Life on SeoJae Story?
- On the Shortness of Life by Seneca is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is On the Shortness of Life hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read On the Shortness of Life in simple English?
- About 6 minutes of reading in total — roughly 2 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of On the Shortness of Life?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is On the Shortness of Life free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is On the Shortness of Life in the public domain?
- Yes. Seneca's On the Shortness of Life is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #64576). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.