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Tolstoy's Short Fiction
This Norton Critical Edition presents twelve of Tolstoy 's best-known stories, based on the Louise and Aylmer Maude translations (except Alyosha Gorshok ), which have been revised by the editor for enhanced comprehension and annotated for student readers. The Second Edition newly includes A Prisoner in the Caucasus, Father Sergius, and After the Ball, in addition to Michael Katz 's new translation of Alyosha Gorshok. Together these stories represent the best of the author 's short fiction before War and Peace and after Anna Karenina. Backgrounds and Sources includes two Tolstoy memoirs, A History of Yesterday (1851) and The Memoirs of a Madman (1884), as well as entries expanded in the Second Edition from Tolstoy 's Diary for 1855 and selected letters (1858 95) that shed light on the author 's creative process.
Criticism collects twenty-three essays by Russian and western scholars, six of which are new to this Second Edition. Interpretations focus both on Tolstoy 's language and art and on specific themes and motifs in individual stories. Contributors include John M. Kopper, Gary Saul Morson, N. G. Chernyshevsky, Mikhail Bakhtin, Harsha Ram, John Bayley, Vladimir Nabokov, Ruth Rischin, Margaret Ziolkowski, and Donald Barthelme.
A Chronology of Tolstoy 's life and work and an updated Selected Bibliography are also included.
Criticism collects twenty-three essays by Russian and western scholars, six of which are new to this Second Edition. Interpretations focus both on Tolstoy 's language and art and on specific themes and motifs in individual stories. Contributors include John M. Kopper, Gary Saul Morson, N. G. Chernyshevsky, Mikhail Bakhtin, Harsha Ram, John Bayley, Vladimir Nabokov, Ruth Rischin, Margaret Ziolkowski, and Donald Barthelme.
A Chronology of Tolstoy 's life and work and an updated Selected Bibliography are also included.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1857
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About the author
Michael R. Katz
50 books36 followersMichael R. Katz is the C. V. Starr Professor Emeritus of Russian and East European Studies at Middlebury College. He has published translations of more than fifteen Russian novels, including Fathers and Children and Notes from Underground. He lives in Cornwall, Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 24, 2017
If you enjoyed War and Peace and Anna Karenina then this illuminating volume should be on your list. These short stories including the highly regarded novella The Death of Ivan Ilych show how Tolstoy’s craft developed over his lifetime. The stories, written between 1855 and 1905, were selected as some of Tolstoy’s best. They are followed with excerpts from Tolstoy’s diary, some of his letters, and over twenty different pieces of literary criticism. This supplemental material was very helpful not only to understand the included stories but Tolstoy’s novels as well. The critic John Kopper notes that Tolstoy embedded short stories in his novels, many with similar themes to the stories in this collection.
We learn not only about Tolstoy the writer but Tolstoy the man. Tolstoy interjects so much of himself into his writing that the two are inseparable. From his early writings about the Crimean War in 1855 to a story written 50 years later, we see the changes in Tolstoy and the essence that persists. He started out as other young men of means interested in fortune and fame, whiling away his nights playing cards and accumulating gambling debts. But unlike most peers he also kept a Franklin Diary listing his faults. He was always introspective, always preoccupied with death and the meaning of life. While the moralizing that pervades his writing evolved over his life time; the fear and anguish that Tolstoy often portrays were always at his core.
Tolstoy was a disruptive writer. He breaks convention to engage the reader directly. The critic Gary Saul Morrison discusses Tolstoy’s use of absolute language. Take the first line of Anna Karenina “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” No character in the story says this. Tolstoy says this directly to the reader about the story. Many of Tolstoy’s stories contain these “proverbs”. He doesn’t want you to think of his work as fiction. To him his writing represents reality, the truth about human nature, of which he was a keen observer, a skill Tolstoy demonstrates from the beginning. Below are my thoughts on some of the most notable stories.
“Sevastopol in December”, “Sevastopol in May”: These 1855 pieces on the Crimean War illustrate Tolstoy’s early writing skills including an already masterful power of description. “Sevastopol in December” is written entirely in the second person. As Morrison points out this unusual technique immediately brings the reader into the story as a voyeur. In these Crimean pieces Tolstoy is already focused on the internal workings of the mind. We get the extraordinary description of the death of Captain Praskukhin, who was killed instantaneously by shrapnel. In that instant Tolstoy ascribes two pages of thoughts to Praskukhin as he contemplates death and his life passes before him. Critic N. G. Chernyshevsky notes that such inner monologues are unique to Tolstoy among Russian writers. Tolstoy was a Russian officer in Crimea. He paints a gruesome picture of the continual bombardments. But mostly he is preoccupied with the motives and thoughts of those caught up in the battle. We see the pride, the striving for advancement and recognition among the officers. We see the acceptance of death and horrific injury as long as it is someone else. We see the thankfulness for surviving in one piece while quickly forgetting those left behind. The Russian soldiers Tolstoy describes struck me as remarkably similar to those Vasily Grossman describes fighting Germans ninety years later in Life and Fate.
“The Memoirs of a Madman” was written in 1884 after War and Peace and Anna Karenina and published posthumously in 1912. It tells the story of a man who has an existential experience on a trip to the town of Arzamas. In fact Tolstoy himself had that experience in Arzamas in 1869. In a letter to his wife in the 1880’s he describes his night there, being unable to sleep when “suddenly I was seized by despair, fear and terror…I have never experienced such an excruciating feeling and I hope to God nobody else experiences it.” In the story the narrator asks “’What am I afraid of?’ ’Me!’ answered the voice of Death, inaudibly. ‘I am here.’” The narrator changes his life, embraces religion, starts seeing the peasants as people just like himself, gives away money to the poor and no longer seeks material gain. In this he finds peace, although it is very upsetting to his wife. According to literary critic Kathleen Parthe the philosopher Lev Shestov “understood Tolstoy to mean the consciousness of death is the path to awareness, but therein also lies the danger of insanity.”
The Death of Ivan Ilych was written in 1886. Vladimir Nabokov calls it Tolstoy’s “most artistic, most perfect, and most sophisticated achievement.” Ivan Ilyich was a successful lawyer and judge who lived what he considered the good life. His wife came from a good family, his daughter was betrothed to a man from another good family. He had the friends, house, furniture and furnishings to hold his head high among his peers. In the evenings there was bridge to play with buddies or social events to attend. And then one day hanging drapes he fell off a ladder. He felt at first a small pain then his health steadily deteriorated until he was bedridden and wasting away. Ivan goes through the five stages of grief just as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross laid them out over eighty years later: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The critic Y. J. Dayananda explores this in detail. Acceptance does not come easy for Ivan. He must first face the truth about the life he led. As he understands he is dying, he views his entire life, family and friends and his own self as shallow. He sees his family waiting for him to die to get this distasteful episode past, their words of support as superficial. He feels alone. He is in great physical pain and emaciated, but Tolstoy as usual focuses on the mental pain. The fear of death is all consuming because as Ivan examines his life he realizes it had no meaning. The nice drapes no longer matter. As Tolstoy put it to open the second chapter, ”Ivan Ilych’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and most terrible.” It was terrible because Ivan had lived for nothing of value.
“The Kreutzer Sonata” published in 1889 illustrates another Tolstoy technique to engage the reader. The proxy for the reader, a rider on a train, begins a conversation with a stranger. We learn our new traveling companion had killed his wife in a jealous rage. The stranger tells us about the relationship between his wife and the man he believes was her lover. We’re never sure there was any infidelity. Mostly we see the workings of the stranger’s mind. He recounts his internal debates as he deals with doubt, suspicion, disappointment, hate and anger. He blames a society that corrupts its inhabitants from birth to play perfunctory self-serving roles rendering a sincere relationship between a man and a woman impossible. This reflects Tolstoy’s own views on morality, society and its conventions. Interestingly, in an 1890’s letter Tolstoy admonishes himself for writing this story, questioning his own motives.
In “Master and Man” written in 1895 Tolstoy again portrays the decadent bourgeois concerned only about accumulating wealth and relishing his “accomplishments”. The landowner takes his horse and carriage and faithful peasant helper on a short trip to make a profitable deal. They are caught in a blinding snow storm, stop and cover up as best they can. But the master, realizing he might die, takes off on the only horse leaving the man to his fate. He doesn’t get far ending up where he started. He finds the abandoned peasant freezing to death lying in the carriage. Then miraculously the master does the right thing lying over top of the peasant to warm him. The landowner dies but the peasant who has dutifully accepted abuse from his master all his life is saved by his master’s last minute self-sacrifice. As one critic noted at the end the master became the man. As usual Tolstoy’s beliefs about society and morality guide the plot. And as always the writing is excellent. Some critics cite this story as one of Tolstoy’s best.
“Father Sergius” published in 1898 tells the story of a disillusioned young man who gives up a promising future to become a monk and dedicate his life to God. Handsome and skilled, he is considered for the monastery hierarchy, but he seeks purity and asks to become a hermit. As a hermit his reputation for goodness progresses to idolization as a saint. People come to him to be healed and he engages the crowds. Beautiful women are attracted to him. He fends off the first attempt to seduce him but later easily gives in. Realizing his pride in his saintliness led to his downfall he runs away becoming a vagrant but always offering service to others and giving away any reward. He is arrested and sent to Siberia where he works in the service of others. In this role of service rather than prayer and singular devotion he finds peace.
In summary, the stories are well written and well worth reading. Combined with the diary excerpts, letters and criticism, a picture of Tolstoy emerges that clarifies not only the included stories but his major novels as well. For the reader who wants to explore Tolstoy beyond War and Peace and Anna Karenina, this volume is highly recommended
We learn not only about Tolstoy the writer but Tolstoy the man. Tolstoy interjects so much of himself into his writing that the two are inseparable. From his early writings about the Crimean War in 1855 to a story written 50 years later, we see the changes in Tolstoy and the essence that persists. He started out as other young men of means interested in fortune and fame, whiling away his nights playing cards and accumulating gambling debts. But unlike most peers he also kept a Franklin Diary listing his faults. He was always introspective, always preoccupied with death and the meaning of life. While the moralizing that pervades his writing evolved over his life time; the fear and anguish that Tolstoy often portrays were always at his core.
Tolstoy was a disruptive writer. He breaks convention to engage the reader directly. The critic Gary Saul Morrison discusses Tolstoy’s use of absolute language. Take the first line of Anna Karenina “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” No character in the story says this. Tolstoy says this directly to the reader about the story. Many of Tolstoy’s stories contain these “proverbs”. He doesn’t want you to think of his work as fiction. To him his writing represents reality, the truth about human nature, of which he was a keen observer, a skill Tolstoy demonstrates from the beginning. Below are my thoughts on some of the most notable stories.
“Sevastopol in December”, “Sevastopol in May”: These 1855 pieces on the Crimean War illustrate Tolstoy’s early writing skills including an already masterful power of description. “Sevastopol in December” is written entirely in the second person. As Morrison points out this unusual technique immediately brings the reader into the story as a voyeur. In these Crimean pieces Tolstoy is already focused on the internal workings of the mind. We get the extraordinary description of the death of Captain Praskukhin, who was killed instantaneously by shrapnel. In that instant Tolstoy ascribes two pages of thoughts to Praskukhin as he contemplates death and his life passes before him. Critic N. G. Chernyshevsky notes that such inner monologues are unique to Tolstoy among Russian writers. Tolstoy was a Russian officer in Crimea. He paints a gruesome picture of the continual bombardments. But mostly he is preoccupied with the motives and thoughts of those caught up in the battle. We see the pride, the striving for advancement and recognition among the officers. We see the acceptance of death and horrific injury as long as it is someone else. We see the thankfulness for surviving in one piece while quickly forgetting those left behind. The Russian soldiers Tolstoy describes struck me as remarkably similar to those Vasily Grossman describes fighting Germans ninety years later in Life and Fate.
“The Memoirs of a Madman” was written in 1884 after War and Peace and Anna Karenina and published posthumously in 1912. It tells the story of a man who has an existential experience on a trip to the town of Arzamas. In fact Tolstoy himself had that experience in Arzamas in 1869. In a letter to his wife in the 1880’s he describes his night there, being unable to sleep when “suddenly I was seized by despair, fear and terror…I have never experienced such an excruciating feeling and I hope to God nobody else experiences it.” In the story the narrator asks “’What am I afraid of?’ ’Me!’ answered the voice of Death, inaudibly. ‘I am here.’” The narrator changes his life, embraces religion, starts seeing the peasants as people just like himself, gives away money to the poor and no longer seeks material gain. In this he finds peace, although it is very upsetting to his wife. According to literary critic Kathleen Parthe the philosopher Lev Shestov “understood Tolstoy to mean the consciousness of death is the path to awareness, but therein also lies the danger of insanity.”
The Death of Ivan Ilych was written in 1886. Vladimir Nabokov calls it Tolstoy’s “most artistic, most perfect, and most sophisticated achievement.” Ivan Ilyich was a successful lawyer and judge who lived what he considered the good life. His wife came from a good family, his daughter was betrothed to a man from another good family. He had the friends, house, furniture and furnishings to hold his head high among his peers. In the evenings there was bridge to play with buddies or social events to attend. And then one day hanging drapes he fell off a ladder. He felt at first a small pain then his health steadily deteriorated until he was bedridden and wasting away. Ivan goes through the five stages of grief just as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross laid them out over eighty years later: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The critic Y. J. Dayananda explores this in detail. Acceptance does not come easy for Ivan. He must first face the truth about the life he led. As he understands he is dying, he views his entire life, family and friends and his own self as shallow. He sees his family waiting for him to die to get this distasteful episode past, their words of support as superficial. He feels alone. He is in great physical pain and emaciated, but Tolstoy as usual focuses on the mental pain. The fear of death is all consuming because as Ivan examines his life he realizes it had no meaning. The nice drapes no longer matter. As Tolstoy put it to open the second chapter, ”Ivan Ilych’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and most terrible.” It was terrible because Ivan had lived for nothing of value.
“The Kreutzer Sonata” published in 1889 illustrates another Tolstoy technique to engage the reader. The proxy for the reader, a rider on a train, begins a conversation with a stranger. We learn our new traveling companion had killed his wife in a jealous rage. The stranger tells us about the relationship between his wife and the man he believes was her lover. We’re never sure there was any infidelity. Mostly we see the workings of the stranger’s mind. He recounts his internal debates as he deals with doubt, suspicion, disappointment, hate and anger. He blames a society that corrupts its inhabitants from birth to play perfunctory self-serving roles rendering a sincere relationship between a man and a woman impossible. This reflects Tolstoy’s own views on morality, society and its conventions. Interestingly, in an 1890’s letter Tolstoy admonishes himself for writing this story, questioning his own motives.
In “Master and Man” written in 1895 Tolstoy again portrays the decadent bourgeois concerned only about accumulating wealth and relishing his “accomplishments”. The landowner takes his horse and carriage and faithful peasant helper on a short trip to make a profitable deal. They are caught in a blinding snow storm, stop and cover up as best they can. But the master, realizing he might die, takes off on the only horse leaving the man to his fate. He doesn’t get far ending up where he started. He finds the abandoned peasant freezing to death lying in the carriage. Then miraculously the master does the right thing lying over top of the peasant to warm him. The landowner dies but the peasant who has dutifully accepted abuse from his master all his life is saved by his master’s last minute self-sacrifice. As one critic noted at the end the master became the man. As usual Tolstoy’s beliefs about society and morality guide the plot. And as always the writing is excellent. Some critics cite this story as one of Tolstoy’s best.
“Father Sergius” published in 1898 tells the story of a disillusioned young man who gives up a promising future to become a monk and dedicate his life to God. Handsome and skilled, he is considered for the monastery hierarchy, but he seeks purity and asks to become a hermit. As a hermit his reputation for goodness progresses to idolization as a saint. People come to him to be healed and he engages the crowds. Beautiful women are attracted to him. He fends off the first attempt to seduce him but later easily gives in. Realizing his pride in his saintliness led to his downfall he runs away becoming a vagrant but always offering service to others and giving away any reward. He is arrested and sent to Siberia where he works in the service of others. In this role of service rather than prayer and singular devotion he finds peace.
In summary, the stories are well written and well worth reading. Combined with the diary excerpts, letters and criticism, a picture of Tolstoy emerges that clarifies not only the included stories but his major novels as well. For the reader who wants to explore Tolstoy beyond War and Peace and Anna Karenina, this volume is highly recommended
December 5, 2010
I feel like I finally got to read stories that are referenced frequently by other writers. Tolstoy is kind of like the Bible in that way. Ivan Ilyich and the Kreutzer sonata, the two I had heard of multiple times, lived up to the hype, and I can see why Tolstoy sticks in your memory. I also loved the little twist in the Three Deaths story. I wasn't surprised to find a lot of depressing story lines, I mean, it is Tolstoy after all, but I was surprised at how often I ended up laughing too.
I'll be honest, I didn't read any of the commentary that makes up the last 2/5 of this book, but mainly because I just wanted to enjoy it on my own reading, not the reading of others. I'm thinking of tackling War and Peace over the holidays, but thought I should read the short stories first.
"As soon as a man approaches a woman, he succumbs to her stupefying influence and becomes intoxicated and crazy." (spoken by the unfortunate narrator of the Kreutzer Sonata)
I'll be honest, I didn't read any of the commentary that makes up the last 2/5 of this book, but mainly because I just wanted to enjoy it on my own reading, not the reading of others. I'm thinking of tackling War and Peace over the holidays, but thought I should read the short stories first.
"As soon as a man approaches a woman, he succumbs to her stupefying influence and becomes intoxicated and crazy." (spoken by the unfortunate narrator of the Kreutzer Sonata)
May 22, 2025
A great collection of works, mostly highlight a few running themes in Tolstoy’s work: the value of self-sacrifice and hard work, the relationship between nature, humans, and war, and one’s spiritual health.
In order, I’d rank the stories (best to not-best):
The Death of Ivan Ilych* (I would gladly buy a copy of this for anyone if they expressed their interest in reading it)
Master and Man*
Alyosha Gorshok (or Alyosha the Pot)*
After the Ball
The Kreutzer Sonata
A Prisoner in the Caucasus
Sevastopol in December
God Sees the Truth, but Waits
Father Sergius
Three Deaths
Sevastopol in May
The Three Hermits
*denotes a re-read
In order, I’d rank the stories (best to not-best):
The Death of Ivan Ilych* (I would gladly buy a copy of this for anyone if they expressed their interest in reading it)
Master and Man*
Alyosha Gorshok (or Alyosha the Pot)*
After the Ball
The Kreutzer Sonata
A Prisoner in the Caucasus
Sevastopol in December
God Sees the Truth, but Waits
Father Sergius
Three Deaths
Sevastopol in May
The Three Hermits
*denotes a re-read
May 8, 2024
All fantastic short stories! Sevastopol in December and May were great precursors to reading War and Peace. The Death of Ivan Illych was the most artistic and beautiful short story ever. Master and Man I had to reread immediately because of how much I loved it.
April 26, 2024
Master and man, Father sergius, After the ball. Drop out of school to study!!
August 22, 2024
There could not have been a better way of getting to know Tolstoy the person and author than through this book. It contains a collection of 12 short stories of Tolstoy that are best known as well as two of his memoirs, his diary for 1855 and some of his selected letters. The Criticism section also contains 23 essays by Russian and western scholars critiquing Tolstoy and his works. The latter section is particularly helpful in understanding Tolstoy and his works better.
November 3, 2020
This collection is fantastic. Most people think of Tolstoy as a long-winded novelist, but these stories are clear evidence that he was fully capable of condensing his profound literary insights into much shorter works.
September 29, 2021
What a guy ! Furthermore, this edition is most invaluable !! With half the book consisting of critical analysis and fascinating biographical work woohoo
August 5, 2024
For me, it is always difficult to get something out from fiction. Again, I find myself in the same position. Additionally, for me, most of the critical essays were beyond comprehension.
March 18, 2025
Really enjoyed these stories but honestly should’ve maybe read a Tolstoy novel before this or read up on Russian history and culture 🧑💻
A lot of things may have gone over my head ..
A lot of things may have gone over my head ..
March 3, 2014
I read this book for a Russian Lit. class and ended up enjoying the majority of stories in this collection. While many of the stories have strong religious undertones - especially those dating after Tolstoy's religious conversion in 1878 - they were, for the most part, interesting and meaningful in one way or another. The wartime stories Sevastopol in December and Sevastopol in May were both descriptive in such a way that made you feel as if you were among the regiments fighting with the defenders of Sevastopol, this is especially true for Sevastopol in December which uses second person perspective to really draw the reader into the setting. While Sevastopol in May brought you deep into the consciousness of several characters fighting in the battle. The rest of the stories in this collection take on a variety of different subjects, with most having some moralistic or religious undertone; however, I felt that overall this was done in such a way that didnts make them too dry or 'preachy' for my liking.
My favorites from the rest of the stories (and some quotes) from this collection are as follows:
The Death of Ivan Ilych - Everyone should read this at some point in their life! I had read another translation of this story and found this one to be much better "Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible"
Master and Man - Similar to The Death of Ivan Illych - also addressing death and meaning found in life through death, death being an important stage of life. "...and now that he was really passing from this life of which he was weary into that other life which every year and every hour grew clearer and more desirable to him. Whether he's better or worse off there where he awoke after his death, whether he was disappointed or found what he expected, we shall all soon learn."
The Three Hermits - Short and sweet story containing the Tolstoyan view towards ritualistic religious belief.
The Kruetzer Sonata - Maybe a little preachy? Kept me interested and I liked it though, specifically thought Tolstoy's view into the irrational thought stream and consciousness of an individual overcome with jealousy was spot on.
A History of Yesterday - Tolstoy's first known piece of fiction written when he was 22. Nothing really happens in this piece and it represents itself more as a conscious stream of thought of the main character as he relays his opinions, thoughts, and activities over one day. This piece shows Tolsoys's absolutist language that makes the reader feel as if what is said must undoubtably be true - and it is in the setting (the main characters mind) - because the reasoning and thought process behind such statements are generated by the character in a way that we reason in our own minds and establish our own opinions on the world around us, both consciously and subconsciously. Tolstoy's talent for this is incredible and eerie, it makes me feel like I'm looking deep into the mind of the character he's portraying. I also really like this quote near the end as the main character heads out on the river: "-In a word, I thought as I always think when undertake anything new, 'Only now will real life begin; until now it has been merely a paltry prelude which was hardly worth bothering about.' "
Additionally I found the footnotes in this edition to be very helpful.
My favorites from the rest of the stories (and some quotes) from this collection are as follows:
The Death of Ivan Ilych - Everyone should read this at some point in their life! I had read another translation of this story and found this one to be much better "Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible"
Master and Man - Similar to The Death of Ivan Illych - also addressing death and meaning found in life through death, death being an important stage of life. "...and now that he was really passing from this life of which he was weary into that other life which every year and every hour grew clearer and more desirable to him. Whether he's better or worse off there where he awoke after his death, whether he was disappointed or found what he expected, we shall all soon learn."
The Three Hermits - Short and sweet story containing the Tolstoyan view towards ritualistic religious belief.
The Kruetzer Sonata - Maybe a little preachy? Kept me interested and I liked it though, specifically thought Tolstoy's view into the irrational thought stream and consciousness of an individual overcome with jealousy was spot on.
A History of Yesterday - Tolstoy's first known piece of fiction written when he was 22. Nothing really happens in this piece and it represents itself more as a conscious stream of thought of the main character as he relays his opinions, thoughts, and activities over one day. This piece shows Tolsoys's absolutist language that makes the reader feel as if what is said must undoubtably be true - and it is in the setting (the main characters mind) - because the reasoning and thought process behind such statements are generated by the character in a way that we reason in our own minds and establish our own opinions on the world around us, both consciously and subconsciously. Tolstoy's talent for this is incredible and eerie, it makes me feel like I'm looking deep into the mind of the character he's portraying. I also really like this quote near the end as the main character heads out on the river: "-In a word, I thought as I always think when undertake anything new, 'Only now will real life begin; until now it has been merely a paltry prelude which was hardly worth bothering about.' "
Additionally I found the footnotes in this edition to be very helpful.
August 18, 2015
My friend lent me this book, and I think it disappointed him greatly that I didn't love it. I mean, I liked a few of the stories, but most of them were just portraits of unhappy marriages, and there's only so many times I can read that story in a row before I get bored. That said, I enjoyed learning about life in Russian at that time, about which I knew almost nothing. And of course some of the writing is just gorgeous - I do, after all, understand why Tolstoy is so highly lauded. He's just not my cup of tea.
January 18, 2016
I read only select stories from this book because it was for a Russian Literature course that I am taking. Out of the stories that I read, my favorites were "Alyosha the Pot," "The Kreutzer Sonata," "God Sees the Truth, But Waits," "After the Dance," and "Sevastopol in Decemeber" (in that order, beginning with my most favorite).
September 15, 2020
The best short stories I've ever read are Tolstoy's short stories before his religious reformation. Sevastopol Sketches are brilliant, as are his other short stories that mostly revolve around war. I found the more religious stories lacking personally, as his use of characters as mouthpieces for his own ascetic beliefs were distracting.
Want to read
December 7, 2011I primarily wanted to read The Kreutzer Sonata (for the namesake's reference, and it being the namesake of another musical work), but boy is it a drag! I'll probably come back to it on another day.
January 13, 2012
Good translation. There's nothing worse than a boring translation that focuses more on the specific words than the feeling with the words.
November 2, 2013
The Death of Ivan Ilych is my favourite story in this collection. The philosophical issues raised really engaged me with the characters.
Read
March 19, 2020Read Master and Man and Death of Ivan Illych.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews