Catalog Search Results
1) Hadji Murad
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First published in 1914 after Leo Tolstoy's death, "Hadji Murad" was the author's last novel. Drawing upon his own experiences fighting for the Russian army, historical archives, and the true story of the real-life Hadji Murad, the story is a narrative based on actual events that occurred during the Russian war with the Chechens during the 1850's. "Hadji Murad" focuses on the life and struggles of its central character, a Chechen soldier who breaks...
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The Kreutzer Sonata, one of the most controversial novels written by Leo Tolstoy. It was named after Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata and attracted immediate attention of censors on both sides of the Atlantic when it first appeared. The narrative follows the main character, Pozdnyshev who relates the events leading up to his killing his wife.
3) The Cossacks
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"The Cossacks" is believed to be somewhat autobiographical, partially based on Tolstoy's experiences in the Caucasus during the last stages of the Caucasian War. Disenchanted with his privileged life in Russian society, nobleman Dmitri Olenin joins the army as a cadet, in the hopes of escaping the superficiality of his daily life. On a quest to find "completeness," he naively hopes to find serenity among the "simple" people of the Caucasus. In an...
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In the Indian town of Surat, there is a coffee-house where many travellers and foreigners from all parts of the world meet and converse. One day a learned Persian theologian visits this coffee-house. He is a man who has spent his life studying the nature of the Deity, and reading and writing books upon the subject. He has thought, read, and written so much about God, that he eventually lost his wits, became quite confused, and ceased even to believe...
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"A Lost Opportunity" by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy leads in with a quote from the King James Bible, St. Matthew's "The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant". Written as a fable, "A Lost Opportunity" follows two neighbouring families who are, at first, loving and respectful of one another. They treated each other as they wanted to be treated. Then the head of the families changed and the relationship between the families changed. Ivan and Gavryl were...
6) Polikushka
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The story of 'Polikushka' is a very graphic description of the life led by a servant of the court household of a certain nobleman, in which the author portrays the different conditions and surroundings enjoyed by these servants from those of the ordinary or common peasants. It is a true and powerful reproduction of an element in Russian life but little written about heretofore. Like the other stories of this great writer, 'Polikushka' has a moral...
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"The Repentant Sinner" is a short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy first published in 1886. The story details the difficulties of a repentant sinner's attempts to enter Heaven. The story opens with the imminent death of a 70-year-old sinner. The man has never done a good deed in his life, and only with his last words did he address God and ask for forgiveness. When the man dies his soul comes before the gates of Heaven, but they are locked. The...
8) Two Old Men
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Leo Tolstoy's "Two Old Men" is a challenging and delightful story of the pilgrimage of two neighbours. It is filled with rich lessons and insights-from personal habits to family relationships and how we manage our affairs.
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One day some children found, in a ravine, a thing shaped like a grain of corn, with a groove down the middle, but as large as a hen's egg. A traveler passing by saw the thing, bought it from the children for a penny, and taking it to town sold it to the King as a curiosity. The King called together his wise men, and told them to find out what the thing was.
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A bishop and several pilgrims are travelling on a fishing boat. During the voyage, the bishop engages the fishermen in conversation after overhearing them discuss a remote island nearby their course where three old hermits lived a spartan existence focused on seeking "salvation for their souls." Several of the fisherman claim to have seen them once. The bishop then informs the captain that he wishes to visit the island. The captain attempts to dissuade...
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"The Imp and the Crust" is a short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy first published in 1886. It is a cautionary tale against the dangers of alcohol. The story opens with a peasant preparing to plow a field. Having gone without breakfast, he is careful to hide his dinner, a small crust of bread, under his coat. After plowing the field the peasant is hungry and ready for his dinner, but when he picks up his coat he sees that the bread is gone. It...
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"Little Girls Wiser Than Men" is a short story by Russian authorLeo Tolstoy first published in 1885. It takes the form of a parable about forgiveness. The story opens at the beginning of Holy Week, when there was still melting snow on the ground. An older girl, Akulya, and a younger girl, Malasha, go outside to play. They both have just been given new frocks, but they insist on wading through one of the puddles from the melting snow. They both take...
13) The Candle
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"The Candle" is a short story by Leo Tolstoy. It centres on the cruelty of Michael Simeonovitch, who persecutes the peasants. "It was in the time of serfdom..." begins the first line of the story. Tolstoy's narrative focuses on a particular character who misused his power of government to bring "outrageous cruelties upon the serfs who had been placed under his control." He forced the peasantry to do excessive labor, striking terror in his subjects....
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The story opens with the family of Ivan Shtchevbakoff; a generally harmonious family that does rather well for itself. They were on good terms with their neighbors, the family of Gabriel Chormoi, until one day when a hen that belonged to the Shtchevbakoff family flew into the yard of the Chormoi family and laid several eggs. Later that day, Ivan's daughter in law went to retrieve the eggs, but grandmother Chormoi takes offense at being accused of...
15) The Bear-Hunt
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Leo Tolstoy is known, word-wide, as one of the greatest authors of all time. His works include the masterpieces "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", depicting Russian life realistically, yet with a writing flaire that is gripping. This short story is one of his lesser known works but still worth reading.
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A collection of short stories from one of the most famous writers of very long novels Leo Tolstoy, including: Ilyas, Little Girls Wiser Than Men, The Coffee-House of Surat. 'For man to be able to live he must either not see the infinite, or have such an explanation of the meaning of life as will connect the finite with the infinite.'
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"Sevastopol Sketches (Sebastopol Sketches)" is a collection of three works of historical fiction in which Tolstoy draws upon his real life experiences during the Siege of Sevastopol. The titular location draws its name from that of a city in Crimea and takes place during the Crimean war. The three tales in this collection are respectively titled "Sevastopol in December," "Sevastopol in May," and "Sevastopol in August." In the December tale Tolstoy...
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Sometimes even the smallest and most seemingly trivial actions can have the most disastrous consequences. That's the idea that Russian literary master Leo Tolstoy explores in depth in the title tale in this collection, The Forged Coupon. This anthology brings together some of Tolstoy's finest short stories and novellas, and it is sure to please long-time fans of his work or new readers looking for an accessible entry point from which to
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In this collection, "How Much Land Does a Man Need? And Other Stories," Russian born Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) demonstrates his varied subject matter and style in his shorter fiction. In the title piece, "How Much Land Does a Man Need?," Tolstoy explores this very question through the story of a peasant with an increasing appetite for land. In "What Men Live By," the humble shoemaker Simon sets out to collect money to pay for new coats for the family....
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There lived in olden times a good and kindly man. He had this world's goods in abundance, and many slaves to serve him. And the slaves prided themselves on their master, saying: 'There is no better lord than ours under the sun. He feeds and clothes us well, and gives us work suited to our strength. He bears no malice and never speaks a harsh word to any one. He is not like other masters, who treat their slaves worse than cattle: punishing them whether...
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