Selected Short Stories
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It is universally acknowledged that Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, was as much a master of the short story as of the full-length novel. This original collection, which features some of his most hard-to-find tales, will enchant longtime enthusiasts of Tolstoy's work as well as new readers.
"The Forged Coupon" traces how an act of deception leads to both murder and redemption. "After the Dance" depicts an army deserter's punishment and explores the subjective nature of opinions on good and evil. "Alyosha the Pot" profiles a simple man content to live according to others' expectations. "A Prisoner in the Caucasus" undermines the romantic conceptions associated with the region in particular and with war in general. "The Bear Hunt" forms a cautionary tale of acting in anger; "Two Old Men" suggests that the best way to honor God is to love and care for other people; additional stories include "The Raid," "The Snow-Storm," and "The Godson."
Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian author of novels, short stories, novellas, plays, and philosophical essays. He was born into an aristocratic family and served as an officer in the Russian military during the Crimean War before embarking on a career as a writer and activist. Tolstoy’s experience in war, combined with his interpretation of the teachings of Jesus, led him to devote his life and work to the cause of pacifism. In addition to such fictional works as War and Peace (1869), Anna Karenina (1877), and The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Tolstoy wrote The Kingdom of God is Within You (1893), a philosophical treatise on nonviolent resistance which had a profound impact on Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He is regarded today not only as one of the greatest writers of all time, but as a gifted and passionate political figure and public intellectual whose work transcends Russian history and literature alike.
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