Customer Reviews

Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy (Perennial Library)

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This paperback gathers many of Lev Tolstoy's most masterfully crafted short works. The Death of Ivan Ilych, Hadji Murad, The Cossacks, The Kreutzer Sonata ... they are all here. While it is impossible to give an adequate review of each of the stories in this collection, I will say that Tolstoy's short stories are a joy to read. His style is vivid, clear, and engaging, and his themes are interesting and profound. Tolstoy tackles the issues of death, war, religion, sex, and others. While I do not agree with many of his views, the beauty and subtlety with which he expresses them is tremendous.

On a more technical note, the translation is more than adequate. While reading Tolstoy in Russian is best, this translation is seamless and does not interfere with the reading. I would enthusiastically recommend this collection to anyone who is intrigued by this influential and quirky author.

I turn to some of these stories repeatedly. Tolstoy gives searching portraits of obsessed souls in stories such as "The Devil" (an unforgettable account of lust), "Father Sergius," and "The Kreutzer Sonata." Here is a more "Dostoevskian" Tolstoy than we see in War and Peace. Providing balance in the collection are masterpieces such as "Hadji Murad." Don't overlook this book; it is a convenient compilation of some of the finest literary works of Russia's 19th century. I bought a second copy because my first one wore out.

I prefer the Everyman's volumes because the typesetting is so much nicer. The present volume is a trade-sized paperback with the text simply photo-enlarged from the original mass-market edition. Both volumes use the Maudes' translations, but the Everyman's includes a great many more stories, including the Sevastopol Sketches. On the other hand, Everyman's publishes The Cossacks as a third volume, whereas you get that in here and all the other can't-miss stories.

If you can't afford the Everyman's, this is the one to get.

With that work being the main concern of this review, I must say that probably the most facinating thing about Tolstoy the artist, the man, the philosopher is his lifelong horror and obsession of death. He was a lifelong deathwatcher and with a distinctive brilliance does he describe death in his works, Ivan Ilych being the culmination of his concern with death.

Dostoevsky is without a shadow of a doubt my favorite writer and with that being stated is the obvious superior of his great tempororay Tolstoy. I sometimes regret this because it sometimes blinds me to Tolstoy's greatness. In the case of Ivan Ilych, Tolstoy shines through in all of his literary genius. With this 1886 short novel, one can easily see Tolstoy the literary artist. He chooses a judge who never gives death a thought and yet condemns accused to death. Tolstoy hated judges and one perceives that there is a slight sinister Chekhovian schadenfreude to the title character's sufferings and epiphany in the great Lion as he wrote this one. I remember slightly the storm of thought which surged within me when I finished reading this work about a year ago. Never before had I read a work with a simple plot work laced through with character intrigue (and in this case Tolstoy gets alongside and may have even beaten Dostoevsky when it comes to the latter's utter phenomenal mastry over creating facinating characters) and the philosophical force of a bullet train.

Everyone must at one point in their lives read Tolstoy's incredible work, The Death of Ivan Ilych. It is not only what I would consider to be the greatest short novel ever written but is a testament to the philosophical anguish of a great mind rendered into haunting brilliance and a beauty which leaves its mark upon the stunned reader, never to recover over the magnificence that is Tolstoy.

A good collection of the best short works of Tolstoy. It will give you an insight into the problems he tried to express in his major works. A great reading and self-reflection experience after reading his short works especially Kreutzer Sonata, The Devil, Family Hapiness.

Recommended for any serious reader.

According to many critics, Tolstoy (1828 to 1910) is viewed as one of the greatest novelists of all time, particularly noted for his historical novel War and Peace and later the novel Anna Karenina. The two novels are among the best novels ever written, and depict life in 19th century Russia. Tolstoy was associated with the realism movement and as such his writings are graphic and compelling. The present book is a bargain and brings the reader some of his best short works.

Tolstoy was born on his father's estate in Central Russia, attended college, and joined the military. He served in Chechnya and wrote about his experiences, and later served in Sevastopol where he was involved in intensive fighting. He wrote about life in the Russia military, and he wrote about other historical military events such as the Napoleonic wars. He wrote about historical events and he wrote about people and the mundane events of life. The short novel The Cossacks (included here) came from this early experiences in the military.

War and Peace (1865-69) is generally thought to be one of the greatest and most complicated novels ever written including over 500 characters and a variety of historical details on the Napoleonic wars. Anna Karenina (1877) followed later. It is a beautifully written story of a farmer (Levin) and a woman (Anna ¨Karenina) who have two parallel and loosely interconnected lives.

In addition to those primary novels, Tolstoy wrote other major novels, novellas, and short stories. Some of the best of his writings are here in this collection. They include the important work "The Death of Ivan Ilych" which is a profound but short work, and possibly one of the best novels of all time. There are others such as "The Cossacks," "The Devil," and one of my favorite short stories "Master and Man." Also, there are other stories such as the emotional "Father Sergius," a story that was published later but was a favorite of Tolstoy. Personally speaking, I was not too excited by his tale Hadji Murad, but the other stories are just superb.

The stories here are mostly good to great, and are all a bit different, and all are easy to read. Shakespeare was perhaps the greatest writer ever, but as great as he was, most find the writings of Shakespeare to be a bit opaque. But Tolstoy is completely different. Most stories are clear, easy to read, and they are engaging and compelling. This is a wonderful collection of the best writing by one of the world's great writers.

I am never one to write reviews but felt compelled to share my opinion on this collection in order to save a true Tolstoyan time and money. The Translations used in this book are choppy, inadequate and in many times looses the feel and intensity I've come to love and enjoy from my favorite novelist. I have read almost everything written by Tolstoy from War and Peace to Aloysha the Pot and come to know his style quite well and none of these translations captured what I've come to love. I have read these stories several times in different translations and found these to be the worse, the great bonus of this book is that it is an excellent collection but I would personally look else where before commiting to this one.

Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy is another entry in the Perennial series "Great Short Works of....". In it we see the author of "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" doing himself proud in excellently written short novels and stories. The pieces are:
1. Family Happiness: Masha is the stortyller in this beautiful tale of the passage of time and the reality of love, She tells of her marriage to a much older man, her boredom on a rural estate and her disillusionment with society. Masha matures in the tale and is along with Natasha in "War and Peace" and Anna Karenina another example of Tolstoy's ability to see life through the eyes of female characters.
2. The Cossacks is an autobiographical short novel of the life of a Moscow officer who spends time in a Cossack village experiencing love, war and exposure to an alien culture. This is an exciting and moving tale.
3. The Death of Ivan Ilych is an unforgettable story of the death of a judge. We see him bid farwell to life and prepare for the great unkown as he screams in pain and forsakes the hypocrisies of life. Sad and memorable.
4. The Devil is a cautionary story of how a man is possessed by lust. The rich landowner seduces a peasant girl destroying his marriage and his life. Tolstoy was himself a man who had a lively libido and dueled with lust throughout his long life.
5. The Kreutzer Sonata deals with a husband's jealousy. He kills his wife who may (or may not!) have been sleeping with a violinist who enjoys playing Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. One of the world's greatest short stories.
6. Master and Man. A greedy businessman and his servant set out for a business appointment during a terrible snowstorm. There sled is lost. The story is a vivid tale of survival and loss.
7. Father Sergius is another story dealing with man's nature. Sergius is consumed by lust and ambition but becomes a hermit. A moving story of one man's struggles and triumphs.
8. Hadji Murad is a Chechen warrior who betrays them to become a Russian ally. His life and death are the stuff of legend.
9. Alyosha the Pot is a short story about a simple peasant who lives and dies filled with wonder and grace.
This is a beloved volume by a beloved author. Enjoy this excellent collection of wonderful stories told by a master of the human heart.

Without doubt some of Tolstoy's finest writing and his story telling ablities at their best. Also and excellent introduction to his great novels.

Overall, I was pleased with this product. The book arrived before I expected it. The book itself, which was advertised as brand new, did not come in perfect condition. Also, the selection of short stories in the volume was lacking in quality.