Master and Man and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Leo Tolstoy (Author), Paul Foote (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: November 17, 1977

These three stories of Tolstoy's maturity show him increasingly grappling with fundamental issues of religion and morality. In "Master and Man", he depicts an employer, bent on closing a business deal, travelling with his servant through the swirling snow - little realizing how soon he may have to settle his accounts with his maker. "Father Sergius" portrays a priest tormented beyond endurance by the longings of his body, while "Hadji Murat" dramatizes the divided loyalties of a leading figure in Russia's struggle to subdue the Caucasus. With a compelling combination of moral seriousness and extraordinary sympathy and understanding, these stories reveal Tolstoy as a writer at the height of his creative powers.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation)

About the Author

One of the world's greatest novelists and moral philosopher. Russian in origin, Tolstoy’s works greatly influenced much of 20th-century literature, and his ethical preaching helped form the thinking of several important spiritual and political leaders. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (November 17, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140443312
• ISBN-13: 978-0140443318
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,996,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very powerful story of humanity, September 22, 1999

By 

Ronnie Dylan "Ronnie" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Master and Man and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I, too, have to disagree with this 'english class' in their dull-assesment of this story. This must be a very young class of students who haven't experienced enough of human nature to fully appreciate and understand the complexity and beauty of the 2 characters in this wonderfully touching story. This is the first story that has ever made me weep openly while reading. The second, also by Tolstoy, was Strider: The Story of a Horse. If you liked Master and Man, you must find this one! That's why I'm here today; looking to replace my lost copy.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No, not dull... very deep and powerful., July 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Master and Man and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I felt I had to respond to the above comment by saying that this is a masterfully written short story and a moving account of a Master who makes the ultimate sacrifice, whether knowing it or not, to his lowly, faithful servant. The story contrasts well the attitudes and lives of rich masters and their voluntary slaves.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Superb: It Contains Two Great Tolstoy Stories Plus One Not as Great, August 14, 2007

By 

J. E. Robinson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Master and Man and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a good three story collection with an introduction by Paul Foote.

Tolstoy is recognized as one of the leading writer of novels, and he was a leading Russian writer of the 19th century. He wrote three monumental works including War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and the novella The Death of Ivan Ilych." Two were written by Tolstoy at his peak around 1865 to 1980, and Ilych was written in 1886 before Tolstoy started to lose his interest in fiction.

This is a collection of three stories that were all written at the end of Tolstoy's career, all written after 1890 when he was making the transition to non-fiction polemics. Only one of the three stories was published during Tolstoy's lifetime and that was Master and Man.

The first story in the book is Father Sergius, and it was written between 1890 and 1898. It is brilliant and ambitious. It is a story about a priest who dedicates his life to religion and purity. He lives in isolation and commits his life to God, and the story is about his search for truth. Unfortunately, he is still attracted to women, and that attraction or sexual passion frightens him and the story describes how he deals with that struggle to overcome his moral shortcomings or temptations. This was a favorite story of Tolstoy.

The second story, Master and Man, is simply superb. It is about two men on a trip by a horse drawn sleigh through the winter snows near a small village. They get caught in a blizzard while on a simple business trip. It was published in 1895, and is among the finest short stories ever written. It contains many signature elements of Tolstoy's writings including detailed descriptions of the Russian characters in a rural setting: "man, society, and nature" as described by Foote.

The last is Hadji Murat, written between 1896 to 1904. It follows earlier books on the southern wars including The Raid (1835), Wood-Felling (1855), and The Cossacks (1863). It is based on real events and lacks a strong central protagonist, and that is the weakness of the story. I was not excited by this novel and prefer Tolstoy's The Cossacks which covers a similar subject matter - that is set in southern Russia - but which has strong characters with strong human emotions.

Also, his most important fiction started in the 1860s with the release of The Cossacks in 1863. That story contains emotional elements and descriptions similar to what we read in Anna Karenina." by contrast, Hadji Murat was one of his last fictional works; and, Tolstoy expressed mixed feelings about the novel and its merits. It does rise to the same level as work from his prime.

Overall, this a good buy with two superb stories and one good story. Some of the works are available individually on line free from Gutenberg.