Customer Reviews

How Much Land Does a Man Need? and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)

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It is hard to recommend Tolstoy because his best novel is long. These short stories are less intimidating and give a great introduction Leo Tolstoy's beliefs such as resisting violence, loving your neighbor, and following Jesus' example set forth by the gosphel. These stories are often stunning and will provoke and stir your soul.

Tolstoy wrote some remarkable short fiction. There is, for example, the detached observer of war and its effect. The early stories based on his military experience in the Caucasus "The Raid," "The Woodfelling," and "The Prisoner of the Caucasus" are examples of this aspect of Tolstoy's craft. Tolstoy anticipated authors such as Stephen Crane and Ernest Hemingway in his unglamorous portrait of war. Tolstoy's slice of life sketches have little blood and thunder. The writing speaks more of futility than of glory or Mother Russia. Except for wasteful, impersonal death, men at war do not progress; their only goal is survival. Then there is the spiritual side of Tolstoy's art. Simple parables patterned on the Gospels in their truth and biblical purity. The title piece speaks of a landowner's greed and its result. "Where Love Is, God Is," and "What Men Live By" are examples of the later Tolstoy and his spiritual views. Although Tolstoy was grounded in Chritianity, Russian Orthodoxy and organized religions left him cold. Tolstoy was more mystic than cleric. His spiritual views rejected dogma and flowed from springs of human compassion. Love inevitably provokes action. Feed the hungry, comfort the sick, and care for widows and orphans. Then we find God among us. This collection of stories has an insightful introduction by editor and biographer A. N. Wilson. It's a good cross sample of Tolstoy's short fiction. ;-)

James Joyce considered the title - story of this collection the finest story - ever written. The tale which was part of a series Tolstoy constructed for peasants seems to me to lack much of the subtle description and psychological insight of Tolstoy's greatest works. Nonetheless it is a fine and interesting moral tale.
The message if I read it rightly is that "Greed does not pay". The story which opens with a debate between sisters over the relative advantages of sophisticated city and rustic simple life becomes the tale of a landowner who goes to the spacious country of the Bashkirs , engages in a marathon run to add more and more land to himself, and in the process drops- dead.
Tolstoy in this collection is primarily the moral and spiritual sage , providing advice of the kind he himself never took.
The old great man was however such a great writer that even in these relatively simple pieces one gets a real sense of strong narrative and literary surprise and revelation.

There was once a Russian peasant who worked hard. The earth never failed to feed him and his family. His life was quiet and secure but he was never satisfied and happy. "We have too little land. If we had more land, I would fear nothing and no one." He borrowed money and bought twenty-five acres of land. "Now he was his own master. The grain stood tall. He had a bountiful harvest, and he made a handsome profit at market. He was able to repay all his debts. There was peace and happiness under his roof." But unfortunately, it did not last for long. He wanted more land so that he could become rich. Over and over again he moved his family, so that he could buy more and more land. One day a traveler told the peasant about good and fertile land in the faraway country of Bashkir. There, for one thousand rubles, a man could have as much land as he could walk around in one day..... Written in 1886, by Leo Tolstoy, and adapted for children, How Much Land Does A Man Need? is as fresh and powerful today, as it was over 100 years ago. This is the story of a man who was never satisfied with what he had, and unable to sit back and enjoy the pleasures in his life. Tolstoy's simple, engaging, and understated text is compelling and carries an important message. Elena Abesinova's beautiful and vibrant artwork is rich in intricate detail, and begs to be explored. Together word and art tell the sad story of a life wasted because of greed and envy. Perfect for youngsters 7 and older, How Much Land Does A Man Need? includes a fascinating biography of Tolstoy at the end, and is an intriguing fable that's sure to open interesting and thoughtful discussions.

This sharp, fast-moving tale brought a whole new side of Tolstoy to my attention. The language crackles on the page, and the peasant Pakhom's rise and fall is both predictable and poignant, as in all good fables. A good read with surprising resonance.

A charming fable that allows us to hear Tolstoy's lesser known, more playful side. With the original Russian set conveniently alongside the English, this is perfect primer for students of Tolstoy, as well as those who are learning Russian. Plus it fits right in the palm of your hand.

What a gem of a book. A completely unknown side of Tolstoy is finally available to us in English that sings with the same vibrant tone as the contemporary and excellent translations of his great novels. This is a wonderful little book for your favorite Tolstoy fan, and a wonderful introduction to Tolstoy for children.

It is odd to me that Leo Tolstoy can write a novel like Anna Karenina that is so long and has such an intricate involved plot, yet be able to cram so much thought into such a small volume as "How Much Land Does a Man Need." This by far is my favorite of Tolstoy's works that I have read so far. The moral is eximplary of his life, and illustrates the joys of a simple life, and the consequences of greed.

these stories have changed my life. tolstoy makes us want to love one another. i think the world would be a better place if everybody read these stories.

It is odd to me that Leo Tolstoy can write a novel like Anna Karenina that is so long and has such an intricate involved plot, yet be able to cram so much thought into such a small volume as "How Much Land Does a Man Need." This by far is my favorite of Tolstoy's works that I have read so far. The moral is eximplary of his life, and illustrates the joys of a simple life, and the consequences of greed.