Walk in the Light & Twenty-Three Tales (Paperback)

by Leo Tolstoy (Author) "SOME GUESTS ASSEMBLED at a wealthy house one day happened to start a serious conversation about life..." (more)
Key Phrases: twenty kopeks, hundred roubles, thousand roubles, Simon the Soldier, Ivan the Fool, Makar Semyonitch (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
There is only one problem with this book: once you start reading you can't stop! It should be in all the church libraries. It would be an excellent gift, especially to Sunday school teachers and others who tell or read stories to others. -- Provident Book Finder --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Uncluttered by the complexities of plot and character that daunt so many readers of the longer Russian masterpieces, Tolstoy's tales illumine eternal truths with the forceful brevity. While inspired by the sense of spiritual certainty, their narrative quality, subtle humor, and visionary power lift them far above the common run of "religious" literature. Moralists purport to tell us what our lives should mean, and how we should live them. Tolstoy, on the other hand, has an uncanny gift for simply conveying what it means to be truly alive. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Orbis Books (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570754608
• ISBN-13: 978-1570754609
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,470 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Stories for Adults and Children, September 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Walk in the Light: And Twenty-Three Tales (Paperback)

I read this book with my 5-year-old son and we both enjoyed these wonderful stories. The stories are divided into several groupings, such as "Tales for Children" -- a misnomer, because all of these stories are suitable for adults and children alike -- "Popular Stories" "Folk Tales" and others.

Tolstoy -- known for massive novels and obscure philosophical essays -- was actually quite adept at the short story, as this book demonstrates. These stories make excellent bedtime reading for children, who, with a little explanation from mom or dad will readilly understand and appreciate them. These stories are also useful for adults, and I would especially recommend some of them to ministers, priests, or deacons, who could use the stories in their sermons to illustrate the points of human nature.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Russian Literature!, March 23, 2000

By	"joemck" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walk in the Light: And Twenty-Three Tales (Paperback)

One of the greatest of the Russian writers, in a form and translation that even children can follow and be moved by. There is no better quality family time than reading these timeless tales together. There is no more fulfilling solitude than to curl up with this collection and read it alone by the fireside. Take your choice! I started with my kids and then finished when they went to bed.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Volume, June 15, 2002

By	Johnny Tomorrow "brineyman" (Ash heap of history) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walk in the Light: And Twenty-Three Tales (Paperback)

Tolstoy is one of the great masters of fiction -- and of Christian fiction. And the stories you will find here are many of his best. His love for humanity shines through. These stories are so direct, so concrete, and they ring so true. One can't help reading them with a reverence that borders on awe.

The translation, too, by Louise and Aylmer Maude, is exquisite. It is done with such authority that it feels spontaneous and seamless, as if one is reading the actual words of Tolstoy, rather than those of some lesser intermediary. The Maudes are by far my favorite translators of Tolstoy.

The book is well done in every respect. I love everything about it -- right down to the bright whiteness of the pages; the paper quality is very good.

I recommend this book highly. It is one of my most prized volumes.