Anna Karenina and War and Peace branded Tolstoy as one of the greatest writers in modern history. Few, however, have read his wonderful short stories. Now, in one collection, are the 20 greatest short stories of Leo Tolstoy, which give a snapshot of Russia and its people in the late nineteenth century. A fine introduction is given by Andrew Barger. Annotations are included of difficult Russian terms. There is also a Tolstoy biography at the start of the book with photos of Tolstoy's relatives. The classic stories include:
A Candle After the Dance Albert Alyosha the Pot An Old Acquaintance Does a Man Need Much Land? If You Neglect the Fire You Don't Put It Out Khodinka: An Incident of the Coronation of Nicholas II Lucerne Memoirs of a Lunatic My Dream Recollections of a Scorer The Empty Drum The Long Exile The Posthumous Papers of the Hermit Fedor Kusmich The Young Tsar There Are No Guilty People Three Deaths Two Old Men What Men Live By