One of the world's most famous writers, Leo Tolstoy, is probably best known for his epic romantic works "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace". In addition to being the author of some of the greatest novels ever written, Tolstoy was also a prolific short-story writer. This little collection includes four of his shorter works. First we find the titular "What Men Live By", a tale concerning a humble shoemaker named Simon who while running errands stumbles upon a mysterious naked man. Simon decides to help the man and consequently discovers there is more to this person than he could have ever possibly imagined. Second in this collection is "Three Questions", a parable of a king who seeks the answers to what he believes is life's three most important questions. Third in this volume is "The Coffee-House of Surat", a story in which a coffee-house serves as the setting for a theological discussion. Lastly we find "How Much Land Does a Man Need?", in which a peasant named Pahom proclaims that if he had enough land he would not fear the devil himself. Unbeknownst to him, Satan hears him and takes him up on the challenge. In this collection we find a common theme amongst Tolstoy's short stories, an examination of bigger metaphysical and religious questions. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translations of Louise and Aylmer Maude.
One of the world's most famous writers, Leo Tolstoy, is probably best known for his epic romantic works "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace". In addition to being the author of some of the greatest novels ever written, Tolstoy was also a prolific short-story writer. This little collection includes four of his shorter works. First we find the titular "What Men Live By", a tale concerning a humble shoemaker named Simon who while running errands stumbles upon a mysterious naked man. Simon decides to help the man and consequently discovers there is more to this person than he could have ever possibly imagined. Second in this collection is "Three Questions", a parable of a king who seeks the answers to what he believes is life's three most important questions. Third in this volume is "The Coffee-House of Surat", a story in which a coffee-house serves as the setting for a theological discussion. Lastly we find "How Much Land Does a Man Need?", in which a peasant named Pahom proclaims that if he had enough land he would not fear the devil himself. Unbeknownst to him, Satan hears him and takes him up on the challenge. In this collection we find a common theme amongst Tolstoy's short stories, an examination of bigger metaphysical and religious questions. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translations of Louise and Aylmer Maude.
Über den Autor
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828 - 1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, he is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved literary acclaim in his twenties with his semi-autobiographical trilogy, Childhood, Boyhood and Youth (1852-1856) and Sevastopol Sketches (1855), based upon his experiences in the Crimean War. Tolstoy's fiction includes dozens of short stories and several novellas such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Family Happiness, and Hadji Murad. He also wrote plays and numerous philosophical essays. In the 1870s Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis, followed by what he regarded as an equally profound spiritual awakening, as outlined in his non-fiction work A Confession. His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him to become a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist. Tolstoy's ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Bevel. Tolstoy also became a dedicated advocate of Georgism, the economic philosophy of Henry George, which he incorporated into his writing, particularly Resurrection.
