A bishop and several pilgrims are travelling on a fishing boat. During the voyage, the bishop engages the fishermen in conversation after overhearing them discuss a remote island nearby their course where three old hermits lived a spartan existence focused on seeking "salvation for their souls." Several of the fisherman claim to have seen them once. The bishop then informs the captain that he wishes to visit the island. The captain attempts to dissuade...

This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading. Leo Tolstoy's The Gospels in Brief (1881) is a daring attempt by Russia's greatest novelist to rewrite "the greatest story ever told." This book appeared soon after the writer experienced a period of deep despair that led to a conversion in his personal life. Following what might best be described as a mid-life crisis, Tolstoy devoted himself to a rational religion...

Léon Tolstoï est né en 1828 dans une petite ville de Russie. Son enfance est frappée par le malheur, consécutivement, il subit la perte de sa mère puis de son père et de sa grand-mère. Son tempérament, très sensible, l'amène à se poser très jeune des questions sur les inégalités sociales qu'il voit autour de lui. Il se fait soldat et les scènes de guerre auxquelles il participe seront la source de son roman le plus connu Guerre et...

Father Sergius is a short story by Leo Tolstoy and was published in 1911. It tells the story of a young prince — known as Stepan Kasatsky - who becomes a priest. In the court, he falls in love with Countess Mary Korotkova and becomes engaged to her. But soon he discovers his fiancée was once a mistress to the emperor, Tsar Nicholas I. This incident devastates him and he decides to leave the court and becomes a monk. As he is an ambitious high...

The Kreutzer Sonata is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1889. It tells the story of a man who killed his wife because of jealousy. The story begins on a train. Passengers start a conversation about the nature and purpose of marriage. Among them, there is a strange man who is nervous and uncommunicative. A lawyer on the train brings up the case of Pozdnyshev, a man who murdered his wife but was acquitted at trial. The strange man breaks his silence...

A story of a successful farmer Ilyas who grew into one of the wealthiest in the area only to loose it all through series of bad accidents. He finds his happiness however only after loosing all his possessions and achieving peace for himself and his wife. Read in English, unabridged.

The famed Nobel Literature prize winning Leo Tolstoy is the author of this book. "On the Significance of Science and Art" explores the idea of the approach of modern science in looking at life's questions. Tolstoy feels that, "The men of contemporary science are very fond of saying, triumphantly and confidently, "We investigate only facts," imagining that these words contain some meaning. It is impossible to investigate facts alone, because the facts...

In this collection, "How Much Land Does a Man Need? And Other Stories," Russian born Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) demonstrates his varied subject matter and style in his shorter fiction. In the title piece, "How Much Land Does a Man Need?," Tolstoy explores this very question through the story of a peasant with an increasing appetite for land. In "What Men Live By," the humble shoemaker Simon sets out to collect money to pay for new coats for the family....

After his involvement in the Siege of Sevastopol (1854-55), Leo Tolstoy decided to write this collection of three fictional sketches about the experience. "Sevastopol in December" takes the reader on a tour of the city, including a makeshift hospital with wounded soldiers. "Sevastopol in May" and "Sevastopol in August" continue the narrative, analyzing what war is-futile, he concludes.

Four Classic Christmas Stories in One Volume! This book contains, The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, The Heavenly Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Story of the Other Wise Man Where Love Is, God Is by Leo Tolstoy. Each story explores the true meaning of Christmas and makes an excellent family read aloud.