Selected Short Stories by Leo Tolstoy is a collection of four stories titled How much land does a man need?, Where Love is, God is, Neglect a Spark and the House Burns Down and Prisoner of the Caucasus.
How much land does a man need? tells readers about a main character named Pakhom’s “love for land and money which leads him to the jaws of death.”
Where Love is, God is is a story on the Christian concepts of love and forgiveness. In this story, the protagonist Martin gives shelter to a woman who was standing in the freezing cold with a child. Neglect a Spark and the House Burns Down. is story about the futility of vengeance.
Tolstoy’s stories offer a philosophical and religious point of view. His stories centre on rural life in Russia and his characters include rustic village folk. The short stories also provide an insight into the sociological aspects of Russian society in the mid-nineteenth century. The stories explore inter-personal relationships and an individual’s relationship with society.
Tolstoy also conveys a moral message through the mistakes made by his characters and the lessons they learn.
Reviewed by
Ryhanna Salie