Master and Man and Other Stories

The ten stories collected in this volume demonstrate Tolstoy's artistic prowess displayed over five decades — experimenting with prose styles and drawing on his own experiences with humour, realism and compassion. Inspired by his experiences in the army, 'The Two Hussars' contrasts a dashing father and his mean-spirited son. Illustrating Tolstoy's belief that art must serve a moral purpose, 'What Men Live By' portrays an angel sent to earth to learn three existential rules of life, and 'Two Old Men' shows a peasant abandoning his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in order to help his neighbours. And in the highly moving 'Master and Man', Tolstoy depicts a mercenary merchant travelling with his unprotesting servant through a blizzard to close a business deal — little realizing he may soon have to settle accounts with his maker.

• Author
• Leo Tolstoy, Hugh McLean

• Format
• paperback

• Pages
• 336

• Publisher
• Penguin Classics

• Language
• english

• ISBN
• 978-0-14-044962-4

• EAN
• 9780140449624

• Release date
• 2005