Books by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina seems to have everything - beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky. Their subsequent affair scandalizes society and family alike, and soon brings jealousy and bitterness in its wake.

War and Peace is a vast epic centred on Napoleon's war with Russia. While it expresses Tolstoy's view that history is an inexorable process which man cannot influence, he peoples his great novel with a cast of over five hundred characters. Three of these, the artless and delightful Natasha Rostov, the world-weary Prince Andrew Bolkonsky and the idealistic Pierre Bezukhov illustrate Tolstoy's philosophy in this novel of unquestioned mastery. This translation is one which received Tolstoy's approval.

'A book that you don't just read, you live' Simon SchamaAt a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches on Russia, and the lives of three young people are changed forever. The stories of quixotic Pierre, cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast, from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself. In War and Peace, Tolstoy entwines grand themes - conflict and love, birth and death, free will and faith - with unforgettable scenes of nineteenth-century Russia, to create a magnificent epic of human life in all its imperfection and grandeur.This Penguin Classics edition is translated with an introduction and notes by Anthony Briggs, with an afterword by Orlando Figes, author of A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution 1891-1924.'A masterpiece ... This new translation is excellent' Anthony Beevor

Set against the backdrop of Russian high society, this novel charts the course of the doomed love affair between Anna, a beautiful married woman, and Count Vronsky, a wealthy army officer who pursues Anna after becoming infatuated with her at a ball.

Translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude. Introduction and Notes by E.B. Greenwood, University of Kent.Anna Karenina is one of the most loved and memorable heroines of literature. Her overwhelming charm dominates a novel of unparalleled richness and density.Tolstoy considered this book to be his first real attempt at a novel form, and it addresses the very nature of society at all levels,- of destiny, death, human relationships and the irreconcilable contradictions of existence. It ends tragically, and there is much that evokes despair, yet set beside this is an abounding joy in life's many ephemeral pleasures, and a profusion of comic relief.

Banned in Russia under Communism, A Calendar of Wisdom was Tolstoy's last major work, and one of his most popular both during and after his lifetime. This new translation by Roger Cockrell will offer today's generation of readers the chance to discover, day by day, these edifying and carefully selected pearls of wisdom.

One of Tolstoy's last published works of fiction, The Devil revolves around the young landowner Yevgeny's irrepressible lust for Stepanida, a sensual peasant woman. Even when he gets married to a respectable upper-class lady, he finds himself unable to put an end to his encounters with Stepanida, and becomes increasingly consumed by guilt.

Tolstoy's epic masterpiece intertwines the lives of private and public individuals during the time of the Napoleonic wars and the French invasion of Russia. In this revised and updated version of the definitive and highly acclaimed Maude translation, Tolstoy's genius and the power of his prose are made newly available to the contemporary reader.

'The Death of Ivan Ilyich - is usually regarded as an amazing narrative of the experience of dying, a search for the meaning of death. It is all that, and more: it's a great questioning of what is and what ought to be in a human life.' Nadine Gordimer

This intensely moving story of Ivan Ilyich's lonely end is one of the masterpieces of Tolstoy's late fiction.The ten other stories in this new collection include 'The Kreutzer Sonata', 'The Devil', and 'Hadji Murat' which has been described by Harold Bloom as 'the best story in the world'.

This edition includes: The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Happy Ever After, and The Cossacks. Mortality was one of Tolstoy's most persistent themes, and all of the stories in this volume are connected by this preoccupation, along with the author's simultaneous attempt to help us improve our lives.

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.

‘300 Quotes from Russian Writers’ is a carefully crafted collection of inspiration, wit, and wisdom from some of the greatest ever Russian writers, including Fyodor Dostoievsky, Léo Tolstoy and Anton Chekov. These giants of literature are considered among the greatest writers to have ever lived and are responsible for some of the world’s most influential and highly acclaimed works. A carefully crafted collection, ‘300 Quotes from Russian Writers’ is ideal for anyone with an inquiring mind about the musings of some of Russia's greatest authors. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860 –1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the world. He is best known for his works ‘The Seagull’ and ‘Uncle Vanya’.Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821 – 1881) was a Russian novelist and short story writer. His most celebrated novels include ‘Crime and Punishment’ (1866), ‘The Idiot’ (1869), and ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ (1880). Leo Tolstoy (1828 –1910) was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time. Best known for his great novels ‘War and Peace’ (1869) and ‘Anna Karenina’ (1878).

‘100 Quotes by Leo Tolstoy’ is a collection of thoughts, reflections, and musings from the mind of one of Russia’s greatest writers. Covering a wide range of subjects, such as society, war, love, and life, these quotes vary between the pithy and the witty to the thoughtful and maudlin. An ideal book for those who want to dip in and out of the mind of one of the world’s most famous literary figures.A colossus of Russian literature, Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910) was born into aristocracy. However, after losing both his parents by the age of four and his grandmother and aunt a year later, Tolstoy and his siblings were sent to Kazan to live with another aunt, where he was home-schooled.After leaving university without a degree, Tolstoy lived a dissolute life of drinking, gambling, and womanising. Despite this, he maintained a love for literature and his first outing, ‘Childhood,’ was published in ‘The Contemporary’ magazine. The works that have defined his career are ‘War and Peace,’ and ‘Anna Karenina,’ both of which have been hailed as the zenith of realist literature. He was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize for Literature but never won. Many of his works have been adapted for the silver screen, including ‘Anna Karenina,’ starring Helen McCrory.

Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.Dmitry Andreich Olenin, in the hope of escaping the hollowness of his privilege, joins the army and heads to the Caucasus. There among the foothills he will meet the Cossacks: a people he considers to be at one with the land. In their company he will hunt, he will drink, he will fall in love and, slowly, he will begin to understand that between people, between cultures, there is often a space that cannot be traversed...'It is the richness of Tolstoy's genius that strikes us most in this story' Virginia Woolf

War and Peace (1869) is a novel by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Serialized between 1865 and 1867, it was published in book form in 1869 and has since been recognized as a masterpiece of world literature. Notable for its epic scale, War and Peace encompasses hundreds of characters, diligently following its five central families across fifteen years while featuring detailed imaginings of such historical figures as Napoleon Bonaparte. In The Epilogues, Tolstoy draws his epic story to a heartwarming close while offering his theory on the philosophy of history. After so much death and destruction, Tolstoy finds solace in the sanctity of marriage and the effort of traumatized people to rebuild and reclaim their lives. As a new generation is born, hope is rekindled, but faint rumblings of unrest and conspiracy suggest that peace, once more, will be difficult to maintain. In the epilogue's second part, Tolstoy breaks from his narrative to offer his theory on the philosophy of history, condemning the popular Great Man Theory's elevation of the individual and proposing that small, singular events form the basis of historical change. With its depiction of the brutalities of war on individuals and society alike, Tolstoy's story brings history to life while reminding us that the past is always closer than we care to think. As ambitious as it is triumphant, Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece is an epic novel of history and family, a story of faith and the will to persevere in the face of unspeakable catastrophe. War and Peace is a work that transcends both history and description, not just for the scale of its narrative and setting, but for the scope of its philosophical interests. Since its publication, it has been praised as an essential work of literature by Ivan Turgenev, Gustave Flaubert, Thomas Mann, and Ernest Hemingway, and has been adapted for film, theater, and television countless times. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace is a classic of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

War and Peace (1869) is a novel by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Serialized between 1865 and 1867, it was published in book form in 1869 and has since been recognized as a masterpiece of world literature. Notable for its epic scale, War and Peace encompasses hundreds of characters, diligently following its five central families across fifteen years while featuring detailed imaginings of such historical figures as Napoleon Bonaparte. In Books VI-X, he explores the emotions of his wide cast of characters who, during a period of tenuous peace, attempt to return to a sense of normalcy. Following Napoleon¿s defeat of Russian and Austrian forces at the Battle of Austerlitz, the Rostov, Bezukhov, and Bolkonsky families struggle to adapt to a changing world. While Prince Andrei attempts to balance his political obligations with his growing affection for Natasha Rostov, his friend Pierre finds himself at a crossroads. Disillusioned with Freemasonry, obsessed with discovering a way to live ethically, he grows increasingly volatile and despondent. When Natasha is attacked by the vicious Anatole Kuragin, Pierre finds himself in the position of comforting her, and they soon form a strong attachment. After several years, however, Napoleon¿s army begins advancing on Russia once more, bringing uncertainty and chaos to its traumatized people. With its juxtaposition of political peace with the private and public turmoil of his characters, Tolstoy¿s story brings history to life while reminding us that the past is always closer than we care to think. As ambitious as it is triumphant, Leo Tolstoy¿s masterpiece is an epic novel of history and family, a story of faith and the will to persevere in the face of unspeakable catastrophe. War and Peace is a work that transcends both history and description, not just for the scale of its narrative and setting, but for the scope of its philosophical interests. Since its publication, it has been praised as an essential work of literature by Ivan Turgenev, Gustave Flaubert, Thomas Mann, and Ernest Hemingway, and has been adapted for film, theater, and television countless times. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy¿s War and Peace is a classic of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.

War and Peace (1869) is a novel by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Serialized between 1865 and 1867, it was published in book form in 1869 and has since been recognized as a masterpiece of world literature. Notable for its epic scale, War and Peace encompasses hundreds of characters, diligently following its five central families across fifteen years while featuring detailed imaginings of such historical figures as Napoleon Bonaparte. In Books XI-XV, Tolstoy depicts the loss of Moscow, the final struggle against French forces, and the beginning of a new era for Russia, Europe, and the world. French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte leave the Russian military and people with no choice. Not only must they abandon Moscow, they must burn it to the ground in order to slow the Grande Armée¿s advance. The Rostov family leaves in a hurry, bringing with them the mortally wounded Prince Andrei, who is nursed by his beloved Natasha. Meanwhile, Pierre hatches a plan to assassinate Napoleon, but is soon captured and threatened with execution. As he awaits his fate in prison, guerrilla fighters manage to repel the French, forcing Napoleon¿s disastrous retreat. With its depiction of the brutalities of war on individuals and society alike, Tolstoy¿s story brings history to life while reminding us that the past is always closer than we care to think. As ambitious as it is triumphant, Leo Tolstoy¿s masterpiece is an epic novel of history and family, a story of faith and the will to persevere in the face of unspeakable catastrophe. War and Peace is a work that transcends both history and description, not just for the scale of its narrative and setting, but for the scope of its philosophical interests. Since its publication, it has been praised as an essential work of literature by Ivan Turgenev, Gustave Flaubert, Thomas Mann, and Ernest Hemingway, and has been adapted for film, theater, and television countless times. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy¿s War and Peace is a classic of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Power of Darkness (1886) is a play by Leo Tolstoy. Forbidden for decades in Tolstoy¿s native Russia, the five-act play was first staged in Paris, where it earned praise from some of France¿s leading critics. Noted for its brutal depiction of violence and desperation, the play is concerned with the universal religious and philosophical themes that inspired such masterpieces as War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877). Peasant life is often portrayed in art as peaceful and romantic, in touch with the rhythms of the natural world and coursing with spirituality. In The Power of Darkness, Tolstoy refuses such empty symbolism, choosing instead to tell a story of greed, murder, and betrayal that has everything to do with the political reality faced by its impoverished characters. Fearful of what will happen to their farm when her aging husband Peter dies, Anisya seduces her farmhand Nikita, whose lack of education and opportunity¿as well as a moral emptiness¿make him a willing accomplice. Betraying Marinka, a young orphan girl he manipulates for pleasure, Nikita joins Anisya in dispossessing her stubborn husband. Tragic and disturbing, The Power of Darkness is a story of man at war with nature, and therefore at war with himself. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy¿s The Power of Darkness is a classic work of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Childhood (1852) is a novel by Leo Tolstoy. Published at the beginning of his career as a leading Russian author of his generation, Childhood is the first in a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels tracing Nikolenkäs journey from innocence to experience. As a record of the past, a nostalgic reminder of a lost world, Childhood is one of Tolstoy¿s most personal works, and yet his prose shows signs of the universal religious and philosophical themes that would inspire such masterpieces as War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877). A story of life and death, love and grief, Childhood is an invaluable treasure of Russian literature. ¿How beautiful Mammäs face was when she smiled! It made her so infinitely more charming, and everything around her seemed to grow brighter! If in the more painful moments of my life I could have seen that smile before my eyes, I should never have known what grief is.¿ Devoted to his mother, Nikolenka is a young Russian boy born into prosperity. As his story unfolds, we see him experience love, grief, and anger for the first time in his life, returning us for a brief moment to our own childhoods, the bittersweet memories of good and bad things that can never return. Praised for its expressionistic style and meditative prose, Childhood won Tolstoy the attention of Russiäs literary elite, launching his career as one of the nineteenth century¿s most influential artists. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy¿s Childhood is a classic work of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Youth (1857) is a novel by Leo Tolstoy. Published at the beginning of his career as a leading Russian author of his generation, Youth is the third in a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels tracing Nikolenka's journey from innocence to experience. As a record of the past, a nostalgic reminder of a lost world, Youth is one of Tolstoy's most personal works, and yet his prose shows signs of the universal religious and philosophical themes that would inspire such masterpieces as War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877). A story of life and death, love and grief, Youth is an invaluable treasure of Russian literature. "Nevertheless there came a moment when those thoughts swept into my head with a sudden freshness and force of moral revelation which left me aghast at the amount of time which I had been wasting, and made me feel as though I must at once-that very second-apply those thoughts to life, with the firm intention of never again changing them. It is from that moment that I date the beginning of my youth." Centered on his friendship with Dmitri and the trials he faces on his way to attending university, the final installment of Tolstoy's trilogy finds Nikolenko on the cusp of adulthood, filled with passions and ideas that form his sense of individuality. As his story unfolds, we see him experience love, grief, and anger for the first time in his life, returning us for a brief moment to our own childhoods, the bittersweet memories of good and bad things that can never return. Praised for its expressionistic style and meditative prose, Youth won Tolstoy the attention of Russia's literary elite, launching his career as one of the nineteenth century's most influential artists.Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.