Translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude.
Tolstoy is know primarily for his epic novels like War and Peace and Anna Karenina, but he also wrote a number of excellent short pieces that carry the same kind of themes on a much smaller scale. Two of the best are Master and Man and The Death of Ivan Ilych.
In the story, a land owner named Vasili Andreevich Brekhunov takes along one of his peasants, Nikita, for a short journey to the house of the owner of a forest. He is impatient and wishes to get to the town more quickly to purchase the forest before other contenders can get there. They find themselves in the middle of a blizzard, but the master in his avarice wishes to press on. They eventually get lost off the road and they try to camp. The master's peasant soon finds himself suffering from hypothermia.
The master attains a spiritual and moral revelation, and Tolstoy once again repeats one of his famous themes: that the only true happiness in life is found by living for others as the master acts a way he never thought was possible.
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"Another inciteful study of the relationship of a proud and somewhat corrupt Russian land owner and one of his peasant servants. When confronted with a severe Russian snow storm and the prospect of imminent death, the land owner comes through and does the right thing. A worthwhile read" — Craig (4 out of 5 stars)
"Another inciteful study of the relationship of a proud and somewhat corrupt Russian land owner and one of his peasant servants. When confronted with a severe Russian snow storm and the prospect of imminent death, the land owner comes through and does the right thing. A worthwhile read"
" Mestre Tolstoy. "
" literally breathless. "
" my first book and one of my favorite ever... "
" Ceritanya tidak terlalu panjang. Tidak banyak konflik. Tapi, bisa bikin terharu karena sang Master mau berkorban untuk anak buahnya. :') "
" One of Tolstoy's attempts to render the conversion experience comprehensible. As with "The Death of Ivan Ilych," it was a moving attempt which, by my lights, ultimately failed. Still worth reading, though. "
" One of my all-time favorite collections of short stories. "
" A good short read--basically a parable about greed. "
" A little hard to get through. "
" Does this imply that those of greater means should sacrifice for those of lesser? "
" I read this excellent story of a Russian man and his servant lost on a doomed winter journey while I was bouncing along in a 24 max. mini-bus on a possibly doomed Russian journey of my own to Tolstoy's home, Yasnaya Polyana. A May Day to remember. "
" So I didn't really read this whole book, but I did read the short story "Master and Man," which was not at all what I expected. Great story - one of Tolstoy's best. "
" Audiobook version (as read by Simon Vance). Review here. "
" Good short story. It will make a good high-school read. "
" A favorite short story! "
" Beautiful observed and told, poignant, classic Tolstoy short story. Wish it could have gone on a lot longer. "
" This is a short Tolstoy novella. He is really good at imagery--this book made me feel cold. However, I wasn't entirely convinced at the motives of the main characters. It's still really good. Tolstoy just understood people. "
" I was not really into this book. It was an interesting story. Sad. Not really the kind of style I like though. It is a good story if you like this style of writing. "
" Just magnificent. Makes me embarrassed to admit I haven't read any of his long novels. Toss 'em in the bucket list! "
" This short story was OK. Nothing much to talk about. "
" Super duper good, and with a great surprise ending, but I liked "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" better. "
" Tolstoy's "Master and Man" is one of the best short stories of all time. "
" I read this because Amy recommended it. Not sure why. It was okay - didn't change my life or anything. I'd probably read it again, sometime...sorry I wasn't overwhelmed, Amy. "
" Yeah, he's good. Kid's got a future, guys. Be on the lookout for this one. "
" my first book and one of my favorite "
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was born about two hundred miles from Moscow. His mother died when he was two, his father when he was nine. His parents were of noble birth, and Tolstoy remained acutely aware of his aristocratic roots, even when he later embraced doctrines of equality and the brotherhood of man. After serving in the army in the Caucasus and Crimea, where he wrote his first stories, he traveled and studied educational theories. In 1862 he married Sophia Behrs and for the next fifteen years lived a tranquil, productive life, finishing War and Peace in 1869 and Anna Karenina in 1877. In 1879 he underwent a spiritual crisis; he sought to propagate his beliefs on faith, morality, and nonviolence, writing mostly parables, tracts, and morality plays. Tolstoy died of pneumonia in 1910 at the age of eighty-two.
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