How Much Land Does a Man Need and Other Stories

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. "A Spark Neglected Burns the House" is a parable examining the process of reconciliation. Also included are "Two Hussars," "Where Love is," "God Is," "Two Old Men," and "A Prisoner in the Caucasus," some of Tolstoy's finest early work. Though Tolstoy is widely known for "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina," considered two of the greatest novels in world literature, his short stories remain valuable classics in their own regards.