Tolstoy’s short stories are worth a read
Recently, I read an article about a Tolstoy short story. Curious if I had it, I pulled out Tolstoy’s, “Master and Man and Other Stories” (Penguin Classics, 2005, 293 pages) and found it. It was very short so I finished it in one sitting and moved on to the next story.
For the rest of the week I couldn’t put it down. Each story in it seemed to top the previous one and their simple, spiritual tone was moving, beautiful and captivating. While there is much depth and meaning to Tolstoy’s writing, it remains straightforward and clear. This compilation is a testament to the fact that classics are not just for classrooms, they’re for everyday use.
The article that prompted it all focused on the story, “How Much Land Does A Man Need?” Here Tolstoy examines a timeless trait of man: the temptation of never having enough. It starts out almost reminiscent of the old children’s tale about the town mouse and the country mouse. A sister married to a rich city man is visiting her younger sister who’s married to a country peasant. She boasts of her life and all its fineries in the city. Her sister challenges her: that for all her luxuries, they come with more risk and more stress. They bicker until the younger sister’s husband, Pakhom, chimes in claiming that the country life is indeed more sensible, and in fact, that if only he had enough land, he’d fear no one — not even the Devil. Unbeknownst to any of them, the Devil was eavesdropping and decides to take Pakhom up on his boast. From there we follow Pakhom and what happens when someone decides to relentlessly pursue more and more goods without satisfaction.
“Master and Man” is the next story I read of this collection since it was in the title. And after reading it, I understood why it got front and center. Late at night during a Russian winter, the landowner, Vasily Andreich, takes one of his peasants, Nikita, with him on a short journey by sleigh. Vasily has a business deal he needs to finalize. He’s proud of all the wealth he’s accumulated in his life and commends himself for his business savvy. Reflecting on this while his wife pleads with him to wait until morning, he grows more determined to complete the deal that evening, for fear someone else may try to slip in and make the land purchase before he arrives.
They set off, but the weather worsens and they find themselves lost in a blizzard. Eventually they stumble upon a town (in the opposite direction they were heading) and they take a break there. Nikita wants to remain and suggests it, but Vasily wants to continue. As they persist on their journey, we are given a striking impression of the social differences between the two, but also of the humanity that they share. I was surprised at how quickly and strongly my emotions grew in reaction to the characters. Tolstoy has a masterful way of making his characters come alive, and even develop, in such a short amount of space. His skill is also illustrated in the unexpected and beautiful ending.
The last story I’ll point out is my personal favorite: “What Men Live By.” The shoemaker, Semyon, is dirt poor. Married with children, he and his family live in a peasant’s cottage and they try to make do with what little they have. The couple has only one winter coat which they shared between them and so one winter, after two years of saving up, Semyon sets out to purchase sheepskins for a new coat. He has some of the money already but plans to pick up the rest from what he’s owed by a few debtors along the way. Unfortunately, they don’t have it and so by the time he reaches town, he realizes he doesn’t have enough. So he gets a small glass of vodka instead and heads home.
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On his way he notices a man, half naked in the snow by the church. Alarmed he hides behind the building and glances back at him, nervous and about to leave. But then he becomes overwhelmed with pity and shame for having almost left a man by himself in the cold unclothed. So he lends the man his old, tattered coat and brings him back home to his house. From there I’ll let you read on your own how his wife reacts to this situation and how the man becomes a part of their life.
Russian literature is heavy, long and intimidating. But it’s one of the best in my opinion. For those of you who have wanted to dip into this treasury of literary gems but have found it daunting, this short story collection is a great place to start. Short and simple, but packed with this literature’s classic Russian spirituality and snapshots of humanity, these stories can be a launching pad into more novels and stories like it.
(Anna Barren is a teacher and lifelong lover of books. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
