Leo Tolstoy combined detailed physical description with perceptive psychological insight to sweep aside the sham of surface appearances and lay bare man's intimate gestures, acts, and thoughts. Murder and sacrificegreed and devotionlust and affectionvanity and love one by one, in this volume of great stories, Tolstoy dissects the basic drives, emotions, and motives of ordinary people searching for self-knowledge and spiritual perfection. Chekhov said, Of authors my favorite is Tolstoy. And Turgenev marveled at the strength of his huge talentIt sends a cold shudder even down my backHe is a master, a master.Now with a new introduction by Regina Marler and an afterword by Hugh McLean.
