Leo Tolstoy

A Russian author.

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina leaves husband and child of Count Aleksei Vronsky, the commits suicide by jumping under a train. Konstantin and Kitty Levin have a happy marriage

War and Peace

Set in 1805-1820. Napoleon invades Russia 1812. Natasha Rostova is engaged to Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, who struggles to find meaning of life through intellect and calmly accepts death, but marries rake Anatol Kuragin. Pierre Bezukhov, the maybe-protagonist, meets the optimistic, honest peasant Karatayev (named after Plato?). He learns numerology from the Freemasons, and “discovers” that Napoleon’s name stands for 666. He plans to kill Napoleon. After the war, Natasha marries Pierre Bezukhov, who finds peace in living under Karatayev’s wisdom.

Begins with almost a full page of dialogue in French and includes numerous tangents about Tolstoy’s disagreements with Great Man history.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

man with cancer ponders death

The Power of Darkness

Nikita seduces Marina, poisons Peter, marries his wife Anisya, seduces Anisya’s stepdaughter Akulina, and kills their baby

Resurrection

Prince Nekhlyudov seduced Katyusha Maslova. she became prostitute and poisoned a man. he serves on jury and marries her since he feels guilty but she refuses

A Confession

What is Art?

should be simple enough for all to understand

The Cossacks

Olenin tries to find happiness among wild Cossacks of the Caucasus. Maryana and Eroshka

Sevastopol Stories

3 stories about Crimean War Siege in December, May, and August 1855