Long hailed as one of the western world’s greatest writers, Leo Tolstoy is best known for his epic War and Peace and his novel Anna Karenina. Yet the undiminished popularity of his shorter works – including the two dozen collected here – attests to his equal prowess as a master of the short story.

Uncluttered by the complexities of plot and character that daunt so many readers of the longer Russian masterpieces, Tolstoy’s tales illumine eternal truths with forceful brevity. While inspired by a sense of spiritual certainty, their narrative quality, subtle humor, and visionary power lift them far above the common run of “religious” literature. Moralists purport to tell us what our lives should mean, and how we should live them. Tolstoy, on the other hand, has an uncanny gift for simply conveying what it means to be truly alive.

From “Walk in the Light,” a parable-like piece that reflects Tolstoy’s fascination with the early Christians, to beloved tales such as “Ivan the Fool,” “A Prisoner in the Caucasus,” and “What Men Live By,” the stories in this volume have stood the test of time for over a century. Together they form a rare treasure-trove you will want to return to often.