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Rating: 
Summary: Tolstoy on a smaller, more managable scale.
Review: I was attracted to this volume by Calvino's recommendation of 'Two Hussars', a gorgeous, bipartite story of Turgenev-like transparency, about the respective, mirroring adventures of a father and son, and their relationships with the army, their servants, the local society they briefly enter, and the women they meet. In one sense it is a tale about history, about the raucous gambling, drinking and dancing of the early 19th century, and the more sedate, stolid bourgeoisification in its middle. The climax, where narrative and character gives way to suspended time and a tableaux of nature, is heartstopping. The other stories in this collection are similarly schizophrenic, ranging from early works in the 1850s influenced by Tolstoy's time in the army; and the later didactic, moralistic works, including some of his most famous, 'The Death of Ivan Illyich' and 'How much land does a man need?' (which Joyce thought the greatest story ever written). the translations by Louise and Aylmer Maude, nearly a century old, are still very readable, probably because they were friends of Tolstoy's, and had greatr knowledge of his methods and intentions. The annotation and 1982 introduction needs updating, though.
Rating:
Summary: Tolstoy at his best
Review: Tolstoy is a masterful writer, and this marvelous collection of his short stories is excellent proof of this. Of the 9 stories contained in the collection, 3 in particular are worth noting: The Raid was an interesting tale of life on the "frontier" of Ukraine - and is not unlike a Louis L'Amour viginette. Tolstoy pulls no punches here, and the line between "good guy" and "bad guy" is blurred. Two Hussars is another favorite of mine, mostly because of the way in which he writes the characters - so real you can imagine meeting them in person in some dimly-lit pub. How Much Land Does a Man Need? is the third short story that resonnated with me, as it wrestles with the typically Russian theme of a man and his attachment to the land, but also with the broader human theme of need versus greed. (Especially resonant in our own time, what with ozone depletion, increased consumption of fossil fuels, and over population.) While the other stories are good, these 3 in particular make the book worth the purchase price. Don't think of it as "Tolstoy" - read it for its own sake - its a thumping good book.
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