What Is The Shortest Story In 'Great Short Works Of Leo Tolstoy'?

2025-06-20 20:20:14 249

3 Answers

Logan
Logan
2025-06-22 11:24:44
Let's settle this—'The Coffee-House of Surat' is the true shortest in my Penguin edition, clocking in at just over three pages. It's often overlooked because it reads more like a philosophical dialogue than a traditional story. A group of travelers debate religion in a café, and Tolstoy dismantles cultural arrogance with surgical precision. The ending still gives me chills: 'Truth is one, though the sages call it by many names.'

What's wild is how this 1893 vignette predicts modern discourse about cultural relativism. Unlike his rural tales, this one feels cosmopolitan, almost postmodern. If you enjoyed the ideological clashes in 'The Kreutzer Sonata', this is Tolstoy at his most condensed and provocative. Pro tip: read it alongside Borges' 'The Library of Babel' for an interesting compare-and-contrast on existential brevity.
Edwin
Edwin
2025-06-25 15:09:48
I remember flipping through 'Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy' and being struck by how 'A Spark Neglected Burns the House' stands out as the shortest. It's barely a few pages, but Tolstoy packs a punch—this tiny fable about unchecked anger destroying lives. The simplicity works in its favor; no elaborate setups, just raw cause-and-effect. I love how it mirrors his later themes in 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You' about small actions having massive consequences. If you're pressed for time but want classic Tolstoy, this micro-story delivers his moral intensity without the 50-page commitment.
Leila
Leila
2025-06-26 02:36:04
I'd argue 'God Sees the Truth, But Waits' might technically be shorter in word count than some others, though editions vary. What fascinates me is how Tolstoy crafts such profound narratives in minimal space. This particular story—about a wrongly imprisoned man finding spiritual peace—feels expansive despite its brevity. The pacing is masterful; every sentence serves dual purposes, advancing plot while deepening philosophical undertones.

Comparing it to slightly longer works like 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich', you see Tolstoy's range. The short pieces aren't just warm-ups—they're concentrated doses of his worldview. 'The Empty Drum', another contender for shortest, uses folk tale structures to critique social injustice in under ten pages. Tolstoy's economy of language makes Hemingway look verbose. For modern readers drowning in bloated novels, these micro-masterpieces are refreshing palate cleansers.
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