Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is best known for his monumental works War and Peace and Anna Karenina, commonly regarded as some of the greatest novels ever written. However, his mastery extends to short stories as well, and this volume includes four of his longest and most distinguished tales, which have stood the test of time.

In the early story 'Family Happiness', Tolstoy delves into courtship and marriage from the perspective of a young wife. 'The Kreutzer Sonata' offers a terrifying study of marital breakdown, while 'The Devil' provides a powerful depiction of the allure of sexual temptation. Perhaps the most profound of all, 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' explores the long agony of a man gradually coming to terms with his own mortality.