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How Much Land Does A Man Need?
'Although he feared death, he could not stop. 'If I stopped now, after coming all this way - well, they'd call me an idiot!'
A pair of short stories about greed, charity, life and death from one of Russia's most influential writers and thinkers.
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). Tolstoy's works available in Penguin Classics are Anna Karenina, War and Peace, Childhood, Boyhood, Youth,The Cossacks and Other Stories, The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories, What is art?, Resurrection, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, Master and Man and Other Stories, How Much Land Does A Man Need? & Other Stories, A Confession and Other Religious Writings and Last steps: The Late Writings of Leo Tolstoy.
A pair of short stories about greed, charity, life and death from one of Russia's most influential writers and thinkers.
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). Tolstoy's works available in Penguin Classics are Anna Karenina, War and Peace, Childhood, Boyhood, Youth,The Cossacks and Other Stories, The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories, What is art?, Resurrection, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, Master and Man and Other Stories, How Much Land Does A Man Need? & Other Stories, A Confession and Other Religious Writings and Last steps: The Late Writings of Leo Tolstoy.
64 pages, Paperback
Published February 26, 2015
About the author
Leo Tolstoy
7,346 books26.3k followersLev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой; most appropriately used Liev Tolstoy; commonly Leo Tolstoy in Anglophone countries) was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. Tolstoy is equally known for his complicated and paradoxical persona and for his extreme moralistic and ascetic views, which he adopted after a moral crisis and spiritual awakening in the 1870s, after which he also became noted as a moral thinker and social reformer.
His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 19, 2024
How much land does a man need was a simple story that i would give 4 stars but the 2nd one... What Men Live By was ... how should i put it , perfect 6 stars.
June 4, 2024
Reading this in pride, I have to call out my driller Tolstoy for the use of gendered language frfr. Why couldn’t the title be “How much land does a driller need?”
November 21, 2024
Gjörsamlega elskaði þessar tvær dæmisögur.
December 9, 2024
It's probably the best introduction you could have to Tolstoy. The moral of the story isn't that deep, but that's the beauty of it. It's not as daunting as War and Peace or any other greats of Russian literature. But Tolstoy still squeezes in that quality of writing into 30ish pages.
It really highlights how greed can corrupt as we see the humble farmer peasant grow into a monster no matter how noble his intentions of his own security might be. It's anti-Capitalist, anti-landlord, and even anti-Colonialism.
It's capitalist greed in its simplest state and echoes reality even to this day; how the commodity of land is used as a wedge between the classes and how the haves and the have nots are worlds apart.
You can get an edition for as cheap as £1. It's probably the best single £1 you'll ever spend.
It really highlights how greed can corrupt as we see the humble farmer peasant grow into a monster no matter how noble his intentions of his own security might be. It's anti-Capitalist, anti-landlord, and even anti-Colonialism.
It's capitalist greed in its simplest state and echoes reality even to this day; how the commodity of land is used as a wedge between the classes and how the haves and the have nots are worlds apart.
You can get an edition for as cheap as £1. It's probably the best single £1 you'll ever spend.
January 4, 2025
First time crossing paths with Tolstoy, and I am enchanted, impressed, and deeply moved. I had the pleasure to read How Much Land Does A Man Need? and What Men Live By in one morning before work. Both have a focus on morals, values, temptation, and divine intervention. How Much Land Does A Man Need? serves as a cautionary tale, which I'm sure would make most Eastern Europeans a bit uncomfortable to sit through. Enough said. What Men Live By was heartwarming story of love and hope and it makes the reader want to believe in humanity. Both stories read smoothly, paint a very vivid picture, pacing is consistent and perfectly balanced between plot and character development, and have a well fledged ending and fully formed ideas. I'm beginning to see a pattern here, so looking forward to discovering more. I found it much easier to 'get' than Kafka for instance (whom I coincidentally read in parallel, also for the first time) which is not surprising as the moral of the story is pretty much spelled out by the end, which made me enjoy it that little bit more as I didn’t doubt my understanding of it by the end and it still made a considerable impression without leaving me confused. His work speaks to my Eastern European psyche, and I can feel it on a deep personal level. I have a feeling he will quickly become one of my favourite writers. Forth!
July 1, 2024
This edition has two of Tolstoy’s short stories. The first, the title-bearer, is a pretty direct sort of fable about the paradoxical relationship between gratefulness and riches— the more you gain, the more there is to be envious and insecure about.
The back cover will let you know that James Joyce famously considered this “the best story ever told,” but I was left a bit wanting. I get that you can only do so much in 20 pages, but there was little by way of character development in favour of drilling an already pretty obvious moral down.
As is not uncommon for little black classics, the back of the paperback is padded out with a surprise second story, “What Men Live By.” Considering that the first was supposed to be the best story ever, and this one hadn’t even been mentioned on the blurb, I wasn’t expecting much— which is why I was very pleasantly surprised.
The second story is a far more sophisticated parable successfully delivering multiple shades of meaning in just marginally more pages than the first, and with actually convincing characters. Thrust into a snowy Russian village, we follow a very biblical feeling sequence about how doing the right thing will never cut you short, and how our complete blindness to the future means that we should let go of futile greed and simply seek to be… loving.
Yeah, it definitely feels a bit cliche at points, but call me old fashioned— I still love a good old moral.
The back cover will let you know that James Joyce famously considered this “the best story ever told,” but I was left a bit wanting. I get that you can only do so much in 20 pages, but there was little by way of character development in favour of drilling an already pretty obvious moral down.
As is not uncommon for little black classics, the back of the paperback is padded out with a surprise second story, “What Men Live By.” Considering that the first was supposed to be the best story ever, and this one hadn’t even been mentioned on the blurb, I wasn’t expecting much— which is why I was very pleasantly surprised.
The second story is a far more sophisticated parable successfully delivering multiple shades of meaning in just marginally more pages than the first, and with actually convincing characters. Thrust into a snowy Russian village, we follow a very biblical feeling sequence about how doing the right thing will never cut you short, and how our complete blindness to the future means that we should let go of futile greed and simply seek to be… loving.
Yeah, it definitely feels a bit cliche at points, but call me old fashioned— I still love a good old moral.
January 9, 2024
Cool short read [2 killer parables]. Tolstoy remains undefeated.
August 12, 2024
Parable-style stories that were enjoyable enough.
September 11, 2024
Thanks Giuul voor het lenen :) was een goede introductie van Tolstoy. Deed me denken aan Grimm, twee mooie korte verhalen. Totaaal niet wat ik normaal zou lezen.
December 23, 2024
what men live by>>>>>>
September 22, 2024
The sun waits for no one. What a perfect short story about greed and life.
September 2, 2023
Consisting of two stories laced with religious connotations and moral lessons, this book displays the influence of both the Christian God and the Devil. The first story displays the greed and hubris of man, as the protagonist shows an unimpeded lust for power and profit. This is consistently showcased through how the man gave up all his land and money when promised a larger plot of land for very low prices, continuing to scale the size of his land with the pretence that the acres of land he had were suffocating and isolating. The land never large enough, he proceeded to go to a field, where the leader of the small village challenged the man to claim the land that he could walk around. As the man slept before the day of the challenge began, the devil appeared in his dream, laughing uncontrollably at him and creasing with hysterical delight, linking to how at the start, the protagonist claimed that if he had a large enough plot of land he would be afraid of no one, not even the devil. In the end, the man died as a result of greed and exhaustion, despite completing the challenge. The second story showed how, in Christianity, God lives in man through man's love for one another and God. This was depicted through the angel helping the protagonist make up for how he had been saved from starvation and frostbite through the pity and kindness of the protagonist. In the end, we see the kindness and charitable nature of man stemming from love
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2023
O nouă povestire în puține pagini pe care o termin (știu, trișez ca să-mi ating numărul de cărți propus la începutul anului — 40): „How Much Land Does A Man Need?”, a doua de la Tolstoy pe care o parcurg, în ediția prețioasă și elegantă a colecției ~Penguin Classics~.
O povestire de 50 de pagini care, surpriză, cuprinde două povestiri: prima, cea care dă și titlul, se oprește la 20, iar a doua — „What Men Live By” —, chiar mai lungă decât principala, termină această adunătură de pagini puține care, abia la final mi-am dat seama, abundă în prea mult substrat religios, făcând experiența citirii frustrantă și nesatisfăcătoare.
Prima e valoroasă și încă are însemnătate și azi, transmițând un mesaj puternic și universal: cel nesătul se va sătura doar când pământul îi va bloca orice reacție, ascunzând-ul adânc sub stratul său, îngropat și tăcut pe vecie. Iar aceasta, pentru că mi-a plăcut și, cum am zis, fiindcă are și acum aceeași aplicare, primește ~ 4 ~ puncte curate din partea mea.
Ei bine, deși am primit cu brațele deschise povestea principală, a doua povestire — ademenitoare la început — se sfârșește ciudat și fanatic. Monologul de final al unui personaj misterios (un înger, am aflat) e ridicol și batjocoritor pentru cel conștient și care gândește deschis și liber, dezvăluind structura unei pilde religioase pe care nu o cerusem, ceea ce, frustrat pentru cum am fost păcălit, m-a făcut să îi ofer ~ 1.5/2 ~ puncte (jumătatea e pentru prima parte a poveștii, care m-a încântat și captivat considerabil, numai ca apoi să fiu luat în râs la finalul ei). Da, îi dau un ~ 3 ~ mincinos.
O povestire de 50 de pagini care, surpriză, cuprinde două povestiri: prima, cea care dă și titlul, se oprește la 20, iar a doua — „What Men Live By” —, chiar mai lungă decât principala, termină această adunătură de pagini puține care, abia la final mi-am dat seama, abundă în prea mult substrat religios, făcând experiența citirii frustrantă și nesatisfăcătoare.
Prima e valoroasă și încă are însemnătate și azi, transmițând un mesaj puternic și universal: cel nesătul se va sătura doar când pământul îi va bloca orice reacție, ascunzând-ul adânc sub stratul său, îngropat și tăcut pe vecie. Iar aceasta, pentru că mi-a plăcut și, cum am zis, fiindcă are și acum aceeași aplicare, primește ~ 4 ~ puncte curate din partea mea.
Ei bine, deși am primit cu brațele deschise povestea principală, a doua povestire — ademenitoare la început — se sfârșește ciudat și fanatic. Monologul de final al unui personaj misterios (un înger, am aflat) e ridicol și batjocoritor pentru cel conștient și care gândește deschis și liber, dezvăluind structura unei pilde religioase pe care nu o cerusem, ceea ce, frustrat pentru cum am fost păcălit, m-a făcut să îi ofer ~ 1.5/2 ~ puncte (jumătatea e pentru prima parte a poveștii, care m-a încântat și captivat considerabil, numai ca apoi să fiu luat în râs la finalul ei). Da, îi dau un ~ 3 ~ mincinos.
July 4, 2024
I read nearly everything that Tolstoy wrote when I was in college, so I probably read these two sweet lightweight short stories then, but I don't remember them. Tolstoy was one of the greatest writers ever. War and Peace and Anna Karenina both easily make my personal top ten of all time list. I also enjoyed his early military tales and from the later books The Kreutzer Sonata, The Death of Ivan Ilych and Hadji Murat are brilliant. But then there's the stuff like the two stories here that reflect his later religious ideas more directly - simple stories of simple people with moral lessons. I do appreciate Tolstoy's later idea that truly great literature needs to be accessible, but I don't like being preached at. I prefer a little ambiguity and irony. Those qualities are absent in these stories. Good and evil are less interesting when they are presented in unalloyed form.
But still this is Tolstoy, who is a writer a hundred times better than I could ever be. The care of construction is evident in these stories. Every action and every character trait is an integrated part of the whole. There is a smoothness and naturalness in his style that makes everything seem so real and that made me feel it unfolding as if I was actually there.
But still this is Tolstoy, who is a writer a hundred times better than I could ever be. The care of construction is evident in these stories. Every action and every character trait is an integrated part of the whole. There is a smoothness and naturalness in his style that makes everything seem so real and that made me feel it unfolding as if I was actually there.
August 17, 2024
In this book there are two stories, 'How Much Land Does A Man Need' (just over 20 pages) and 'What Men Live By' (just over 30 pages). Both are stories really short and meaningful with strong religious and moral values. I'll try to make this spoiler free!!
'How Much Land Does A Man Need' was a really short story showing how greed/ the devil can corrupt any man. the ending was sad but I was kinda expecting it as the story was moral based, something you'd tell to children to teach them about being grateful and resisting greed
'What Men Live By' was a sweet story about a poor man helping a naked stranger despite not having much himself. this story was heartwarming. Tolstoy teaches us about love and caring for others out of pure kindness. the ending is so pure and hopeful, I just loved the story so much. And yes the title of What Men Live By, is in fact answered.
'How Much Land Does A Man Need' was a really short story showing how greed/ the devil can corrupt any man. the ending was sad but I was kinda expecting it as the story was moral based, something you'd tell to children to teach them about being grateful and resisting greed
'What Men Live By' was a sweet story about a poor man helping a naked stranger despite not having much himself. this story was heartwarming. Tolstoy teaches us about love and caring for others out of pure kindness. the ending is so pure and hopeful, I just loved the story so much. And yes the title of What Men Live By, is in fact answered.
October 4, 2024
The story of a greedy peasant named Pakhom. Although Pakhom enjoys health and family happiness, he feels dissatisfied when he learns of the grand fortunes of his relatives. He decides to go on a quest for more land, only to find that with each new acquisition new problems develop that is desire and greed.
Then suddenly he came to know of a village that sells land according to your strength and the stamina of walking for a very small amount. He went there and started his journey but his greed made him delusional and he went on walking but when it's time to return to the starting point his heartbeat was fast and his body gaving up on him and when he reached the point he fall on floor even though he got the land , he will not be able to plough , his children but at what cost of life.
Then suddenly he came to know of a village that sells land according to your strength and the stamina of walking for a very small amount. He went there and started his journey but his greed made him delusional and he went on walking but when it's time to return to the starting point his heartbeat was fast and his body gaving up on him and when he reached the point he fall on floor even though he got the land , he will not be able to plough , his children but at what cost of life.
July 15, 2024
"moralistic, direct." on my last saturday in cape town in i wandered into my favorite listening bar after a 14 hour day on the mountain, ducking in and out of the valleys of the gods that hide in golden light at 3,000 feet. sweaty, stinking, and with my backpack on i wrote a stream of the scene. it was then that a graduate writing student and i struck up a conversation, she was intrigued that i would write in such a place. nkgopoleng reached into her cute-casual leather purse, and pulled out this book, giving it the quoted description, reasoning that she was intrigued by me and thought i would learn from it. cheers, nkgopoleng. what a practice, to give away,
December 7, 2024
Going to go on a 4 S’s for my 4 star review. These two short stories were soulful, sweet, smart, and short. Jam packed with easy to understand lessons and digests right into your consciousness. A pocket sized guideline to selflessness and sincerity to your higher power. How much land does a man really need? What are your three truths given to you to get back to baseline? Are you a mere mortal going through life or are you an angel who needs to learn how to be a man?
All important questions. Loved the message, loved the no nonsense, and loved how it fit in my back pocket.
4.47/5
Thank you pocket Tolstoy,
Finn
All important questions. Loved the message, loved the no nonsense, and loved how it fit in my back pocket.
4.47/5
Thank you pocket Tolstoy,
Finn
January 17, 2024
"He who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him, for God is love"
"How Much Land Does A Man Need" is okay but not great. The real selling point is "What Men Live By". An angel comes down to earth to learn 3 truths: what dwells in man, what is not given to man and what men live by. There are a lot of religious undertones in both of the stories, but they are great nonetheless. The second story took a turn that I wasn't expecting which made it more enjoyable. Very quick read, highly recommend.
"How Much Land Does A Man Need" is okay but not great. The real selling point is "What Men Live By". An angel comes down to earth to learn 3 truths: what dwells in man, what is not given to man and what men live by. There are a lot of religious undertones in both of the stories, but they are great nonetheless. The second story took a turn that I wasn't expecting which made it more enjoyable. Very quick read, highly recommend.
December 13, 2024
A short parable about the dangers of greed, materialism, and the futility of ambition without contentment. I’ve been so scared of starting War and Peace as it seems like one of those novels that I’d start and then finish almost a decade later… this little collection of two short stories was a much gentler introduction to Tolstoy. The writing is so much more accessible than I expected (or the translator was just excellent) and I really enjoyed both stories in this collection. The first ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need?’ explores greed and the dangers of being unsatisfied with having enough and striving for more. The second explores a moment of kindness given by a shoemaker and how a momentary decision affects the next six years of his life. Both were brilliant and thought provoking and made me feel a lot more confident about finally starting Anna Karenina or War and Peace.
November 14, 2023
The book contains two short stories and I will review them separately.
How much land does a man need?
An engaging story about greed. Not a huge fan of it but it's interesting nonetheless.
What men live by
A captivating story about giving. In a sense in opposition to the first one. Enjoyed it much more than the first and I hope to come back to it in the future to see if my opinion changes.
How much land does a man need?
An engaging story about greed. Not a huge fan of it but it's interesting nonetheless.
What men live by
A captivating story about giving. In a sense in opposition to the first one. Enjoyed it much more than the first and I hope to come back to it in the future to see if my opinion changes.
July 6, 2024
This has two stories: How Much Land Does A Man Need and What Men Live By
The first story could have been great but it wasn't. I was actually excited about it from the good build-up in the beginning but the ending was fairly abrupt and I did not see it coming at all. (3/5)
The second piece was good. I especially found the deliberate lack of information on the young man very intriguing. The final act was good as well. (4/5)
The first story could have been great but it wasn't. I was actually excited about it from the good build-up in the beginning but the ending was fairly abrupt and I did not see it coming at all. (3/5)
The second piece was good. I especially found the deliberate lack of information on the young man very intriguing. The final act was good as well. (4/5)
February 18, 2024
1st book : 5⭐ Great book honestly just like a unique shortened Macbeth. What a read honestly everyone should experience this one. The foreshadowing of the devil is amazing.
2nd book : 4.75⭐ Tolstoy does it again and immerses me into a religious short story of all things pretty impressive. It's not all religious but the general consensus is around human behaviour, needs and god.
2nd book : 4.75⭐ Tolstoy does it again and immerses me into a religious short story of all things pretty impressive. It's not all religious but the general consensus is around human behaviour, needs and god.
June 14, 2024
The first work I've read about Leo Tolstoy and it has managed to make me question about how one's greed have a massive effect on the people around them. The title itself is a thought-provoking with its main themes centering around Human Greed. There is a second story in it that has some religious themes. Unless you don't understand them, it might be a bit difficult to appreciate the book.
June 30, 2024
Read this after reading Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." Both of them makes an interesting read.
One is the story of a suffering man who so badly desires death and is condemned to live; the other is the story of a greedy man who, with all his heart, wants to live but is found dead due to intemperate indulgences.
One is the story of a suffering man who so badly desires death and is condemned to live; the other is the story of a greedy man who, with all his heart, wants to live but is found dead due to intemperate indulgences.
Read
January 3, 2024A pair of stories, one dealing with the devil and the other with god. Easy translation with swiping sentences that grab your attention fast. Picked it up and read both short stories in one sitting, recommend!
January 22, 2024
*3.5
bit too religious for my liking but overall enjoyed. i like the parable format because even though the messages are relatively obvious in that greed is bad and love is what we should aspire to live by, putting it in a simple format can mean you really internalise these messages.
bit too religious for my liking but overall enjoyed. i like the parable format because even though the messages are relatively obvious in that greed is bad and love is what we should aspire to live by, putting it in a simple format can mean you really internalise these messages.
Read
June 7, 2024morning read with coffee
two awesome short stories/parables, I always love tolstoy and glad to have read these. Tolstoy has you guessing the true meaning until the very end and when it hits it fucking hits
two awesome short stories/parables, I always love tolstoy and glad to have read these. Tolstoy has you guessing the true meaning until the very end and when it hits it fucking hits
June 25, 2024
Första, How much land does a man need?, om hur girighet driver en in i förfall, med lite hjälp av djävulen. Ganska bra.
Och andra, What men live by, om en fallen ängel som ska upptäcka tre sanningar om det mänskliga livet för att kunna återvända till himlariket. Mycket bra!
Och andra, What men live by, om en fallen ängel som ska upptäcka tre sanningar om det mänskliga livet för att kunna återvända till himlariket. Mycket bra!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2024
Alternatively: How Many Cookies Does A Mouse Need
I do love Russian parables and short stories; they never never faff around with bullshit like "well a tortoise and a hare are racing" or "a fox sees some grapes". Nah, if this is a story about greedy landowners, then peasant landowners it is. Lots of other classic Russian devices too: frame story, two sisters (city and country) etc etc
I do love Russian parables and short stories; they never never faff around with bullshit like "well a tortoise and a hare are racing" or "a fox sees some grapes". Nah, if this is a story about greedy landowners, then peasant landowners it is. Lots of other classic Russian devices too: frame story, two sisters (city and country) etc etc
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews