Tolstoy is regarded as one of the greatest writers in history and this collection features his highly acclaimed short stories. This collection includes 'God Sees the Truth, but Waits' and 'A Prisoner in the Caucasus' which Tolstoy himself considered as his best, 'How Much Land Does a Man Need?', 'Ivan the Fool', etc. These stories give a snapshot of Russia and its people in the late nineteenth century. The message in all his stories is presented with such humour that the reader hardly realises that it is strongly didactic.