Leo Tolstoy Collected editions

Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910) was a Russian novelist, moral philosopher, and reformer whose works stand among the pinnacles of world literature. His epic novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina combine vast historical scope with deep psychological insight, exploring themes of love, morality, and the search for meaning.

Tolstoy’s shorter fiction — such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Hadji Murad, and The Kreutzer Sonata — distills his moral concerns into tightly focused narratives. Later in life, he embraced a radical spiritual philosophy, advocating nonviolence, simplicity, and truthfulness, influencing figures such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

Through his life and writings, Leo Tolstoy became both a literary giant and a moral voice whose influence extends far beyond the novel.