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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Solid supplementary reading to Tolstoy’s larger works as it introduces the reader to his views on religion and vices in a digestible (and short) way. I preferred the first story to the second.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked both the short stories though I preferred the first. They were both compelling stories and I never felt bored.
A peasant’s life may be poor, but it’s long. Although we may never be rich, we’ll always have enough to eat.
But no sooner had he settled down to his new life than he began to feel cramped even here.
A moment’s pain can be a lifetime’s gain.
Have I blundered, trying to take too much?
If I stopped now, after coming all this way well, they’d call me an idiot!
All that effort has been in vain.
We all know how hard it is to collect what’s owing us!
That man might be dying miserably and you’re such a coward you’d leave him there to die. Or have you become so rich all of a sudden that you’re scared stiff he might steal all your money? You should be ashamed, Semyon!
She became terribly dejected. But then, when she recalled his smile her heart leapt up.
We’re always giving, but why does nobody ever give us anything?
If a man has the will he can learn anything.
And now I knew that it is love that dwells in man.
Now I knew that which is not given to man: it is not given to him to know his bodily needs.
I have learned that men live not by selfishness, but by love.
All men live not by what they may intend for their own well-being, but by the love that dwells in others.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
That might not have been the best short story ever written (even though it is according to James Joyce) but it was pretty damn good.
Greed is no one’s best friend, ultimately.
Greed is no one’s best friend, ultimately.
These short stories were my intro to Tolstoy and can I just say that I LOVED IT... Amazing, delicious words, and thought provoking stories, oh how much I love you Tolstoy...
relaxing
fast-paced
How much land does a man need? The answer is a man needs just enough land. This is a very fast and reflective short story. The land in question can be a metaphor for what we wish to aqcuire in our lives. Sometimes we just have to be satisfied with what we have because in the end we might not even get to live and experience all the riches we have aqcuired because of greed.
reflective
fast-paced
Leí este libro en menos de una hora y vaya sensación tan grande me dejó. Te hace reflexionar en cómo la avaricia, la ambición y el importarte por el que dirán puede acabar contigo. El autor te hace adentrarte completamente en este cuento con su escritura fácil de leer y su manera de cautivarte.
Me encantó este cuento! Siempre queremos tener más y más, pero al final lo que realmente necesitamos es una mínima porción de todo lo que queremos.
Me encantó este cuento! Siempre queremos tener más y más, pero al final lo que realmente necesitamos es una mínima porción de todo lo que queremos.
Provides exactly what you'd expect from a fable - morals, lessons, and people getting their due.
I enjoyed both of the short stories in this edition equally, though I did not find them to be revolutionary or ground-breaking. Having read before hand that the titular story was a favourite of James Joyce, I had expected something nuanced and exciting. What I found was a clever and honed, though somewhat predictable, short story examining the greed of man and his quest for more.
I enjoyed both of the short stories in this edition equally, though I did not find them to be revolutionary or ground-breaking. Having read before hand that the titular story was a favourite of James Joyce, I had expected something nuanced and exciting. What I found was a clever and honed, though somewhat predictable, short story examining the greed of man and his quest for more.