Master and Man

A blizzard. A bargain. A reckoning.

On a bitter winter night in rural Russia, a wealthy merchant, Vasili Andreevich, and his humble coachman, Nikita, set out to close a profitable deal before morning. When a whiteout swallows the road, pride, class, and calculation fall away-leaving two men alone with the elements and their consciences. In this taut, unforgettable novella, Tolstoy turns a simple journey into a profound meditation on greed, compassion, and the possibility of redemption.

Why read Master and Man?

• A short, powerful classic you can finish in an evening-and think about for years.

• Tolstoy at his most clear-sighted: piercing moral insight without sermonizing.

• Vivid winter atmosphere that builds relentless tension to a devastating, humane finale.

• Essential reading for fans of The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov.

Themes you'll find inside

• Class and conscience - The illusion of control - Sacrifice and spiritual awakening - Man versus nature

About the author

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is one of world literature's towering voices, celebrated for masterpieces including War and Peace and Anna Karenina. His shorter fiction distills the same moral urgency into works of crystalline power-none more so than Master and Man.

Perfect for

Readers of classic Russian literature, book clubs seeking a single-sitting masterpiece, and anyone who loves stories where peril reveals true character.