Captain Sharkey Book

MASTER AND MAN and Other Stories was from the other side - Tolstoy's lesser works in late life, long after Anna Karenina and War and Peace. The 3 stories in this volume - or more appropriate to say 2 stories and a novella - were all good reading. Late-stage Tolstoy was strongly religious, so the stories can be a little didactic. "Father Sergius" follows an Orthodox priest to the monastery, and "Master and Man" is a moral story of a greedy master and his humble servant (and horse!) told on a winter journey.

The highlight of this volume was HADJI MURAT, a sort of autofiction historical adventure tale of the real Dagestani warrior Hadji Murat who fought long against Russian imperialism in the Caucasus, only later to defect to the Russian side after a succession dispute with his leaders.Tolstoy was in the Russian military during these Caucasian campaigns in the mid-19th century, so he is clearly writing from his experience, and inserts himself into the story several times. It's a story of cultural and religious consciousness (Muslim and Christian) and about honor. I really enjoyed it and read more about the real Hadji Murat after I finished.