Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, known mostly for his two monumental novels, War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877), also wrote shorter fiction, including the novellas The Kreutzer Sonata and The Death of Ivan Ilych, short stories, children’s books, and books for young adults. Tolstoy was born in 1828 in his family estate, south of Moscow. After his parents’ death, Tolstoy grew up with extended family members. In his youth, and after leaving the university in Kazan without completing his studies, he returned to Yasnaya Polyana, the family estate. Tolstoy was attracted to the life of high society in Moscow and Petersburg, and after enlisting in the army, he began writing in his spare time. As a married man and a father of thirteen children, he completed his major work. After completing Anna Karenina, Tolstoy’s suffered a spiritual crisis, and he sought refuge in religion. In his last years, he led a life of seclusion. Tolstoy died in 1910.
