Leo Tolstoy Books In Order

Publication Order of Autobiographical Novels

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Leo Tolstoy Fables Books

Publication Order of Standalone Plays

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Short Story Anthologies

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Leo Tolstoy was one of the highly reputed writers from Russia, who used to write primarily write short stories and novels. In the later parts of his career, he also wrote essays and plays. Two of the most popular works of Leo include ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘War and Peace’. These two novels are regarded as top class realistic fiction and are included among the greatest books of all time. A number of prominent personalities think that Leo was one of the greatest novelists of the world. He was equally well known for having a paradoxical and complicated persona as well as for having extreme ascetic and moralistic views. It is believed that Leo adapted such views after going trough a moral breakdown and subsequent spiritual awakening during the 1970s. Following this, Leo also became a famous as a social reformer and moral thinker. The literal interpretation of Leo’s ethical teachings of Lord Jesus, which centered on the Mount’s Sermon, enabled him to become a Christian anarcho-pacifist and anarchist in the later years of his life. The ideas that Leo followed based on the nonviolent resistance were expressed in prominent manuscripts related to God and inner peace, and also had a great impact on some 20th century pivotal figures such as Martin Luther King Jr and Mohandas Gandhi. The realistic fiction that Leo wrote about were based on the feelings that he went through while living in the surroundings of his time. He wrote what he felt and used it to inspire the common people. Leo started his career as a published author in 1852 with the publication of his autobiographical book titled Childhood. He also released a short story called The Raid along with the book. Leo was born as Count Lev Nikolayvich Tolstoy on September 9, 1828. His birth took place in an aristocrat family in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia. He went on to achieve critical acclaim in literature during his twenties with the release of his autobiographical trilogy, including Boyhood and Youth in addition to his first book Childhood. Based on what he experienced during the Crimean War, Leo wrote a book called Sevastopol Sketches, which increased his popularity even more.

During the late 1870s, Leo started advocating Henry George’s economic philosophy called Goergism, which he even incorporated in his works, specifically in Resurrection. Leo’s family was well known as Russian nobles as his parents had served in 1812’s Patriotic War as Count and Countess. Leo lost both his parents when he was very young and therefore, he and his 4 siblings were raised by some relatives. In the year 1844, Leo enrolled at the Kazan University to study oriental languages and law. However, he was considered as unwilling and unable to learn by his teachers. Eventually, he left studies with graduating and went on to join the army along with his brother. It was around this time Leo started trying his hand at writing. The days that he spent in the army and a couple of trips to Europe between 1951 and 1861 enabled Leo to undergo a drastic change from being a privileged and a dissolute author to a spiritual and non-violent anarchist. Leo is included among the very few who understood the importance and significance of printing press and education at that time. This enabled him to write several educational notebooks as well. The enthusiasm made him return to his hometown and establish as many as 13 schools for the children of Russian peasants, who were set free from being serfs in 1861. Leo went on to describe the principles of these schools in one of his essays published in 1862. However, the educational experiments that Leo carried out in the schools were very short lived because of the harrassment from the secret police of Tsar. In spite of the atrocities, Leo did not stop his educational institutions and as a result, one of the schools went on to be claimed as the first one to follow the democratic education’s coherent theory. Leo was married to a 16 years junior woman named Sohia Behrs. The two had a total of 14 children between them. The death of Leo occurred November 20, 1910, at a train station in Astapovo, due to pneumonia. Attempts were made by police to limit the number of people attending Leo’s funeral procession. Still, thousands of common men and peasants had gathered in the funeral.

The Anna Karenina series of novels written by Leo Tolstoy is comprised of 8 volumes, which were released between the years 1877 and 1882. The first volume of this series is titled as ‘Anna Karenina Vol 1’. The story revolves around the life of one of the prominent government officials of Russia named Anna Karenina. At the start of the book, Anna Karenina is shown as living through a confined life of upper middle class. Anna seems pretty much content with what she had in her life. She supported her unaffectionate husband as a perfect companion and served as a caring mom to her son, without complaining about anything. However, things begin to change when she comes across Count Vronsky. He is introduced as an officer. Vronsky pursues Anna Karenina, which makes her fall in love with Vronsky madly. When her husband comes to know about her affair, he refuses to giver her divorce. Therefore, Anna decides to leave everything and runs away with Vronvky. With the passage of days, Vronsky becomes too unhappy and bored with living a life of social outcast. He decides to abandon Anna and returns back to service. The military and the society accepts him happily. On the other hand, Anna loses all her hope as the society shuns her. She comes in front of a train and commits suicide.

The series comprises of another magnificent volume in the form of ‘Anna Karenina Vol 4’. It was released in 1882. This volume shows the magnificent story of Anna Karenina. Leo has presented the rebelliousness and classical sensuality against the existing customs. The novel serves as a unique example of the social realism that depicts the tragedy and the plight of a wilful lady like Anna Karenina, who decides to break the old conventions of the society and lead her life at her own will. However, her life does not turn out as she expected and when she thinks of going back to her normal life, the society does not accept her back. Feeling cheated by life, she takes the decision of ending it as she cannot the bear the tragedy anymore. The story was highly praised by one and all and went on to become a great success. It helped Leo to establish himself as a writer of realistic fiction. The success also motivated him to write many more such novels throughout his life.