...the characters and symbolism in Russian fairy tales could be called Origin of the Russian Psyche. ...masterly and extremely readable...

In this old Russian folk tale, a fool sets out to see the world.

"A complex dramatic reconstruction of Russian history concerned with the founding in 1905 of one of the earliest soviets, at the textile center of Ivanovo-Voznesensk, the poem widens to take in the reigns of Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Tsar Nicholas II" -- from inside flap.

A successful man must face the terror of his own mortality in this masterful nineteenth-century Russian novella by the author of War and Peace. In his later years, Leo Tolstoy began to contemplate the inescapable realities of mortality—its terrifying mystery, its many indignities, and the way it forces one to look back on the legacy and regrets of one’s life. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, widely considered the masterpiece of Tolstoy’s late career, is both a deeply insightful meditation on the final months of a man’s life, and an unsparing critique of conventional middle-class life in nineteenth-century Russia. Ivan Ilyich, a prosperous high-court judge, spends his days pursuing social advancement among his peers and avoiding his loveless marriage. But when a seemingly innocuous injury signals the beginning of a terminal illness, Ilyich begins to see the true worth of his life with tragic clarity.

The Tale of Ivan the Fool is an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy s short story Ivan the Fool . Set in Russia, it is the tale of three brothers and the wicked devil, who attempts to make trouble for them. Whether the devil succeeds or not, and why, makes for an interesting read.

Ivan the Fool by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Ivan the Fool - By Leo Tolstoy. A superb New Edition of this Classic Tolstoy short story. "Ivan the Fool" (also known as "Ivan the Fool and his Two Brothers") is an 1886 short story (in fact, a literary fairy tale) by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1886. Its plot is about the struggles of three brothers and a sister with the Old Devil. The name "Ivan the Fool" hints to a popular hero of Russian folklore. Simeon (a soldier) - Tarras-Briukhan ("Tarras the fat belly," a merchant) - Ivan (a fool) Milania (a mute). Although the story is usually considered a children's fairy tale, it is also used as an indication of Tolstoy's political leanings in support of Christian anarchism. Though his brothers are easily tempted by money and military power, unsophisticated Ivan, with his simple way of life, defeats the treacherous devil. Ivan eventually becomes the ruler of the country despite the lack of a standing army or currency. All of the citizens are welcome at Ivan's table, where workers are fed first and intellectuals (those without calluses on their hands) have to eat the leftovers.

The story of Ivan the Fool portrays Tolstoy's communistic ideas, involving the abolition of military forces, middleman, despotism, and money. Instead of these he would establish on earth a kingdom in which each and every person would become a worker and producer. The author describes the various struggles through which three brothers passed, beset as they were by devils large and small, until they reached the ideal state of existence which he believes to be the only happy one attainable in this world.

Presented in a brand new translation, this most comprehensive collection of classic Russian tales will enchant readers for their raw beauty and constant ability to surprise and excite. Towards the middle of the nineteenth century, following the example of the Brothers Grimm in Germany, Alexander Afanasyev embarked on the ambitious task of sifting through the huge repository of tales from Russian folklore and selecting the very best from written and oral sources. The result, an eight-volume collection comprising around 600 stories, is one of the most influential and enduringly popular books in Russian literature. This large selection from Afanasyev's work, presented in a new translation by Stephen Pimenoff, will give English readers the opportunity to discover one of the founding texts of the European folkloristic tradition. Displaying a vast array of unforgettable characters, such as the Baba-Yaga, Ivan the Fool, Vasilisa the Fair and the Firebird, these tales--by turns adventurous, comical and downright madcap--will enchant readers for their raw beauty and constant ability to surprise and excite.