How Much Land Does a Man Need?

Short book that serves well as an introduction to Tolstoy. I definitely want to keep embarking on reading more of his work and can now get a grasp on the topics he talked about.

I liked the story of Pakhom and his pursuit for land more than the story of the shoemaker and his encounter with an angel. It had multiple takeaways:
- How we perceive and value a certain lifestyle, so much that we are willing to make many sacrifices in order to keep living said lifestyle.
- How much we care about what others will say about us in the groomiest of circumstances: “If I stopped now, after coming all this way, well they'd call me an idiot”.

I didn't like how big a part religion had in the two stories of the book. However I do understand and somewhat expected it because of the time it was written.

Overall a very solid, quick and easy read.

Very good, a short but memorable tale...

This story packs a punch despite its length. Tolstoy nails the dangers of greed and always wanting more, with a message that sticks around long after you're done. The writing is straightforward, making it easy to read, but the emotional depth hits hard. It's the kind of story you'll think about long after finishing. Short, but definitely memorable—worth reading, no question.