Reading Order List β€” Book Series Reading Order Guide

Leo Tolstoy Reading Order

8 series Β· 86 books Β· Born 1955

Leo Tolstoy was a Russian aristocrat whose sweeping novels and philosophical works fundamentally shaped world literature and continue to influence readers and writers across disciplines. His vast output spans monumental historical epics, intimate psychological explorations, spiritual essays, and moral fables, all characterized by profound insights into human nature and society. Through acclaimed novels like War and Peace and Anna Karenina alongside his shorter works and philosophical treatises, Tolstoy established himself as one of literature's most towering figures, whose examination of meaning, ethics, and the human condition remains urgently relevant more than a century after his death.

Anthologies Series

Likely Complete

12 books (1969–2023)

Start with War: An Anthology, the first of 12 books in the Anthologies series.

Start this series with War: An Anthology

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#Title
1
2
Magical Realist Fiction
3
Famous and Curious Animal Stories
4
Cover of Horse & Pony Stories
Horse & Pony Stories
5
Cover of On Suicide: Great Writers on the Ultimate Question
On Suicide: Great Writers on the Ultimate Question
6
7
Selected Stories by Leo Tolstoy
8
Letters to Change the World: From Pankhurst to Orwell
9
Writers: Their Lives and Works
10
Cover of Following the Call: Living the Sermon on the Mount Together
Following the Call: Living the Sermon on the Mount Together
11
Cover of The Dover Anthology of Classic Christmas Stories
The Dover Anthology of Classic Christmas Stories
12
The Greatest Tales of Regency Romance

Autobiographical Novels Series

Complete

3 books (1852–1856)

Start with Childhood and read in order.

Leo Tolstoy Fables Series

Complete

9 books (1885–2018)

Start with What Men Live by and Other Tales, the first of 9 books in the Leo Tolstoy Fables series.

Start this series with What Men Live by and Other Tales

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#Title
1
Cover of What Men Live by and Other Tales
What Men Live by and Other Tales
2
Cover of How Much Land Does a Man Need? and Other Stories
How Much Land Does a Man Need? and Other Stories
3
4
5
6
Cover of The Wisdom of Children
The Wisdom of Children
7
8
Cover of Esarhaddon, And Other Tales
Esarhaddon, And Other Tales
9
Cover of Where Love is There God is Also
Where Love is There God is Also

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

23 books (1391–2020)

Start with What Then Must We Do?, the first of 23 books in the Non-Fiction series.

Start this series with What Then Must We Do?

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#Title
1
Cover of What Then Must We Do?
What Then Must We Do?
2
3
4
5
Cover of On Life and Essays on Religion
On Life and Essays on Religion
6
Cover of The First Step: on vegetarianism
The First Step: on vegetarianism
7
Cover of The Kingdom of God Is Within You
The Kingdom of God Is Within You
8
9
Cover of A Calendar of Wisdom
A Calendar of Wisdom
10
Cover of Tolstoy on Shakespeare
Tolstoy on Shakespeare
11
12
Cover of The Law of Love and the Law of Violence
The Law of Love and the Law of Violence
13
Cover of The Slavery of Our Times
The Slavery of Our Times
14
15
Cover of Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?
Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?
16
Cover of Christianity and Patriotism
Christianity and Patriotism
17
What Is to Be Done? and Life
18
Cover of Church and State and Other Essays
Church and State and Other Essays
19
Cover of The Christian Teaching
The Christian Teaching
20
Cover of The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated by Leo Tolstoy
The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated by Leo Tolstoy
21
Cover of Religion and Morality
Religion and Morality
22
The Diaries Of Leo Tolstoy
23

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

24 books (1853–2017)

Start with The Raid, the first of 24 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cover of A Prisoner in the Caucasus
A Prisoner in the Caucasus
7
Cover of God Sees the Truth, but Waits
God Sees the Truth, but Waits
8
9
Cover of The Death of Ivan Ilych
The Death of Ivan Ilych
10
11
Cover of Walk in the Light While There is Light
Walk in the Light While There is Light
12
13
14
15
16
17
Cover of Polikushka and Two Hussars
Polikushka and Two Hussars
18
19
Cover of Divine and Human and Other Stories
Divine and Human and Other Stories
20
Cover of The Long Exile and Other Stories
The Long Exile and Other Stories
21
22
Three Questions / The Emperor's Three Questions
23
Diary of a Lunatic/Three Deaths
24
Cover of Work, Death, and Sickness
Work, Death, and Sickness

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

6 books (1855–2017)

Start with The Sebastopol Sketches, the first of 5 books in the Short Story Collections series.

Start this series with The Sebastopol Sketches

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#Title
1
The Sebastopol Sketches
2
3
4
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories
5
Leo Tolstoy's 20 Greatest Short Stories
6
Selected Short Stories

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

4 books (1867–2004)

Start with War and Peace, the first of 4 books in the Standalone Novels series.

Standalone Plays Series

Complete

5 books (1886–2019)

Start with The Power of Darkness, the first of 5 books in the Standalone Plays series.

Start this series with The Power of Darkness

Buy Book 1 πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸŽ§ Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Power of Darkness
The Power of Darkness
2
Cover of The Light That Shines in the Darkness
The Light That Shines in the Darkness
3
Cover of The Man Who Was Dead and the Cause of It All
The Man Who Was Dead and the Cause of It All
4
5
Cover of The Fruits of Enlightenment
The Fruits of Enlightenment

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Leo Tolstoy written?
Leo Tolstoy has written 86 books across 8 series. Their published works span from 1391 to 2023.
What is the first book in each Leo Tolstoy series?
Here are the first books in Leo Tolstoy's series: Anthologies: War: An Anthology; Autobiographical Novels: Childhood; Leo Tolstoy Fables: What Men Live by and Other Tales; Non-Fiction: What Then Must We Do?; Short Stories/Novellas: The Raid.
What order should I read Leo Tolstoy's books?
We recommend reading Leo Tolstoy's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are Leo Tolstoy's series complete?
Leo Tolstoy has 7 completed series.

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