Hadji Murad

Leo Tolstoy · 1828–1910 · Russia

Originally Khadzhi-Murat (Russian)

Why it matters

An Avar chieftain caught between the Russian empire and Imam Shamil's mountain rebellion seeks safety in a betrayal that dooms him either way. Suppressed until after Tolstoy's death, this terse late novella is often ranked among his very finest work.

At a glance

Brisk and vivid, though its Caucasian War setting and cast of names take some orienting.