Here are some of Tolstoy’s extraordinary short stories, from The Death of Ivan Ilyich”—in a masterly new translation—to The Raid,” The Wood-felling,” Three Deaths,” Polikushka,” After the Ball,” and The Forged Coupon,” all gripping and eloquent lessons on two of Tolstoy’s most persistent themes: life and death. More experimental than his novels, Tolstoy’s stories are essential reading for anyone interested in his development as one of the major writers and thinkers of his time.