**** Great read. This book kept me turning pages. I wholeheartedly recommend it if you enjoy the genre.

It's hard to determine a rating of a single book, let alone a bundle of stories. All I can say on the total rating is that I'm really glad I found it in my grandma's attic!

The ending of The Devil confused me a lot, which turned out to be the 1909 alternative ending. The 1889 ending seems to make more sense, although his train of thoughts still seems off. Tolstoj tried to put a character with strong marriage ideals and morals in a somewhat grey position (by saying sex is okay in the beginning), but failed to do just that.

Somehow, the English title of the next story is much different from the one int the book: Lucerne (NL: Uit het dagboek van graaf D. Nechljoedov). Anyway, it did a great job painting a picture of the contrast of human 'civilisation'. Which I put between quotes because of the way Tolstoj has written it down. Then it continues showing the cruelty and contrast between humans and especially. It's rather pessimistic, but did the job really well as a story.

Father Sergius is one of the more well-known stories Tolstoj wrote. It's about a nobleman turned monk who finds himself in inner turmoil and Tolstoj portraits it really well. Definitely a must read.

The death of Ivan Ilych is a masterfully crafted story. It describes the process of grief and an impeding death, as well as a reflection on your life and the realisation that it wasn't as ideal as you would've wished it to be. It makes you stop and think, and it probably will stay with me for quite a while. ( )