How Much Land Does a Man Need?

We read Tolstoy’s short story “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” this week in connection with the history of Catherine the Great. It captures a glimpse of the life of a Russian peasant who declares that if only he had enough land, he wouldn’t fear the devil himself.

The devil happens to be sitting behind his stove, and takes it as a dare. Pahom, the peasant, keeps chasing after more and more land and eventually loses everything — discovering that he needs only about a six-foot length of land to be buried in.

Apparently James Joyce wrote to his daughter late in life that this tale is “the greatest story that the literature of the world knows.” I’d call it a well-told morality tale that gives the flavor of its time and place. But when asked, the girls offered only the adjectives “Strange” and “Not exactly enjoyable.” I’d have to agree. Yet we all were drawn in and really wanted to read it through to the end. It’s one example of the complex reaction stories can elicit.