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Khozyain I rabotnik(Master and Man) – Signed and Dated by the author!
Leo Tolstoy
St. Petersburg, 1895
 
A scarce example of a Tolstoy book signed by the man himself – only months after publication. Original wrappers with a frontispiece of Tolstoy and 15 text illustrations - spine a bit chipped and cracked, minor wear to edges, partial tanning to front and back covers, first few pages a bit foxed otherwise internally crisp and unmarked – a Very Good copy. Signed by Tolstoy("Leo Tolstoy/22 October 1895.") on the half-title. Ex-Walter Nelson collection of Russian literature. Tolstoy works in original binding are rare survivals in and of themselves, but having it signed takes it to another level. Signed letters and photographs appear relatively often on the market, but only less than a handful of signed books have appeared in the last century. This St. Petersburg edition was published on March 10, 1895, five days after the story first appeared in Moscow.
 
The work is one of Tolstoy's greatest short stories; a tale of tragedy about the transformation that takes places when one encounters death. It quickly became popular, with several editions in Russia and translations into English, French, and German in the same year. With his legendary status well-cemented and amid a background of an unsettled family life laced with existential churning, Tolstoy spent his last couple decades writing deep short stories. He kept a diary throughout his life, and it’s interesting to see his state of mind at the time he signed this book. His October 1895 entries are filled with proclamations of depression and self-criticism – another necessary reminder that our heroes are very much human and not exempt from the common experiences of our existence.