Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist celebrated for epic tales of society and history. His masterpieces, like War and Peace and Anna Karenina, explore love, morality, and human nature with depth and clarity.
If you enjoy reading books by Leo Tolstoy then you might also like the following authors:
Fyodor Dostoevsky is a brilliant Russian novelist whose stories explore deep moral and psychological questions. If you enjoy Leo Tolstoy’s realistic characters and attention to human emotion, you’ll likely appreciate Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
This book follows Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor former student who commits a murder believing he can live above moral law. As his guilt slowly overtakes him, readers are drawn deeply into his conflicted mind, witnessing his struggle toward redemption and self-understanding.
Dostoevsky connects deeply with the human side of crime, morality, and forgiveness, making Crime and Punishment an unforgettable read.
Books by Anton Chekhov offer readers thoughtful insight into the quiet tensions of everyday Russian life. If you enjoy Leo Tolstoy’s rich portraits of complex characters and moral questions, Chekhov’s short novel The Duel might interest you.
Set in a small coastal town on the Black Sea, it follows Ivan Laevsky, a restless intellectual who has grown dissatisfied with life and love.
When tension with a local scientist escalates to a dramatic confrontation, Laevsky is forced to face truths about himself, his relationships, and what it means to live honestly.
Chekhov paints these characters carefully, giving a clear-eyed look at human weakness and the struggle to find meaning.
Ivan Turgenev was a Russian novelist known for his thoughtful storytelling and realistic portrayal of characters, qualities readers of Leo Tolstoy will appreciate. In his novel Fathers and Sons, Turgenev explores the tensions between two generations in mid-19th century Russia.
The young nihilist Bazarov rejects traditional values and clashes repeatedly with the older generation’s ideas about society, love, and life’s meaning.
As the story unfolds, family conflicts and friendships deepen the narrative as it examines generational divides and changing social attitudes. Readers interested in complex characters and thoughtful social observations will find plenty of both in Turgenev’s writing.
If you enjoy Leo Tolstoy’s vivid stories and thoughtful exploration of Russian society, you might appreciate Alexander Pushkin. Often called Russia’s greatest poet, Pushkin also wrote captivating prose fiction filled with lively characters and rich social commentary.
One good place to start is his novel Eugene Onegin, a story set in early 19th-century Russia. It follows Eugene, a cynical and detached nobleman whose encounter with the sincere and idealistic Tatyana leads to intriguing misunderstandings, regrets, and tragedy.
Elegant, witty, and cleverly observed, Pushkin’s storytelling portrays themes of love, regret, and social conventions. Fans of Tolstoy’s psychological depth and classic Russian settings will likely find Pushkin equally rewarding.
Books by Honoré de Balzac often explore society and human weaknesses with the kind of depth Leo Tolstoy readers appreciate.
For instance, Père Goriot tells the story of an old merchant named Goriot, who sacrifices everything for his daughters in the ambitious Paris of the early 19th century.
The book paints a vivid picture of superficial aristocratic values and shows how ruthless ambition affects relationships. Balzac’s characters, like the loyal but naive Eugène Rastignac, or the cunning and mysterious criminal Vautrin, feel real and familiar.
The novel blends complex characters and insightful social commentary into a memorable story of family, greed, and moral compromise.
If you enjoy Leo Tolstoy’s exploration of complex characters and the challenges they face in society, you might appreciate Gustave Flaubert.
His novel Madame Bovary is a classic portrayal of ambitions, desires, and disappointments set in mid-19th century French provincial life. Emma Bovary is a passionate woman trapped in a dull marriage, longing for the excitement and romance she reads in novels.
Her attempts to fulfill these yearnings lead her into debt, bad choices, and difficult situations. Flaubert crafts each sentence with precision, giving a truthful and somewhat harsh picture of human behavior and society’s expectations.
His honest approach pulls you into Emma’s inner world and gradually reveals the consequences of her actions.
Victor Hugo was a French novelist whose works capture human struggles and examine deep moral questions, similar to the emotional reach and philosophical depth found in Leo Tolstoy’s writing.
His masterpiece, Les Misérables, reveals the powerful story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict seeking redemption amid injustice and oppression in 19th-century France. Hugo portrays memorable characters pulled into the turmoil of societal conflicts and personal battles.
Rich historical settings provide a vivid background that brings to life themes of mercy, justice, and sacrifice.
Readers who appreciate the rich character studies and moral depth of Tolstoy’s novels will find similar resonance and emotional intensity in Victor Hugo’s absorbing storytelling.
Readers who enjoy the depth and emotional power of Leo Tolstoy may find Charles Dickens equally captivating. Dickens, an English author from the Victorian era, is known for vivid stories that highlight social issues and human struggles.
One of his most beloved novels, Great Expectations, follows young Pip, a poor orphan raised by his stern sister and her gentle husband Joe, a humble blacksmith. Pip’s life changes when an unknown benefactor offers him wealth and a chance to become a gentleman.
The story traces Pip’s adventures and challenges as he faces love, identity, and expectations, all woven into an immersive tale filled with memorable characters and unexpected twists.
Dickens masterfully explores class distinctions, ambition, and the true worth of kindness, which can resonate strongly with Tolstoy’s readers.
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist known for his profound exploration of fate, morality, and society, themes readers of Leo Tolstoy would appreciate.
In his famous novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Hardy follows Tess, a young woman of modest background, whose encounter with noble ancestry dramatically alters the course of her life.
Tess’s story unfolds with emotional depth as Hardy critiques the injustices of Victorian society and the harsh treatment of women in particular.
The novel captures human struggle and tragedy in a way that connects powerfully with the reader, similar to the emotional honesty found in Tolstoy’s works.
Henry James was an American author who often explored complex human psychology, moral questions, and social dynamics in his novels. Readers who enjoy the way Leo Tolstoy portrays deep emotional and moral struggles might appreciate James’ novel The Portrait of a Lady.
In this story, Isabel Archer, a spirited young American woman, travels to Europe after receiving an unexpected inheritance. She soon faces tangled relationships, challenging decisions, and the tension between her desire for independence and the restrictive society around her.
James skillfully creates characters who confront tough choices, reflecting some of the themes Tolstoy fans often value.
Readers who enjoyed Leo Tolstoy’s profound exploration of humanity and spirituality will likely appreciate Hermann Hesse. Hesse’s novels navigate the journey of self-discovery through characters who wrestle with life’s deep questions.
In Siddhartha, Hesse tells the story of a young man in ancient India named Siddhartha, who embarks on a quest for spiritual enlightenment.
Siddhartha tries different paths—asceticism, riches, love, and self-denial—until he encounters an old ferry-man whose wisdom quietly reshapes his understanding of the world.
The struggles and insights Siddhartha experiences reflect a calm yet powerful examination of life’s meaning, making this book a thoughtful read for fans of Tolstoy’s philosophical depth.
George Eliot was an English novelist known for her detailed narratives, nuanced characters, and deep exploration of society and morality. Readers who enjoy Leo Tolstoy’s thoughtful storytelling and complex characters may find Eliot’s Middlemarch intriguing.
Set in a fictional English town, the novel presents the daily lives, desires, and moral struggles of its inhabitants with empathy and precision. Central characters, such as Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, wrestle with ambition, idealism, and social expectations.
Eliot’s masterful depiction of personal struggles intertwined with wider societal conflicts reveals universal truths in a manner similar to Tolstoy’s great works.
Readers who appreciate Leo Tolstoy’s thoughtful exploration of human emotions and moral dilemmas may also enjoy Mary Shelley’s work.
In her classic novel Frankenstein, Shelley tells the tragic story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist obsessed with the idea of creating life.
Victor’s ambition and reckless pursuit lead to the creation of a creature whose existence becomes a source of suffering and conflict for both creator and creation.
Shelley examines profound themes—ambition, responsibility, the consequences of playing god—in a way that reminds readers of Tolstoy’s careful observation of human nature and inner struggles.
Marcel Proust was a French writer famous for exploring memory, time, and human emotion through his fiction. If you’re a fan of Leo Tolstoy’s deep reflection and rich character portraits, Proust may appeal to you.
His landmark work is In Search of Lost Time, a lengthy multi-volume novel about a narrator who recalls his childhood in sharp, vivid detail after tasting a madeleine cookie dipped in tea.
The story spans decades, portraying his experiences with family, love, social events, and society. Proust captures how small moments reveal lasting truths about identity, desire, and memory.
If you enjoy the rich storytelling of Leo Tolstoy, you might also appreciate the works of John Steinbeck. Steinbeck is known for writing deeply human novels that explore moral conflicts and social struggle.
One of his most famous books, The Grapes of Wrath, follows the Joad family as they flee the devastating Dust Bowl in Oklahoma and head west to California. The family’s difficult journey reveals the harsh realities of poverty, injustice, and hope during the Great Depression.
Like Tolstoy, Steinbeck creates complex characters whose lives draw readers into larger issues about humanity and society.