That include novels, short stories, fairy tales, essays, dairies, journals and personal letters.
It is glad to know that till today people all over the world like to quote from this celebrated Russian author's writings.
But the sad thing is, there are many Leo Tolstoy misquotes, which are widely published and blindly shared in both print and digital media.
The most popularly quote wrongly attributed to Leo Tolstoy is: "If you want to be happy, be."
A far as I know, you cannot find this particular line in any of Leo Tolstoy's books.
Strangely, you can find it credited to Leo Tolstoy all over the places; be they published books, magazines, YouTube clips and the many established quotation websites.
By the way, the actual quote in English translated from the Russian is:
"If you want to be happy, be so."
"Если хочешь быть счастливым, будь им" (Russian)
(Сочинения Козьмы Пруткова By Козьма Прутков, Виталий Дмитриевич Сквозников, Московский рабочий, 1987, 80, p.83)
This quotation is actually written by Kozma Prutkov.
By the way, Kozma Prutkov is a fictional author.
It was created by Count Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (aka A. K. Tolstoy), together with his cousins, three Zhemchuzhnikov brothers, Alexei, Vladimir and Alexander.
For your information, Aleksey was a member of the Tolstoy family; a second cousin of Leo Tolstoy.
Leo Tolstoy Aphorisms And Thoughts
Now, let's go through these verified authentic 15 Leo Tolstoy aphorisms and thoughts to find out why they are so widely quoted.
My answer is, these Leo Tolstoy quotations are profound.
“...there is less charm in life when we think of death, but more restfulness." - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina By Count Leyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1899, Part Fourth, Ch. VII, p.185)
(The quote is also found in: Anna Karenina By Lyof N. Tolstoi, Vols. I -II, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922, Part Fourth, Ch. VII, p.185)
“Respect... was invented to cover up the lack of love." - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina By Count Leyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1899, Part Seventh, Ch. XXIV, p.304)
(The quote is also found in: The Novels And Other Works Of Lyof N. Tolstoi, Volume 9, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, Charles Scribner's sons, 1917, Anna Karenina, Part Seventh, Ch. XXIV, p.304)
“If we probe too deeply into our hearts, we run the risk of touching on what we ought not to perceive.” - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina By Count Leyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1899, Part Two, Ch. IX, p.191)
(The quote is also found in: Anna Karenina By Lyof N. Tolstoi, Vols. I -II, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922, Part Two, Ch. IX, p.191)
"...all the charm, all the beauty, of life consists in lights and shades." - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina By Count Leyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1899, Part First, Ch. XI, p.55)
(The quote is also found in: Anna Karenina By Lyof N. Tolstoi, Vols. I -II, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922, Part First, Ch. XI, p.55)
"...the aim of civilization is to translate everything into enjoyment." - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina Volume I By Lyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York : Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, 1899, Part First, Ch. X, p.47)
(The quote is also found in: Anna Karenina Vols. I-II By Lyof Nikolayevich Tolstoi, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922, Part First, Ch. X, p.47)
"Everything intellectual is considered so dull." - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina Volume I By Lyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York : Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, 1899, Part Second, Ch. VI, p.173)
(The quote is also found in: Anna Karenina Vols. I-II By Lyof Nikolayevich Tolstoi, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922, Part Second, Ch. VI, p.173)
"I cannot live without knowing what I am and why I exist. Since I cannot reach this knowledge, life is impossible." - Leo Tolstoy
(Anna Karenina By Count Leyof N. Tolstoi, Translated From The Russian By Nathan Haskell Dole, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1899, Part Eight, Ch. IX, p.361-62)
(The quote is also found in: Anna Karenina: In Eight Parts By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Nathan Haskell Dole, Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, 1914, Part Eight, Ch. IX, p.744)
“What a strange delusion it is to fancy beauty is goodness.” - Leo Tolstoy
(The Kreutzer Sonata By Cont Leo Nikolaevitch Tolstoi, Translated By Ivan Lepinski, Calcutta: The British India Publishing Company, 1891, Ch. V, p.52)
(The quote is also found in: The Kreutzer Sonata By Cont Leo Nikolaevitch Tolstoi, Translated By Ivan Lepinski, Random House, 1957, Ch. V, p.52)
"Only those who can love strongly can experience an overwhelming grief."- Leo Tolstoy
(Childhood, Boyhood And Youth By Count Leo Tolstoy, Translated With An Introduction By C.J. Hogarth, London & Toronto: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., New York: E. P. Dutton Co., 1917, Childhood, XXVIII - Sad Recollections, p.88)
(The quote is also found in: Childhood By Leo Tolstoy, Xist Publishing, 2015, XXVIII — Sad Recollections)
"The chief difference between words and deeds is that words are always intended for men for their approbation, but deeds can be done only for God." - Leo Tolstoy
(Tolstoy: A Study By Percy Redfern, London: A. C. Fifield, 1907, p.122)
(The quote is also found here.)
"If you feel that you no longer have faith, know that you are in the most dangerous situation in which a man can find himself on earth." - Leo Tolstoy
(The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Rudolph Field, 1948, Ch. I, p.10)
(The quote is also found in: The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 2010, Ch. I, p.8)
"One of the most vulgar of superstitions is that of the wise men who believe that one can live without faith." - Leo Tolstoy
(The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Rudolph Field, 1948, Ch. I, p.10)
(The quote is also found in: The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 2010, Ch. I, p.8)
"One cannot struggle against the calls of conscience. These calls come from God; that is why it is preferable to answer them at once." - Leo Tolstoy
(The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Rudolph Field, 1948, Ch. III, p.18)
(The quote is also found in: The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 2010, Ch. III, p.16)
"The evil committed by man not only weakens his soul and deprives him of true happiness, but the more often falls back on the one who commits it." - Leo Tolstoy
(The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Rudolph Field, 1948, Ch. III, p.18)
(The quote is also found in: The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 2010, Ch. III, p.16)
"Reason is frequently the slave of sin; it strives to justify it." - Leo Tolstoy
(The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Rudolph Field, 1948, Ch. VIII, p.40)
(The quote is also found in: The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence By Leo Tolstoy, Translated By Mary Koutouzow Tolstoy, New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 2010, Ch. VIII, p.38)
Note: All the above quotations by Leo Tolstoy are verified authentic.
They are all linked to the original sources.
You can read Tolstoy's classic "Anna Karenina" in Russian here.
You can also read Count Leo Tolstoy's "The Law Of Love And The Law of Violence" online here.
More online books by Leo Tolstoy here and here.