What Men Live By, and Other Tales
Read this book freeEvery sentence translated, natural audio, one-tap dictionary
A collection of short stories by Tolstoy, including the title tale in which a shoemaker shelters a stranger who turns out to be an angel, and learns what men live by. Other stories tell of a poor peasant, a repentant landowner and a humble cobbler. The simple, direct prose and short chapters make this an excellent first encounter with Tolstoy in English.
Learn English with What Men Live By, and Other Tales
- Suits learners around level B1: you read the original, not a simplified retelling.
- Who it suits: a short book at B1, a good first real book in English after graded readers.
- 2,374 distinct words, each one a tap away from your personal vocabulary list.
- Translation into Russian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish or Arabic, aligned to every sentence, shown under the text or beside it.
- Read-aloud audio for every chapter, with the current sentence highlighted as it is read.
- Read in English, glance at the translation under any sentence you are unsure of, and listen to natural read-aloud voices to train your ear.
How it works
- Open the book: no installation, it reads in the browser on any device.
- Read a sentence in English. Its translation sits right under it, so you never lose the thread.
- Tap a word for its meaning and save it; listen to the chapter read aloud.
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Questions about this book
Can I read What Men Live By, and Other Tales in English for free?
Yes. The first chapters of What Men Live By, and Other Tales open without an account, with the translation, audio and dictionary included. A free account unlocks the rest of the book.
How much English do I need?
The text is estimated at level B1. Because every sentence has its translation underneath, lower levels can follow along too.
Is there audio?
Yes. Each chapter can be read aloud by a natural-sounding voice while the current sentence is highlighted.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Russian?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Russian translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Russian whenever you need to.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Spanish?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Spanish translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Spanish whenever you need to.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Brazilian Portuguese?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Brazilian Portuguese translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Brazilian Portuguese whenever you need to.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Japanese?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Japanese translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Japanese whenever you need to.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Chinese?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Chinese translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Chinese whenever you need to.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Turkish?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Turkish translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Turkish whenever you need to.
Is What Men Live By, and Other Tales available in Arabic?
Yes. On Booklern the English text of What Men Live By, and Other Tales is shown with its Arabic translation under every sentence, so you read the original and check the Arabic whenever you need to.
Can I download What Men Live By, and Other Tales as a PDF or EPUB?
Not from Booklern: the book is read online, in the browser, with nothing to download or install. Your place in the book is saved to your account.
