No list of world’s greatest novelists can be complete without the mention of Russian author, Leo Tolstoy. Generations have come and gone, each only augmenting the sheer brilliance of Tolstoy as a master of realistic fiction. His novels, ‘War and Peace’, ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ even today are ranked amongst the best in the world and are counted amongst the finest novels ever written. His works share a vision of human experience rooted in an appreciation of everyday life and prosaic virtues. Tolstoy’s ability to observe the smallest changes of consciousness and to record the slightest movements of the body is something not many novelists can claim to have even today in the 21st century. Literary accomplishments apart, Tolstoy attracted attention due to his new faith, which mixed pacifism with Christian anarchism and advocated living a morally and physically ascetic lifestyle. Among those influenced by Tolstoy’s social beliefs was Mahatma Gandhi, who started the non-violent movement in India and brought the country its independence from British Raj. Tolstoy’s spiritual belief, religious sentiments and literary brilliance can also be seen in his quotes that cover a vast variety of subjects and give a new perspective to life.