Russian short stories are known for being melancholy, often dealing with suffering. However, they can also be funny and absurd. Some common subjects include class distinctions, the plight of the underdog, and a rejection of authoritarianism and bureaucracy. The best collection of Russian short stories includes: Fyodor Dostoevsky: Notes from the Underground The Dream of a Ridiculous Man The Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree Leo Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich Kholstomer, the Story of a Horse Alyosha the Pot A Letter to a Hindu A Confession God Sees the Truth, but Waits A Russian Christmas Party Anton Chekhov: Kashtanka Gusev The Darling The Lady with the Dog A Slander The Horse-Stealers The Petchenyeg A Dead Body A Happy Ending The Looking-Glass Old Age Darkness The Beggar In Trouble Frost Minds in Ferment Gone Astray An Avenger The Jeune Premier A Defenceless Creature An Enigmatic Nature A Happy Man A Troublesome Visitor An Actor's End A Story Without a Title Vanka Ivan Turgenev: First Love The District Doctor Mumu Nikolay Gogol: The Mantle Memoirs of a Madman The Nose A May Night The Cloak The Viy Christmas Eve Alexsandr Pushkin: The Queen of Spades Maxim Gorky: One Autumn Night Her Lover Leonid Andreyev: Lazarus The Little Angel Aleksandr Kuprin: The Outrage Mikhail Bulgakov The Cup of Life Komarov Case Moscow Settings Psalm Moonshine Springs Seance Shifting Accommodation The Beer Story The Embroidered Towel Ivan Bunin: The Gentleman from San Francisco The Grammar of Love Gentle Breathing Son An Unknown Friend Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin: How a Muzhik Fed Two Officials