The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy

THE COSSACKS follows the life of Russian nobleman Dmitiri Olenin who lives a sheltered, boring, and empty life. In order to find deeper meaning in his existence, Olenin joins the Russian army where he is posted to the Caucasus. There, Olenin hopes to find happiness. He immerses himself in the local Cossack culture, befriending an old man and falling in love with Maryanka, who teaches him lessons about his own inner life, moral philosophy, and the nature of reality, forcing him to realize that his previous life was immoral and empty.