Reading the Classics #49: Leo Tolstoy
I love Leo Tolstoy, and I’ve been looking forward to this post for a while. The first book of his I read was Anna Karenina, and from there it was just one great story after another. But before I start talking about the books, let me give you a bit of backstory about him (Trust me, I wrote a 23 page paper about Russian authors, so I’m an expert XD). Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 and died in 1910. After fighting in the Crimean War, he developed a hatred for fighting, and spent the rest of his life writing and helping those poorer than him. His first novel ended up becoming a bestseller, and the name War and Peace has lived on as a literary masterpiece. He used this success to further his career, and he became the most noted literary name in Russia. He believed in God, but he described himself as a nonviolent Christian Anarchist. I had to research what that was supposed to mean for the paper, so I can provide more info if you want. To put it simply, Tolstoy was an unusual man who wanted to write stories and help others. With that said, let me begin to describe his books.
1. War and Peace
2. Anna Karenina
3. The Death of Ivan Ilych
4. Hadji Murad
War and Peace is one of my favorite books. To describe the plot is rather difficult, considering that there are numerous characters and intertwining plots. The main idea is the story of these several families during the years of the Napoleonic Wars (More specifically Napoleon’s invasion of Russia) and onward. Every character has a personality that makes you love them, but also a darker side that repulses you. In the 1250 pages or so that make up War and Peace, a fascinating story is put together that has everything you could want in it. This is an essential must-read, not just for people studying Classics, but really for anyone.
Next up is Anna Karenina, my first dive into the world of Tolstoy. The main character, Anna Karenina, goes to visit her sister’s family to mediate in marital affairs. But while she does that, she meets a young officer named Vronsky, and they fall madly in love. Now that doesn’t sound bad, but Anna is also married. So it begins that the one who came to counsel others in their marriage, now ruins her own. From there on the story becomes more and more fascinating, and climaxes in a great way. One of my favorite characters in literature, Nikolai Levin, comes from this long-ish book (It’s short for a Russian novel, but long for an English or American one lol). I wouldn’t stress the reading of this novel as much as War and Peace, but this is still a book you should put on your reading list.
The Death of Ivan Ilych is a novella rather than a novel, and is less than 50 pages long. The plot revolves around Ivan Ilych, a former judge who is on his deathbed. The story describes his sufferings, both the physical and the mental. He knows that his time is drawing near, and it terrifies him. When I read this, I came away having felt that I was there with Ivan, feeling his pain and torment. Tolstoy wrote this in such a chilling manner that it comes alive for you. I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as the other novels, but this was certainly a worthwhile read.
And last, we have Hadji Murad. This story is vastly different from the others in that it follows the life of the rebel commander Hadji Murad. Based on true history, Murad decides to make an alliance with the Russians in order to gain revenge on personal enemies. The alliance is made, but the cost is great. I won’t say anymore, so go read it for yourselves.
As you can probably tell by this point, I love the writings of Leo Tolstoy. I would have read more by now, but I haven’t been able to get copies. Resurrection, The Kreutzer Sonata, and his semi-autobiographical trilogy all sound good, among others. Yes, his stories are usually pretty long, but that’s the fun of it. It’s a challenge, not just an easy-to-read Percy Jackson book. And think about it, how many teenagers can say that they’ve read War and Peace? Not a whole lot. The more you read, the more knowledge you gain, and the more influence you may end up having. It may seem like work in the beginning, but trust me, in the end it’s worth it. That’s all I have for today, so thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time with Post #50!
1835- Nevsky Prospect by Nikolai Gogol
The Portrait by Nikolai Gogol
Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol
1835-1836- The Nose by Nikolai Gogol
1842- Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol
1869- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
1877- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
1886- The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
1912- Hadji Murad by Leo Tolstoy
1962- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
