The novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878), frequently regarded as the heights of realist literature, are among Tolstoy’s renowned works. He was born in an aristocratic Russian family in 1828. His semi-autobiographical trilogy Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth (18521856) and Sevastopol Sketches (1855), which were inspired by his experiences in the Crimean War, brought him literary success for the first time in his twenties. Numerous short stories and novellas, including The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Family Happiness (1859), “After the Ball” (1911), and Hadji Murad, are among his works of fiction (1912). In addition, he produced several intellectual writings and plays.
According to his non-fiction book A Confession, Tolstoy had a terrible moral crisis in the 1870s, which was followed by what he believed to be an equally great spiritual enlightenment (1882). He developed into a zealous Christian anarchist and pacifist as a result of his literal understanding of Jesus’ ethical teachings, which were centered on the Sermon on the Mount. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., two major characters of the 20th century, were profoundly influenced by his nonviolent resistance theories, which were presented in such publications as The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894). He also developed into a fervent supporter of Henry George’s economic ideology, known as Georgism, which he infused into his literature, especially Resurrection (1899).
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What was the best work of Tolstoy?
Anna Karenina, a masterwork from 1877 that portrays a startlingly vivid portrait of contemporary Russian society, has been hailed as the finest novel ever written by both distinguished authors and laypeople. In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy’s first self-described novel, the titular Russian society woman, initially constrained by social mores, dares to leave her loveless marriage in search of an illegal love and suffers fatal results. If you’re only going to read one Tolstoy novel, this should probably be it, according to Fyodor Dostoyevsky, another giant of Russian literature, who called Anna Karenina a “flawless masterpiece of art.”
Which of Tolstoy’s books are best known?
The two novels that have received the most acclaim from critics are Tolstoy’s two longest works, War and Peace (186569) and Anna Karenina (187577). For many readers and reviewers, War and Peace in particular seems to practically define this style. The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), one of Tolstoy’s lesser works, is frequently recognized as one of the best novellas ever written. Tolstoy gained international recognition as a moral and religious teacher, particularly in the latter three decades of his life. Gandhi was significantly influenced by his nonresistance to evil teaching. The respect for Tolstoy’s religious beliefs has diminished with time, but interest in his life and personality has, if anything, grown.
What books did Leo Tolstoy write?
Leo Tolstoy, a Russian author who is regarded as one of the greatest writers in history, is the author of the widely read books “War and Peace,” “Anna Karenina,” and “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.”
Which Tolstoy novel should I start with?
You must read both books. Without them, life is routine. But based on my observations, readers are more inclined to read War and Peace if they have read Anna Karenina first, therefore I usually advise doing so. War and Peace might be read by every new Anna Karenina reader.
Which book, War and Peace or Anna Karenina, is superior?
War and Peace is a better novel overall, while Anna Karenina has a greater tale. However, because so many characters have multiple identities depending on who is speaking to them, the book can be confused at times.
Should one read War and Peace?
After seeing and reviewing a recent 6-part BBC miniseries (2016) based on the novel, I started reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace in April. I read through roughly 40% of the book before stopping in the early summer. Then, a few weeks ago, I made the decision that I needed to finish it by the end of the year. I read one literary classic each year, and I made a commitment to read War and Peace in 2020. The Greatest Books list presently has War and Peace at number seven. It did complement 2020 very well and illuminate the current with the past.
War and Peace, which is set between the years of 1805 and 1812 (with an epilogue from the years of 1813 to 1820), as I noted in my prior review, makes me think of Jane Austen. His bulk has always made War and Peace scary. 1,300+ pages in extremely small type, and 55 hours and 30 minutes of audio. That is similar to reading/listening to all six of Jane Austen’s novels at once. War and Peace’s story and characters are roughly as complex to follow as reading all of Jane Austen’s books chapter by chapter.
Battle and Peace contains numerous pages of Tolstoy pontificating about war, power, military command, freedom, history, free choice, leadership, etc., which I fear may turn off some readers. This makes it difficult to strongly endorse the book.
It wasn’t difficult to read War and Peace. I’ve been questioned about it a lot. Yes, the Russian names are an issue, but I believe it helped that I watched the BBC series first and that I saw the Russian-language Mosfilm version as I was reading the novel. This version was released as four films over the course of two years (19661967). These four War and Peace movies may be seen right now on HBO Max.
My friends have likewise questioned if War and Peace is worthwhile to read. Many people assumed I was doing something disgusting when I indicated that I was reading it to them. It’s a really great book, very intellectual, yet it mostly centers on aristocratic romances in big families during the Napoleonic Wars. Just picture that kind of scenario on a far larger scale with two epic battles and the fall of an emperor tossed in if you enjoy Downton Abbey or Jane Austen. Although I think most readers won’t like the war sections, I did.
Jane Austen comes to mind once more. Much of the novel is about aristocratic life and love, which is extremely similar to Austen’s writing style. In contrast, the men in Austen’s novel go off to fight in the Napoleonic wars, but we never learn about their experiences. We are, and it matters in Tolstoy. The guys are shaped by their combat experiences, and two of them undergo profound spiritual transformations. Austen provided us the women’s perspective of the time, whilst War and Peace gave us the men’s.
Napoleon has never really made sense to me. I went to Wikipedia to read the entry about Napoleon while reading this book, and it was really instructive. Although Tolstoy undoubtedly intended for his story to present a revisionist appraisal of Napoleon, I honestly think that Tolstoy paints a far better picture of this historical character. I still don’t know enough about history to judge whether Tolstoy is true or not, let alone whether he is pulling a fast one on the subject.
I must admit that I thought Tolstoy should have released his ranting as a stand-alone nonfiction work in addition to his book. Hearing Tolstoy apply his scientific knowledge from the 1860sincluding the then-new notions about evolutionto events and people is pretty fascinating. Even by the standards of the twenty-first century, Tolstoy’s ideas are outstanding. I even applied some of them to a fresh perspective on Donald Trump. The importance of the French language to Russian nobility at the period utterly astonished me, by the way. Russia has always seemed to me to be very cut off from the rest of Europe.
On the other hand, I was constantly eager to return to the story and I always yearned for more information about the characters, who were too numerous to list here. My favorite character in the book was Levin from Anna Karenina, thus it makes sense that Pierre would be my favorite. In both instances, I questioned whether those personalities were imitations of Tolstoy.
Do I still suggest reading this monstrous novel, though? War and Peace is incredibly engaging, and I’m glad I read it, but it takes a lot of dedication. Although I’m not sure I’ll ever try to reread it, I do believe I will occasionally skim through it. There are several beautiful situations and chapters.
Anyone who enjoys 19th-century literature, anyone who aspires to be a writer, or anyone who enjoys finding philosophy interlaced with fiction should read War and Peace, in my opinion.
By the way, since War and Peace is public domain, you can sample it for a reasonable price. Order a free Kindle version. Keep reading if you become engrossed. Both reading it and hearing it on audio were enjoyable for me. I was able to quickly flip between the two versions on my Kindle.
Served Tolstoy in a war?
Many of the family names in War and Peace are subtle variations of real names Tolstoy had come across in his life. This was done on purpose to help Russian readers identify with the book. For instance, the surname Bolkonsky is a modified variant of Volkonsky, the family name of Tolstoy’s mother. Tolstoy also created the majority of his characters with his own family members in mind; for example, his sister-in-law, Tanya, was the inspiration behind Natasha. Combat and Peace was influenced by Tolstoy’s firsthand experience of war. He participated in the Crimean War when he was 26 years old, and he also created three sketches that graphically detailed his experiences during the Siege of Sevastopol (published 185556).
What’s the story of War and Peace?
Three of the most well-known literary characters are followed in War and Peace, which broadly centers on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812: The illegitimate son of a count, Pierre Bezukhov, who struggles to receive his inheritance and yearns for spiritual satisfaction; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who abandons his family to