5 Timeless Classics By Leo Tolstoy

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    • Publish Date: Sep 9 2019 5:19PM
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    • Updated Date: Sep 9 2019 5:19PM
5 Timeless Classics By Leo Tolstoy

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, popularly known as Leo Tolstoy is considered one of the world’s greatest novelists. He was born to a Russian aristocratic family in 1828 and though he passed away in 1910, his works are still widely read and respected.

A 19th-century British poet and critic Matthew Arnold said that a novel by Tolstoy is not a work of art but a piece of life and that seems to stand true for all his fictional works.

The works of non-fiction he wrote are no less powerful. Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Tolstoy, and in his autobiography, he mentioned the great Russian author as a Guru. Tolstoy wrote several books, short stories, novellas and even plays. Here are 5 iconic works by him that every fan of literature should be familiar with.


War and Peace

Originally published in 1865, this book has stood the test of time as one of the best books ever written. It begins in 1805 in St. Petersburg where the fear of Napoleon’s war-making plans is setting in. The story covers many years, following members of the Bezukhov, Bolkonsky and Rostov families. The believable characters and the trajectory of their lives through all the historic events are fascinating. The war in the book title refers to when Napoleon invades Russia and the toll the war exacts is explored in clever detail.


Anna Karenina

This is one of Tolstoy's most memorable and iconoclastic books. It tells the story of Anna, the wife of Aleksey Karenin, who is having an affair with a young bachelor Count Vronsky. When Anna's husband discovers their relationship, he is more perturbed by what it means for his image in society than his relationship. The book beautifully explores how the expectations of society affect people and relationships. To contrast with Anna's relationship, a parallel story follows Kitty and Levin whose relationship has a difficult beginning but their marriage is fulfilling.


The Kingdom of God Is Within You

This non-fiction by Tolstoy reinterprets Christianity. He wrote extensively on the subject of religion during his later years. He even studied Greek and composed his own version of the Gospels. This book encourages readers to give up all forms of violence, even if it's sanctioned by the Church and explains in detail why one should. It also encourages one to look for God within themselves.

This book is the one that profoundly shaped Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violence.


A Confession

This is an essay by Tolstoy in which he describes the questions and thoughts that plagued him during the depression he fell into after finishing Anna Karenina. There are a lot of simple philosophical thoughts questioning the purpose of life explored through the lens of various religions, sciences and even philosophies of other authors. While he draws no conclusions, the essay is a fascinating read.


The Cossacks

This book questions the morals of one's society by cleverly contrasting them with that of another culture. The protagonist of the book is a self-centered Russian aristocrat called Dmitry Olenin who, as a cadet, serves in the Caucasus(as the author had in his own life). He has to live with the Cossacks, and there he learns to appreciate their lifestyle and how they live in harmony with nature.

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Comments

Asmita D.A.V Public School, Thane

Read War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Amazing though my classmates think it''s boring.

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