Biography of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
1828, August 28 (September 9) - Birth Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy in the Yasnaya Polyana estate, Krapivensky district, Tula province.
1830 - death of Tolstoy's mother Maria Nikolaevna (nee Volkonskaya).
1837 - The Tolstoy family moved from Yasnaya Polyana to Moscow. Death of Tolstoy's father Nikolai Ilyich.
1840 - First literary work Tolstoy— congratulatory poems by T.A. Ergolskaya: “Dear auntie.”
1841 - Death in Optina Pustyn of the guardian of the children of Tolstykh A.I. Osten-Sacken. The Tolstoys move from Moscow to Kazan, to a new guardian - P.I. Yushkova.
1844 — Tolstoy admitted to Kazan University at the Faculty of Oriental Studies in the category of Arabic-Turkish literature, having passed exams in mathematics, Russian literature, French, German, English, Arabic, Turkish and Tatar languages.
1845 — Tolstoy transfers to the Faculty of Law.
1847 — Tolstoy leaves the university and leaves Kazan for Yasnaya Polyana.
1848, October - 1849, January - lives in Moscow, “very carelessly, without service, without classes, without purpose.”
1849 - Examinations for the candidate's degree at St. Petersburg University. (Discontinued after successful passing in two subjects). Tolstoy starts keeping a diary.
1850 — The idea of “Tales from Gypsy Life.”
1851 - The story “The History of Yesterday” was written. The story “Childhood” began (finished in July 1852). Departure for the Caucasus.
1852 - Examination for the rank of cadet, order for enrollment military service fireworks 4th class. The story “The Raid” was written. In No. 9 of Sovremennik, “Childhood” was published - the first published work Tolstoy. “The Novel of a Russian Landowner” began (the work continued until 1856, remaining unfinished. A fragment of the novel, selected for printing, was published in 1856 under the title “Morning of the Landowner”).
1853 - Participation in the campaign against the Chechens. Start of work on "Cossacks" (completed in 1862). The story “Notes of a Marker” has been written.
1854 - Tolstoy was promoted to ensign. Departure from the Caucasus. Report on transfer to the Crimean Army. Project of the magazine “Soldier's Bulletin” (“Military leaflet”). The stories “Uncle Zhdanov and Cavalier Chernov” and “How Russian Soldiers Die” were written for the soldiers’ magazine. Arrival in Sevastopol.
1855 - Work began on “Youth” (finished in September 1856). The stories “Sevastopol in December”, “Sevastopol in May” and “Sevastopol in August 1855” were written. Arrival in St. Petersburg. Acquaintance with Turgenev, Nekrasov, Goncharov, Fet, Tyutchev, Chernyshevsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ostrovsky and other writers.
1856 - The stories “Blizzard”, “Demoted”, and the story “Two Hussars” were written. Tolstoy promoted to lieutenant. Resignation. IN Yasnaya Polyana an attempt to free peasants from serfdom. The story “The Departing Field” was begun (the work continued until 1865, remaining unfinished). The magazine Sovremennik published an article by Chernyshevsky about “Childhood” and “Adolescence” and “War Stories” by Tolstoy.
1857 - The story "Albert" began (finished in March 1858). First trip abroad in France, Switzerland, Germany. Story "Lucerne".
1858 - The story “Three Deaths” was written.
1859 - Work on the story “Family Happiness.”
1859 - 1862 - Classes at the Yasnaya Polyana school with peasant children (“lovely, poetic feast”). Tolstoy outlined his pedagogical ideas in articles in the Yasnaya Polyana magazine he created in 1862.
1860 - Work on stories from peasant life- “Idyll”, “Tikhon and Malanya” (remained unfinished).
1860 - 1861 - Second trip abroad - through Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Belgium. Meeting Herzen in London. Listening to lectures on the history of art at the Sorbonne. Presence at death penalty in Paris. The beginning of the novel “The Decembrists” (remained unfinished) and the story “Polikushka” (finished in December 1862). Quarrel with Turgenev.
1860 - 1863 - Work on the story “Kholstomer” (completed in 1885).
1861 - 1862 - Activities Tolstoy mediator of the 4th section of Krapivensky district. Publication of the pedagogical magazine "Yasnaya Polyana".
1862 - Gendarmerie search in YP. Marriage to Sofya Andreevna Bers, daughter of a doctor in the court department.
1863 - Work began on War and Peace (finished in 1869).
1864 - 1865 - The first Collected Works of L.N. is published. Tolstoy in two volumes (from F. Stellovsky, St. Petersburg).
1865 - 1866 - The first two parts of the future “War and Peace” under the title “1805” were published in the “Russian Bulletin”.
1866 - Meeting the artist M.S. Bashilov, to whom Tolstoy commissions the illustration of War and Peace.
1867 - Trip to Borodino in connection with work on War and Peace.
1867 - 1869 - Publication of two separate editions of War and Peace.
1868 - An article was published in the Russian Archive magazine Tolstoy“A few words about the book “War and Peace.”
1870 - The idea of "Anna Karenina".
1870 - 1872 - Work on a novel about the time of Peter I (remained unfinished).
1871 - 1872 - Publication of "ABC".
1873 - The novel Anna Karenina began (completed in 1877). Letter to Moskovskie Vedomosti about the Samara famine. I.N. Kramskoy paints a portrait in Yasnaya Polyana Tolstoy.
1874 — Pedagogical activity, article “On public education”, compilation of the “New ABC” and “Russian books for reading” (published in 1875).
1875 - Start of printing “Anna Karenina” in the magazine “Russian Messenger”. The French magazine Le temps published a translation of the story “The Two Hussars” with a preface by Turgenev. Turgenev wrote that upon the release of War and Peace Tolstoy"decidedly takes first place in the public's favor."
1876 - Meeting P.I. Tchaikovsky.
1877 - A separate publication of the last, 8th part of “Anna Karenina” - due to disagreements that arose with the publisher of the “Russian Messenger” M.N. Katkov on the issue of the Serbian war.
1878 - Separate edition of the novel “Anna Karenina”.
1878 - 1879 -Work on historical novel about the time of Nicholas I and the Decembrists
1878 - Meeting the Decembrists P.N. Svistunov, M.I. Muravyov Apostol, A.P. Belyaev. "First Memories" written.
1879 — Tolstoy collects historical materials and tries to write a novel from the era of the late 17th century - early XIX century. Visited Tolstoy N.I. Strakhov found him in a “new phase” - anti-state and anti-church. In Yasnaya Polyana the guest is the storyteller V.P. Dapper. Tolstoy writes down folk legends from his words.
1879 - 1880 - Work on the “Confession” and “A Study of Dogmatic Theology.” Meeting V.M. Garshin and I.E. Repin.
1881 - The story “How People Live” was written. A letter to Alexander III with an admonition not to execute the revolutionaries who killed Alexander II. Moving of the Tolstoy family to Moscow.
1882 - Participation in the three-day Moscow census. The article "So what should we do?" has begun. (finished in 1886). Buying a house in Dolgo-Khamovnichesky Lane in Moscow (now the House-Museum of L.N. Tolstoy). The story “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” began (completed in 1886).
1883 - Meeting V.G. Chertkov.
1883 - 1884 - Tolstoy writes the treatise “What is my faith?”
1884 — Portrait Tolstoy works by N.N. Ge. “Notes of a Madman” started (remained unfinished). The first attempt to leave Yasnaya Polyana. A book publishing house was founded for folk reading- “Mediator.”
1885 - 1886 - Written for “The Mediator” folk stories: “Two brothers and gold”, “Ilyas”, “Where there is love, there is God”, If you let the fire go, you won’t put it out”, “Candle”, “Two old men”, “The Tale of Ivan the Fool”, “How much land does a man have necessary”, etc.
1886 - Meeting V.G. Korolnko. Drama started for folk theater— “The Power of Darkness” (prohibited from production). The comedy “Fruits of Enlightenment” began (finished in 1890).
1887 - Meeting N.S. Leskov. The Kreutzer Sonata began (finished in 1889).
1888 - The story “The False Coupon” began (work was discontinued in 1904).
1889 - Work on the story “The Devil” (the second version of the ending of the story dates back to 1890). The “Konevskaya Tale” (based on the story of the judicial figure A.F. Koni) was begun - the future “Resurrection” (finished in 1899).
1890 - Censorship prohibition of the “Kreutzer Sonata” (in 1891 Alexander III allowed printing only in the Collected Works). In a letter to V.G. Chertkov, the first version of the story “Father Sergius” (finished in 1898).
1891 - Letter to the editors of Russkie Vedomosti and Novoye Vremya with a waiver of copyright for works written after 1881.
1891 - 1893 - Organization of assistance to starving peasants of the Ryazan province. Articles about hunger.
1892 - Production of “The Fruits of Enlightenment” at the Maly Theater.
1893 - A preface to the works of Guy de Maupassant was written. Meeting K.S. Stanislavsky.
1894 - 1895 - The story “The Master and the Worker” was written.
1895 - Meeting A.P. Chekhov. Performance of "The Power of Darkness" at the Maly Theater. The article “Shame” was written - a protest against corporal punishment peasants
1896 - The story “Hadji Murat” began (work continued until 1904; during his lifetime Tolstoy the story was not published).
1897 - 1898 - Organization of assistance to starving peasants of the Tula province. Article “Hunger or not hunger?” The decision to print “Father Sergius” and “Resurrection” was in favor of the Doukhobors moving to Canada. In Yasnaya Polyana L.O. Pasternak illustrating "Resurrection".
1898 - 1899 - Inspection of prisons, conversations with prison guards in connection with work on “Resurrection”.
1899 - The novel “Resurrection” is published in the Niva magazine.
1899 - 1900 - The article “Slavery of Our Time” was written.
1900 - acquaintance with A.M. Gorky. Work on the drama “The Living Corpse” (after watching the play “Uncle Vanya” at the Art Theater).
1901 - “Definition of the Holy Synod of February 20 - 22, 1901 ... about Count Leo Tolstoy” is published in the newspapers “Tserkovnye Vedomosti”, “Russkiy Vestnik”, etc. The definition spoke of the writer’s “falling away” from Orthodoxy. In his “Response to the Synod,” Tolstoy stated: “I began by loving my Orthodox faith more than my peace of mind, then I loved Christianity more than my church, and now I love the truth more than anything in the world. And to this day the truth coincides for me with Christianity, as I understand it.” Due to illness, departure to Crimea, to Gaspra.
1901 - 1902 - Letter to Nicholas II calling for the abolition of private ownership of land and the destruction of “that oppression that prevents the people from expressing their desires and needs.”
1902 - return to Yasnaya Polyana.
1903 - “Memoirs” began (work continued until 1906). The story “After the Ball” was written.
1903 - 1904 - Work on the article “About Shakespeare and the Lady.”
1904 — Article about Russian-Japanese war“Come to your senses!”
1905 - An afterword to Chekhov’s story “Darling” and articles “About social movement in Russia" and Green Stick", stories "Korney Vasiliev", "Alyosha Pot", "Berry", story " Posthumous notes Elder Fyodor Kuzmich." Reading the notes of the Decembrists and the works of Herzen. Entry about the October 17 manifesto: “There is nothing in it for the people.”
1906 - The story “For What?” and the article “The Significance of the Russian Revolution” were written, the story “Divine and Human”, begun in 1903, was completed.
1907 — Letter to P.A. Stolypin about the situation of the Russian people and the need to destroy private ownership of land. In Yasnaya Polyana M.V. Neterov paints a portrait Tolstoy.
1908 - Tolstoy’s article against the death penalty - “I can’t remain silent!” No. 35 of the Proletary newspaper published an article by V.I. Lenin "Leo Tolstoy, as a mirror of the Russian revolution."
1908 - 1910 - Work on the story “There are no guilty people in the world.”
1909 — Tolstoy writes the story “Who are the killers? Pavel Kudryash”, a sharply critical article about the cadet collection “Milestones”, essays “Conversation with a passer-by” and “Songs in the Village”.
1900 - 1910 - Work on the essays “Three days in the countryside”.
1910 - The story “Khodynka” was written.
In a letter to V.G. Korolenko received an enthusiastic review of his article against the death penalty - “The Change House Phenomenon.”
Tolstoy preparing a report for the Peace Congress in Stockholm.
Work on the last article - “A Real Remedy” (against the death penalty).
Lion and dog
In London they showed wild animals and for viewing they took money or dogs and cats to feed the wild animals.
One man wanted to see the animals: he grabbed a little dog on the street and brought it to the menagerie. They let him watch, but they took the little dog and threw him into a cage with a lion to be eaten.
The little dog tucked its tail and pressed itself into the corner of the cage. The lion came up to her and smelled her.
The little dog lay down on its back, raised its paws and began wagging its tail.
The lion touched it with his paw and turned it over.
The dog jumped up and stood on its hind legs in front of the lion.
The lion looked at the dog, turned his head from side to side and did not touch it.
When the owner threw meat to the lion, the lion tore off a piece and left it for the dog.
In the evening, when the lion went to bed, the dog lay down next to him and put her head on his paw.
Since then, the dog lived in the same cage with the lion, the lion did not touch her, ate food, slept with her, and sometimes played with her.
One day the master came to the menagerie and recognized his dog; he said that the dog was his own, and asked the owner of the menagerie to give it to him. The owner wanted to give it back, but as soon as they began to call the dog to take it from the cage, the lion bristled and growled.
So the lion and the dog lived for a whole year in the same cage.
A year later the dog got sick and died. The lion stopped eating, but kept sniffing, licking the dog and touching it with his paw.
When he realized that she was dead, he suddenly jumped up, bristled, began to whip his tail on the sides, rushed to the wall of the cage and began to gnaw at the bolts and the floor.
All day long he struggled, thrashed about in the cage and roared, then he lay down next to the dead dog and fell silent. The owner wanted to take away the dead dog, but the lion would not let anyone near it.
The owner thought that the lion would forget his grief if he was given another dog, and let a live dog into his cage; but the lion immediately tore it into pieces. Then he hugged the dead dog with his paws and lay there for five days.
On the sixth day the lion died.
Kitty
There were brother and sister - Vasya and Katya; and they had a cat. In the spring the cat disappeared. The children looked for her everywhere, but could not find her.
One day they were playing near the barn and heard someone meowing in thin voices overhead. Vasya climbed the ladder under the roof of the barn. And Katya stood and kept asking:
- Did you find it? Did you find it?
But Vasya did not answer her. Finally Vasya shouted to her:
- Found it! Our cat... and she has kittens; so wonderful; come here quickly.
Katya ran home, took out milk and brought it to the cat.
There were five kittens. When they grew a little and began to crawl out from under the corner where they had hatched, the children chose one kitten, gray with white paws, and brought it into the house. The mother gave away all the other kittens, but left this one to the children. The children fed him, played with him and took him to bed.
One day the children went to play on the road and took a kitten with them.
The wind moved the straw along the road, and the kitten played with the straw, and the children rejoiced at him. Then they found sorrel near the road, went to collect it and forgot about the kitten.
Suddenly they heard someone shouting loudly: “Back, back!” - and they saw that a hunter was galloping, and in front of him two dogs saw a kitten and wanted to grab it. And the kitten, stupid, instead of running, sat down to the ground, hunched its back and looked at the dogs.
Katya was scared of the dogs, screamed and ran away from them. And Vasya, as best he could, ran towards the kitten and at the same time as the dogs ran up to it.
The dogs wanted to grab the kitten, but Vasya fell with his stomach on the kitten and blocked it from the dogs.
The hunter jumped up and drove the dogs away, and Vasya brought the kitten home and never took it with him into the field again.
Hares
Forest hares feed on tree bark at night, field hares feed on winter crops and grass, and bean hares feed on grain grains on threshing floors. During the night, hares make a deep, visible trail in the snow. Hares are hunted by people, dogs, wolves, foxes, crows, and eagles. If the hare had walked simply and straightly, then in the morning he would have been found by the trail and caught; but the hare is cowardly, and cowardice saves him.
The hare walks through fields and forests at night without fear and makes straight tracks; but as soon as morning comes, his enemies wake up: the hare begins to hear the barking of dogs, the screeching of sleighs, the voices of men, the crackling of a wolf in the forest, and begins to rush from side to side in fear. He will gallop forward, get scared by something, and run back in his tracks. If he hears something else, he will jump to the side with all his might and gallop away from the previous trail. Again something knocks - again the hare turns back and again jumps to the side. When it becomes light, he will lie down.
The next morning, the hunters begin to disassemble the hare's trail, get confused by double tracks and distant jumps, and are surprised at the hare's cunning. But the hare didn’t even think of being cunning. He's just afraid of everything.
Bulka
I had a face. Her name was Bulka. She was all black, only the tips of her front paws were white.
In all faces, the lower jaw is longer than the upper and the upper teeth extend beyond the lower ones; but Bulka’s lower jaw protruded forward so much that a finger could be placed between the lower and upper teeth. Bulka's face is wide; the eyes are large, black and shiny; and the white teeth and fangs always stuck out. He looked like a blackamoor. Bulka was quiet and did not bite, but he was very strong and tenacious. When he would cling to something, he would clench his teeth and hang like a rag, and, like a tick, he could not be torn off.
Once they let him attack a bear, and he grabbed the bear’s ear and hung like a leech. The bear beat him with his paws, pressed him to himself, threw him from side to side, but could not tear him away and fell on his head to crush Bulka; but Bulka held on to it until they poured cold water on him.
I took him as a puppy and raised him myself. When I went to serve in the Caucasus, I didn’t want to take him and left him quietly, and ordered him to be locked up. At the first station, I was about to board another transfer station, when suddenly I saw something black and shiny rolling along the road. It was Bulka in his copper collar. He flew at full speed towards the station. He rushed towards me, licked my hand and stretched out in the shadows under the cart. His tongue stuck out the entire palm of his hand. He then pulled it back, swallowing drool, then again stuck it out to the whole palm. He was in a hurry, did not have time to breathe, his sides were jumping. He turned from side to side and tapped his tail on the ground.
I found out later that after me he broke through the frame and jumped out of the window and, right in my wake, galloped along the road and rode like that for twenty miles in the heat.
How wolves teach their children
I was walking along the road and heard a scream behind me. The shepherd boy shouted. He ran across the field and pointed at someone.
I looked and saw two wolves running across the field: one seasoned, the other young. The young man carried a slaughtered lamb on his back and held its leg with his teeth. The seasoned wolf ran behind.
When I saw the wolves, I ran after them along with the shepherd, and we began to scream. Men with dogs came running to our cry.
As soon as old wolf When he saw the dogs and people, he ran up to the young man, snatched the lamb from him, threw it on his back, and both wolves ran faster and disappeared from sight.
Then the boy began to tell how it happened: a large wolf jumped out of the ravine, grabbed the lamb, killed it and carried it away.
A wolf cub ran out and rushed to the lamb. The old man gave the lamb to the young wolf to carry, and he ran lightly beside him.
Only when trouble came did the old man leave his studies and take the lamb himself.
This writer and philosopher is certainly one of the key figures of pre-revolutionary Russian literature. What did Leo Tolstoy write? He left behind a variety of artistic heritage in the form of novels and stories, stories and journalism. Also, a special place in his work is occupied by philosophical reflections expressed in letters and articles, and the writer’s diary.
Novels
Most famous to a wide circle readers in our country and abroad, the works of the writer are such novels as “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”, “Decembrists”, “Resurrection”, the trilogy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth". These works have been translated into many languages of the world, are deeply revered by literary scholars in many countries, and are used in university and school curriculum. The epic "War and Peace", written over the course of a decade (1863 -1873), is a kind of cross-section of Russian society of the 19th century. In terms of its globality, it occupies one of the first places in Russian literature.
Novels and stories
Among the most famous stories are “The Morning of a Landowner” (a film was even made based on the work), “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, “The Kreutzer Sonata”, “Notes of a Madman”, “Hadji Murat”. Tolstoy also wrote more short forms- stories. The most famous are the cycle “ Sevastopol stories", "Stories from village life"and others depicting everyday life Russian outback and the characters of the peasants. The most famous drama work is “The Living Corpse”.
For children
Leo Tolstoy also wrote for younger age. The stories “Filippok”, “Three Bears”, “ABC” for children are included in the treasury of children's literature and are studied in elementary grades.
Fables and parables, diaries and articles
The writer was translating Aesop's fables into Russian, giving traditional characters a unique flavor: “The Wolf and the Lamb,” “The Wolf and the Fox,” “Dragonfly and Ants,” “Fox and Grapes.” And in philosophical parables (“How people live,” “The Three Elders,” “The Wolf,” for example), he expressed his philosophical views in allegorical form. In his articles he expressed his socio-political preferences (“I Can’t Be Silent”, “On Socialism”), and in his diaries he openly described his creative and life quests.
Russian writers are rightfully considered true literary geniuses. All of them made an invaluable contribution to the development of the art of words, so their works remain relevant in our time and will be relevant for many years to come. This is largely due to the fact that all the writers were not just educated and wise, but also talented people. This helped them create not just complex and relevant works, but also interesting ones.
Leo Tolstoy
One of the most famous Russian classics is Leo Tolstoy, whose books were published in huge editions. His works are known for their scale and depth philosophical problems which the author reveals.
Tolstoy's books, as a rule, are very voluminous, but not because he repeats himself a lot, but because he approaches the disclosure of a particular topic as thoroughly as possible. A writer always tries to get to the heart of things. This article will focus on Tolstoy’s main books, which had the greatest public resonance and which made a truly enormous contribution to world culture.
War and Peace
The epic novel "War and Peace" is one of the most significant works of world literature of the 19th century. It not only shows important historical events of that time, it conveys the atmosphere of that time, the mood of people and talks about the most important things.
The concept of the novel was initially radically different from what happened in the end. Tolstoy wanted to write a book about the life of the Decembrist who returned from exile. However, in the process of work, the writer realized that the thoughts that he wants to convey to people require a deeper and more thorough analysis of Russian life. That is why the story begins long before the events of December 14, 1925.
The author follows his characters through several decades of their lives, showing their moral development in the context historical events. The war with Napoleon completely changed the consciousness of the people of that time. They stopped speaking French, became disillusioned with the war and military leaders, but most importantly, they began to understand the real value of life.
The heroes of the novel are very complex and multifaceted personalities who, with their life's quests they are trying to come to eternal truths and tell the reader about them. Tolstoy's book "War and Peace" is a novel about the most important things in life that must be learned by every person. That is why this work is loved all over the world. It has been filmed many times both in Russia and abroad. Special attention It is worth paying attention to the film adaptation directed by Soviet director Sergei Bondarchuk, because for it he was awarded an Oscar film award in 1965.
"Anna Karenina"
L. N. Tolstoy's books are often filmed by famous foreign directors. The novel "Anna Karenina" was made into a film in 2012 by Briton Joe Wright. This project was very successful and grossed about $70 million. The main roles were played by: famous actors, like Keira Knightley and Jude Law.
The plot of the novel takes place in St. Petersburg in the 19th century. A very respected and wealthy representative of the golden youth, Count Vronsky, falls in love with married girl Anna Karenina. She was given in marriage against her will and did not love her husband, who was much older than her. An affair begins between Vronsky and Anna Karenina, which breaks the destinies of both and leads to sad consequences...
"Anna Karenina", like all of Tolstoy's books, reflects the main problems of Russian life. This novel tells what consequences happen to those marriages that are not concluded for love. It teaches you to be more attentive to loved ones, as well as honest towards yourself and others.
"Resurrection"
The novel "Resurrection" became last work Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. It was printed in huge numbers and translated into almost all the major languages of the world. This was necessary, since the interest in Tolstoy’s work was enormous, especially after the publication of the novels “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”.
This novel came out much later than all of Tolstoy's previous books. This greatly fueled public interest in this work. However, an important role in such popularity was played by the fact that the theme of the novel was very relevant at that time. The plot tells how a young officer, completely without thinking about the consequences, seduced an innocent girl. Such an act became fatal in his fate. After this, the lives of both heroes changed a lot...
The novel "Resurrection", like previous works Tolstoy, was filmed huge amount once by directors from different countries. Particular attention should be paid to the film Soviet director Mikhail Schweitzer, filmed in 1960.
In conclusion
The works of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy are known and loved not only in Russia, but also abroad. He was an innovator in the field of literature; it was from his pen that now very common literary techniques first began to appear. Tolstoy's books are true classics of world literature.
Like Pushkin in poetry, so Tolstoy in prose - our everything! And this despite the fact that Lev Nikolaevich has only five full-fledged novels, only several dozen stories and one trilogy - “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth". Stories, fairy tales, fables, poems, translations, dramatic works - few know them, which these works do not deserve at all. Perhaps, remembering them more often, many would discover a new Tolstoy.
The originality of the writer’s prose, his literary style
What distinguishes the work of Leo Tolstoy is the reflection in it of the originality of the author himself: the coexistence in a single whole of a “spontaneous artist” and a “rational thinker.” This is exactly what researchers of the writer’s work have been trying to decompose into atoms for many years. The works of L.N. Tolstoy are a treasure trove for their delights. The artistic and philosophical beginning, complete immersion in these two polar styles cause delight in the reader when reading, among writers, critics, public figures- an incomprehensible thirst for research, reasoning and debate.
Some of them suggest the existence of the author in two forms, radically opposed and fighting with each other. Already in his first work - “Childhood and Adolescence” - the philosophy of images in its best manifestation reveals to readers the amazingly beautiful prose of such brilliant writer like Leo Tolstoy. The author's stories and all his other works are created in a unique style, which gave him the fame of the greatest Russian writer.
Top 5 works by Leo Tolstoy
Our modernity is moving away from the definition of “The best something” (in our case, “ Best books writer"), replacing it with Top 10, Top 100. Let's try to create a Top 10 most readable works Lev Nikolaevich.
Two novels deservedly claim first place - “Anna Karenina” and “War and Peace”. Each of us has our own arguments in favor of one of them, whom we would elevate to the top line. Bringing them is unnecessary, and the dispute may drag on. In our Top Parade we give first place to the two of them, and move on to second.
The novel “Sunday”, the trilogy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth”, the stories “The Kreutzer Sonata”, “Notes of a Madman”, “The Morning of a Landowner” - all of them are read, loved and are still in demand by filmmakers and theater directors around the world. If it makes more sense to rank the stories as third, and leave the novel and trilogy at second, then the top three already includes seven of Tolstoy’s best works. For the remaining three places in our Top 10, we adequately include the cycle “Sevastopol Stories”, the story “Hadji Murat” and dramatic work“The power of darkness, or the Claw is stuck, the whole bird is lost.”
Of course, our top ten in which we mentioned best works L.N. Tolstoy is just reflections on the topic, but it is quite likely that it coincides with the opinion of many readers.
“War and Peace” - about whom and what
Rarely a reader has not wondered what the novel is actually about? About the heroism of the Russian army, about the stoic courage and bravery of our soldiers, about the honor and dignity of the nobility, or is it about human relationships that are tested against the backdrop of difficult events for the state?
A brilliant work, where Leo Tolstoy is the inimitable author - “War and Peace”! The author seems to invite each reader to find the answer to the question: who is interested in war - the presentation of the main battles contains almost completely reliable historical accuracy, who wants to plunge into a wonderful description of the feelings experienced by the heroes - will definitely find what they are looking for in the novel.
In a work unique in its scale, style, and language of presentation, such as the novel “War and Peace,” every line is imbued with the main thing - happiness ordinary life, both in sorrow and in joy. In it, both go in parallel, step by step, hand in hand through all trials and obstacles. Good, naturally, wins, and evil dies defeated.
Did Anna Karenina's creator sympathize with her?
As in “War and Peace,” in “Anna Karenina” there are two polar loves: sublime, pure, sinless, and its antipode - basely vicious, almost dirty. Tolstoy provokes the reader with an interpretation of the relationship between Anna and Vronsky in the mouth of the “society,” allowing him to decide for himself the degree of sublimity or baseness of their feelings. The author tries not to build concrete walls between these definitions; the transition from one state to another is imperceptible: on one line we meet a complete justification of this love, on the other - its universal condemnation. And like shaky but frequent bridges between these lines - the torment of the main characters, their doubts and the final choice, no matter what.
So what assessment does the author himself give to his character? Does he justify her, sympathize with her, feel sorry for her, support her? Tolstoy here acts as an irreconcilable moralist - in all his works, criminal love is doomed to a tragic end. The author created his heroine in order to kill her demonstrably as an edification to others. An image that evokes sympathy does not cause so much suffering.
“Childhood” as one of Tolstoy’s main works
This story occupies a prominent place in the writer’s creative heritage. Perhaps the first work in which Leo Tolstoy declared himself to be a great author was “Childhood.” Not because the reader is exposed to the problems of a little man, inaccessible to the understanding of adults, who sees the world in which he lives like an adult, feels its unveiled good and evil, sincerity and falsehood. The reader, following Nikolenka, goes through the school of his growing up, analyzes his and other people’s actions, learns to accept the world as he sees it.
The boy’s ability to acutely sense cunning, cunning, his worries about the fact that he sees these unsightly qualities in himself, force the reader to look back at his childhood and rethink his actions. One can learn from Nikolenka to love people, not only those with whom he lives, but also those who are friends with him or have somehow impressed his childish heart. And the story also teaches how not to destroy this love. The ability to read between the lines will give a lot to those who try to understand this work, just like the short prose that Leo Tolstoy wrote - stories.
Themes of Lev Nikolaevich's stories
About wildlife and defenseless animals, about smart children and wise adults. He doesn’t have many stories; there are only four dozen works on this list, most of which, as already mentioned, are unfamiliar to a wide range of readers. A little more fortunate were such types of short prose from Tolstoy’s legacy as “After the Ball”, “The Jump”, “False Coupon”, “The Power of Childhood”, “Conversation with a Passerby”, and, of course, the cycle “Sevastopol Stories”.
A noticeable intensity in writing stories was observed from 1905 to 1909 - the last years in the life of Lev Nikolaevich; he died, as is known, in 1910. A huge period of his life was devoted to other genres of literature in which there was simply no place for stories. Stories for children, which are worth talking about separately, since the world of these works amazes with its depth, the subtle transmission of a child’s impressions about the problems of life, and explain the formation of his personality. This theme is also reflected in such a genre as the fables of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy.
Stories about children and for children
Prose for children and about themselves occupies a prominent place in the writer’s work. Trilogy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth” Tolstoy did not limit his attempts to understand the ways in which a person’s personality is formed from birth to his entry into adulthood. The stories “Three Bears”, “How Uncle Semyon told about what happened to him in the forest” and “Cow”, included in the collection “New ABC”, are imbued with love for children and compassion for their little problems. The works of L. N. Tolstoy are rich in thoughts about children.
The story “Philippok” was born after the writer’s careful observation of peasant children and ingenuous communication with them. Lev Nikolaevich always found time for the peasants; he even opened a school for their children on his estate. And one of the first stories that can be classified as children's is a small work about the dog Bulka, her aching devotion to the only close creature - her owner. Until his death, Leo Tolstoy recalled his own childhood and how he wanted to find a “green stick” that would help him make everyone on earth happy.
The place of fables and fairy tales in Tolstoy’s works
Just as we remember the prose of Ivan Andreevich Krylov from childhood and lessons in our native speech, so too do the moralizing fables of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, imbued with subtle morality.
- "The Wolf and the Old Man."
- "Lion and Dog"
- "The Crane and the Stork."
- "The head and tail of a snake."
- "Ferret".
- "The Dog and Its Shadow."
- "The Monkey and the Pea."
- "The Squirrel and the Wolf."
- "The Lion, the Donkey and the Fox."
- "The Lion and the Mouse."
This is only a small fraction of the famous fables that complement the great works of Leo Tolstoy that we love. Through fables, he ridiculed what he could hardly explain in people, and what was unacceptable to him: deception and cunning, anger and hatred, meanness and betrayal. The opposite traits were shown in his prose as sometimes unprotected, open to attack, and this made them even more endearing. Tolstoy seemed to believe that in works for children, and he wrote his fables more for them, there is no place for justifying base actions, it is necessary to explain in an accessible and simple way what “good” is and what “bad” is. I also always believed that children are quite smart and understand subtle morals much closer to the truth than adults.
The confrontation between love and duty is a distinctive feature of the characters of Tolstoy
The genius that Leo Tolstoy created during his life - “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”, his stories, fables, fairy tales and stories, reflected primarily his own morality. He transferred his religious dogmas, his mental turmoil and doubts, his beliefs onto paper and endowed them with the characters he sympathized with. Some of his works lacked even light humor, and every phrase in them was strictly verified and thoroughly thought out. He often rewrote what had already been published in magazines, creating what he thought was the ideal character.
The image of Konstantin Levin in “Anna Karenina” appears before us as a bright personality, with his painful love for Kitty and a sense of duty towards his convictions. Inimitable and majestic are Pierre Bezukhov from War and Peace, Nikolai Rostov, who assumed his father’s debts and did not take a penny from the dowry of his wife, Princess Bolkonskaya, to pay them off. Many of his characters go through the torment of desires and real actions. The author puts them through psychological tests and makes them even stronger and worthy of respect. This was the writer’s own world, and it was left to us by L.N. Tolstoy. Works stories for children, fairy tales, fables, for adults - novels, stories, drama. They make him so near and dear to us.