Why do many readers dislike this character? I understand that he does bad things, but he is so cute and funny that I find it impossible not to love him. Even virtuous Levin considers her his best friend.

Hi everyone,
I’m taking a class next semester called Tolstoy: Art, Faith, philosophy, politics*,* and I’m really excited to dive into his works. I was wondering what I should read to prepare – both by Tolstoy and maybe even about Tolstoy. Are there specific novels, essays, or secondary sources that might help me get a solid foundation for the class? Any tips or favorite pieces would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!"

Why did Tolstoy name his novel Anna Karenina instead of Konstantin Levin? Although it is Levin who reflects Tolstoy's views on every issue.

Ever wondered why Tolstoy's lesser-known novel, Hadji Murat, feels eerily relevant today? With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the simmering tensions in Chechnya, this historical novella offers a chilling glimpse into the complexities of war, power, and the human cost of conflict. Join us as we delve into Tolstoy's masterful storytelling, exploring themes of nationalism, loyalty, and the futility of violence. Let's discuss how this 19th-century tale mirrors the struggles of our time and why it's more important than ever to revisit this forgotten masterpiece.

Hello I recently bought War and Peace the penguin classic paperback edition now of course I know its a huge book but wanted to see if there is any smaller version paperback of this book as I am studying abroad in France I noticed how small they make French editions was wondering the same for English?

AND just the first part. To be fair i was also busy and read books in between but still, the book is good so far but feels so dense, and a very slow burn. Not the type you can binge read.

I decided to stop here and read other stuff then maybe come back to it on holidays.

Did anyone have a similar experience?

My wife and I have been going back and forth on baby names, and it feels like we're stuck in a loop! Initially, we thought about "Karenina," a name we really like for its uniqueness and elegance. But when people ask, "Why Karenina?" we get blank stares or reactions that feel a bit off. It’s like no one’s heard it before, and we’re worried it might be too unusual or too long for our daughter to appreciate when she grows up (We’re aware that Karenina is technically a surname, but we also know there are quite a few people out there with Karenina as a first name! It feels unique and beautiful, and we're drawn to it despite its origins)

However, there’s this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I know some people have named their baby girl this way, but I'd like to know your opinion on the name—or any other names you like. Some say it's a bad choice because it's associated with a tragic character. Having read Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, though, I find Karenina quite likable.

so disclaimer: i love basically every part of anna karenina (minus the part where frou-frou dies a painful death obv), but the part where Nikolai visits Kostya and takes a steaming shit on his novel is such a subtle gem moment. dude really came to his brother's house, read his book, and told him he was an unoriginal poser piggybacking off communist ideology to make himself feel better for exploiting the serfs. nikolai dimitrich levin u will always be famous

I am reading Penguin Classics Childhood, Boyhood, Youth rn.

Dear friends, does anyone have access to this book? I'm searching for a reference for the letter of Leo Tolstoy to Nikolai Strakhov (26 April 1876). There is one translation of it on the web, however there no reference from it is https://theamericanreader.com/26-april-1876-leo-tolstoy-to-nikolai-strakhov/

https://preview.redd.it/8q4d1se6wbvd1.png?width=1034&format=png&auto=webp&s=29cd184ed2954119e3413573b0d32ace55939757

https://preview.redd.it/v2l0qmylliud1.png?width=1076&format=png&auto=webp&s=617175d9f8c96a6ca833b56cf6651fb40a02549c

And not finding much. I went to two bookstore (a local spot and a B&N and only found PV at each. There are more options on Amazon but it’s not clear if any are Maude.

To get ahead of the question, I really enjoy Maude’s translation of War and Peace and would like to try AK as well.

Any tips?

This quote is widely attributed to Tolstoy but I can't manage to find its source. Any ideas?

"The idea, shared by many, that life is a vale of tears, is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority, the idea to which youth and health and riches incline you, that life is a place of entertainment. 
Life is a place of service, and in that service one has to suffer a great deal that is hard to bear, but more often to experience a great deal of joy. 
But that joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness."

Edit: Found the source

p. 324 of Ilya Tolstoy's Reminiscences of Tolstoy

I really resonate with this quote by Tolstoy in War and Peace: “She did not know and would not have believed it, but beneath the layer of slime that covered her soul and seemed to her impenetrable, delicate young shoots of grass were already sprouting, which, taking root, would soon cover with their living verdure the grief that weighed her down, so that it would no longer be seen or noticed. The wound had begun to heal from within.”

While I haven't personally experienced loss and grief, this quote strikes a chord with me in a different way. I struggle with anxiety and often find myself ruminating on situations. The imagery of grass growing and concealing negative feelings resonates with me, as it reminds me of how my overthinking can feel endless and all-consuming. However, without even realizing it, I eventually reach a point where recalling the incident fills me with no emotion at all. I recognize that I have moved on.

I’m wanting to re-read Anna Karenina and it has been some years since I first read it. This time around I wanted to try a different translation (my first read was of the P&V version). My local library only had the Marian Schwartz translation, which is from 2014. I’m wondering if anyone has read it and if it is any good? Or should I opt for a different version? I was initially thinking of going for the revised Maude translation or the Bartlett translation. Thanks.

Who is Hadji Murat that famous Russian writer wrote a novella about him? And why his remains were stolen after 170 years. I visited the place, too pictures and wrote about it.

https://bookimov.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-mysterious-story-of-hadji-murats-stolen-remains.html

Can someone explain why Alexey Aleksandrovich completely ignores the fact that his wife is pregnant and her belly is getting fat? He doesn't notice it even when his wife tells him directly and when he talks to the lawyer. Why doesn't he tell the lawyer about this fact, after all, it should affect the divorce process one way or another? Is this just a plot hole or is there something else?

Hi! I am an english literature student. I have been asked to analyze two short stories of Tolstoy. Can someone help me out with two stories that have some similar theme/idea that I can explore for my assignment?

Came across a nice looking hardcover, the Barnes and Noble Collectible Edition. However, I can't seem to find any information on the quality or style of the translation which appears to be from Daniel H. Shubin.

Has anyone read it? How would you compare it to other translators?

Link to book below:

https://www.amazon.com.au/War-Peace-Barnes-Collectible-Editions/dp/1435169875/ref=sr_1_7?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5t5EeUIQ_AxvRn8xW_Lrc9hF4HvDpgevuRTIZD3GVhTRuU-wDiZCRJR25yF09jxOy7g6TbmbZvfgvMHUPM40bGUwbRuJUKpduPuUnVzVWzQd7kU1wPz9YUHI8gweeiMDhdHagPw6H2A6IbcDy5-MO0N6OvRycUFzNd4jSl2MjWwX5dOEoVx9D20Cxz-ILjxzVbLnxOSnfx1Tfj8nqGwj6LIQK1pVdOUXxZI0iOGupxDoHHVpfodYvZgHwX9irvxIxrHH5urR6sJzGZLwAGgvbcn0cmYncPZTM9e9oRPhi5Q.lWD1V-ull-hjVqwRkJOrnkcjkVbpa9a0ye3oC5WrhJ4&dib_tag=se&keywords=war+and+peace&qid=1726255994&sr=8-7

It's the Wordsworth classic edition. Maude, I think.

Is there anything I should do or know before jumping in?

I was today years old when I found out that Rosemary Edmonds revised her 1957 War and Peace translation in 1978. Anyone know how significant the revision was?

Also, did Folio Society ever upgrade to the revised version? Folio 76, their bibliography of releases from 1947 to 2023 seems to indicate that the 1978 release was not the revised version. Now they've gone with Pevear and Volokhonsky, but it's not clear to me what happened (if any) in between.

Thank you.

"The main purpose of art... is to manifest, to express the truth about the human soul.... Art is a microscope, which the artist aims at the secrets of his soul and shows these common secrets to all people".

I’m ready to re-read W&P and would love to do the Rosemary Edmonds version again.

I can’t manage the tiny print in the 1957 Penguin Classics edition anymore (cover of volume 1 has lady in pink dress at a ball), or the 1982 edition (soldiers marching in snow).

I would invest in an expensive Folio Society edition from eBay but from what I can see, the text size looks pretty tiny there too.

I get it, War and Peace is an enormous novel. A large print edition would end up in like 10 volumes. I don’t need large print but I can’t do tiny print.

Has anyone had the same problem? What did you do? Is there an e-version hiding out there for kobo or kindle?

EDIT: For anyone reading later with the same issue, I ended up going to my optometrist and getting an updating reading glasses prescription. Problem solved.

Why do many people say that Anna Karenina is the story of a brave woman who dared to stand up to the hypocrisy of society and yet received a cruel punishment? In fact, the book is about the moral decline of a young noble lady. Who seems perfect at the beginning of the book, but succumbs to the worst form of love, forgetting all her responsibilities as a wife and mother. And finally, she kills herself under the influence of drugs to cause suffering to her beloved, as his passion fades, and her selfish love mixes with hatred, and she herself does not want to accept the fact that suffering is an inseparable part of life. To me, this seems like a warning that free love will not bring happiness.

Why is a sleazy person like Oblonsky actually the only happy character in the book when the other characters are always suffering?