Showing results by author "Leo Tolstoy" in All Categories

Our ‘fight of flight’ response is something hardwired into the primitive part of our brain. Our need to survive, to outlive whatever danger poses, that immediate threat to our lives is little short of a marvel. Everything else is abandoned in order to survive. Whilst in modern times that ability has been somewhat modified and ‘reasoned’ away to an extent, in past years it’s what usually kept you alive. In this volume people struggle valiantly to survive and to exist no matter the extent of the threat they face.

Leo Tolstoy's A Confession is a philosophical memoir exploring his existential crisis and search for meaning. At the height of his literary fame, Tolstoy grapples with despair, questioning life’s purpose despite wealth and success. He turns to science, philosophy, and religion but finds no satisfying answers. Ultimately, he discovers solace in the simple faith of Russian peasants, embracing a humble, God-centered life. The book reflects his spiritual awakening and rejection of materialism, paving the way for his later Christian anarchist beliefs. A Confession is a raw, introspective journey ...

The Big Book of Christmas: Classic Stories and Poems is a grand compilation that assembles a treasure trove of holiday tales and poems from a remarkable array of authors. This extensive collection includes 100 classic works, each thoughtfully illustrated, to immerse readers in the magic and wonder of the Christmas season. This anthology spans a rich tapestry of Christmas literature, including timeless favorites such as "The Gift of the Magi," "The Red Room," "A Letter from Santa Claus," "The Fir Tree," "Song of the Holly," and many more.

"Krieg und Frieden" ist ein im realistischen Stil geschriebenes Historiengemälde des russischen Schriftstellers Leo Tolstoi. Es gilt als eines der bedeutendsten Werke der Weltliteratur und wurde mehrfach verfilmt. In seiner Mischung aus historischem Roman und militär-politischen Darstellungen sowie Analysen der zaristischen Feudalgesellschaft während der napoleonischen Ära Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts in Russland und der französischen Invasion zwischen 1805 und 1812 nimmt es die Montagetechnik moderner Romane des 20. Jahrhunderts vorweg.

Alyosha the Pot is a short story written by Leo Tolstoy (1905) about the life and death of a simple, uncomplaining worker. It was published after Tolstoy's death in 1911 and received high praise from Tolstoy's contemporaries. Without ever calling Alyosha a holy fool, Tolstoy centers the story on his meekness, aloofness, and foolishness. Alyosha's simple life, soft-spoken manner, and calm acceptance of death epitomizes Tolstoyan principles.

Kholstomer is a work by Leo Tolstoy that has been referred to as "one of the most striking stories in Russian literature". It was started in 1863 and left unfinished until 1886, when it was reworked and published as Kholstomer: The Story of a Horse. This story prominently features the technique of defamiliarization by adopting the perspective of a horse to expose some of the irrationalities of human conventions. Kholstomer's altruistic life is recounted parallel to that of his selfish and useless owner. At the end of the story horse dies but his corpse gives birth to a new life - that of wolf cubs.

A Letter to a Hindu (also known as "A Letter to a Hindoo") was a letter written by Leo Tolstoy to Tarak Nath Das on 14 December 1908. The letter was written in response to two letters sent by Das, seeking support from the Russian author and thinker for India's independence from colonial rule. In A Letter to a Hindu, Tolstoy argued that only through the principle of love could the Indian people gain independence from colonial rule.

A Russian Christmas Party by Leo Tolstoy is about a generous family on the brink of ruin whose mother pins their hopes for restoring their fortune on their son, Nicolas' marriage to a wealthy bride. Nicolas isn't cooperating, for he loves a poor girl named Sonia. Alas! How will they see it through?

God Sees the Truth, But Waits is a short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy first published in 1872. The story, about a man sent to prison for a murder he did not commit, takes the form of a parable of forgiveness. English translations were also published under titles "The Confessed Crime", "Exiled to Siberia", and "The Long Exile". The concept of the story of a man wrongfully accused of murder and banished to Siberia also appears in one of Tolstoy's previous works, War and Peace, during a philosophical discussion between two characters who relate the story and argue how the protagonist of their story deals with injustice and fate.

Krieg und Frieden ist ein historischer Roman des russischen Schriftstellers Leo Tolstoy. Er gilt als eines der bedeutendsten Werke der Weltliteratur und wurde mehrfach verfilmt. In seiner Mischung aus historischem Roman und militär-politischen Darstellungen sowie Analysen der zaristischen Feudalgesellschaft während der napoleonischen Ära Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts in Russland und den Kriegen zwischen 1805 und 1812 mit der Invasion Russlands 1812 nimmt es die Montagetechnik moderner Romane des 20. Jahrhunderts vorweg.

Krieg und Frieden ist ein historischer Roman des russischen Schriftstellers Leo Tolstoy. Er gilt als eines der bedeutendsten Werke der Weltliteratur und wurde mehrfach verfilmt. In seiner Mischung aus historischem Roman und militär-politischen Darstellungen sowie Analysen der zaristischen Feudalgesellschaft während der napoleonischen Ära Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts in Russland und den Kriegen zwischen 1805 und 1812 mit der Invasion Russlands 1812 nimmt es die Montagetechnik moderner Romane des 20. Jahrhunderts vorweg.

Krieg und Frieden ist ein historischer Roman des russischen Schriftstellers Leo Tolstoy. Er gilt als eines der bedeutendsten Werke der Weltliteratur und wurde mehrfach verfilmt. In seiner Mischung aus historischem Roman und militär-politischen Darstellungen sowie Analysen der zaristischen Feudalgesellschaft während der napoleonischen Ära Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts in Russland und den Kriegen zwischen 1805 und 1812 mit der Invasion Russlands 1812 nimmt es die Montagetechnik moderner Romane des 20. Jahrhunderts vorweg.

For an atheist it’s a great deal, though it does suggest atheism may have a weak point. For those of faith it’s a matter of jam now and purgatory tomorrow. A bargain many artists feel is something they can live with. For agnostics it’s usually a question of can the afterlife really be that bad, would workplace regulations reach all parts of heaven and hell. However, in this volume the terms are agreed and the Devil pays his fees and the character his dues, each happy to wait a few decades for the eternal payback.

The novel focuses on love, society norms, and freedom, centered on Anna’s affair with Count Vronsky.

Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Nekhlyudov, having fulfilled his duty on a jury, unexpectedly recognizes a woman named Katerina Maslova. She was once a maid he had seduced and subsequently abandoned, leaving her pregnant. His aunt cast her out, and she eventually found herself drawn into a life of prostitution, eventually becoming entangled in a crime. As he observes her unjust trial and subsequent imprisonment, Nekhlyudov becomes consumed with guilt and a desire for redemption.

Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Many writers consider Anna Karenina the greatest work of literature ever, and Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger. A complex novel in eight parts, with more than a dozen major characters, it is spread over more than 800 pages (depending on the translation and publisher), typically contained in two volumes.

Part 1: Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky ("Stiva"), a Moscow aristocrat and civil servant, has been unfaithful to his wife, Princess Darya Alexandrovna ("Dolly"). Dolly has discovered his affair with the family's governess, and the household and family are in turmoil. Stiva informs the household that his married sister, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina, is coming to visit from Saint Petersburg in a bid to calm the situation.

Part 2: The Shcherbatskys consult doctors over Kitty's health, which has been failing since Vronsky's rejection. A specialist advises that Kitty should go abroad to a health spa to recover. Dolly speaks to Kitty and understands she is suffering because of Vronsky and Kostya, whom she cares for and had hurt in vain. Kitty, humiliated by Vronsky and tormented by her rejection of Kostya, upsets her sister by referring to Stiva's infidelity, saying she could never love a man who betrayed her. Meanwhile, Stiva visits Kostya on his country estate while selling a nearby plot of land.

Part 7: While visiting Moscow for Kitty's confinement, Kostya quickly gets used to the city's fast-paced, expensive and frivolous society life. He accompanies Stiva to a gentleman's club, where the two meet Vronsky. Kostya and Stiva pay a visit to Anna, who is occupying her empty days by being a patroness to an orphaned English girl. Kostya is initially uneasy about the visit, but Anna easily puts him under her spell. When he admits to Kitty that he has visited Anna, she accuses him of falling in love with her.

Part 6: Dolly, her children, and her mother, the Princess Shcherbatskaya, spend the summer with Kostya and Kitty. The couple's life is simple and unaffected, although Kostya is uneasy at the "invasion" of so many Shcherbatskys. He becomes extremely jealous when one of the visitors, Veslovsky, flirts openly with the pregnant Kitty. Kostya tries to overcome his jealousy, and briefly succeeds during a hunt with Veslovsky and Oblonsky, but eventually succumbs to his feelings and asks Veslovsky to leave. Veslovsky immediately goes to stay with Anna and Vronsky at their nearby estate.