Tolstoy

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

49435

Title

Tolstoy

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Romain Rolland's tribute to Leo Tolstoy chronicles the Russian giant's life from his orphaned childhood at Yasnaya Polyana through his artistic zenith and spiritual crisis. This biography explores Tolstoy's profound love for humanity, his rejection of institutional religion and modern art, and his enduring struggle to live by his own moral conscience.

Summary up to 500 words

In his biography *Tolstoy*, Romain Rolland presents a profound portrait of Leo Tolstoy, framing him not merely as a celebrated artist but as a spiritual friend and moral guide to his generation. Rolland recounts Tolstoy's early years at Yasnaya Polyana, where he was raised by humble, devout relatives, including Aunt Tatiana and Aunt Alexandra, who instilled in him a deep sense of faith, compassion, and a love for the poor. These humble souls, including the 'idiot' Gricha, sowed the seeds of faith that would define Tolstoy's later life. The narrative details Tolstoy's development as a writer, highlighting his major works like *War and Peace* and *Anna Karenina*, which revealed a vast, unfamiliar life to European readers. Rolland emphasizes that for his contemporaries in France, Tolstoy was more than an admired artist; he was a 'true friend' whose voice awakened emotions and offered a revelation of life. The biography delves into the central conflict of Tolstoy's existence: the tension between his artistic genius and his evolving religious convictions. As he aged, Tolstoy increasingly rejected the intellectual elite, science for science's sake, and the vanity of modern art, advocating instead for a 'true art' born of suffering and sacrifice for the welfare of all men. Rolland illustrates Tolstoy's intense relationship with his wife, the Countess Tolstoy, a dynamic of mutual love and torment that defined their thirty-year marriage. He describes their struggle to understand one another, noting that while they loved deeply, their differing spiritual paths caused mutual suffering. The text examines Tolstoy's 'crisis,' a period of profound isolation where he felt misunderstood by friends like Turgenev and critics who tried to categorize him politically or religiously. Rolland defends Tolstoy's integrity, arguing that his faith regenerated rather than destroyed his art. The work concludes by reflecting on Tolstoy's final years, his refusal to renounce his writing despite pressure, and his ultimate death. Rolland asserts that Tolstoy's religious faith did not kill his artistic genius but awakened forces that had lain fallow. Tolstoy leaves behind a legacy of uncompromising truth and a vision of brotherly love, characterized by a 'true art' that expresses the struggle against duplicity and the hope for the triumph of good. His life remains a testament to the persistence of diverse elements within a soul, where life and art are intimately mingled.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Biography