Synopses & Reviews
“[A] testament to a great spirit, a woman who lived in terrifying proximity to one of the greatest writers of all time, and who understood exactly the high price she would have to pay for this privilege.”
—Jay Parini, author of The Last Station
Translated by Cathy Porter and with an introduction by Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing, The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy chronicles in extraordinary detail the diarists remarkable marriage to the legendary man of letters, Count Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Set against the backdrop of Russias turbulent history at the turn of the 20th century, The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy offers a fascinating look at a remarkable era, a complicated artist, and the extraordinary woman who stood at his side.
Review
“Hauntingly revealing and gorgeously sad, these entries reveal a wifes desperate love and estrangement from her brilliant but complex and troubled husband.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“The hundreds of pages offered by Porter in this selection are testament to a great spirit, a woman who lived in terrifying proximity to one of the greatest writers of all time, and who understood exactly the high price she would have to pay for this privilege.” Jay Parini
Review
“How she remained married to the beyond difficult Tolstoy for close on half a century remains one of lifes great mysteries, and Sofias diaries provide rich, at times peevish, but invariably vivid insights to the Russia of her lifetime.” Irish Times (Best Non-fiction Citation)
Review
“It is simplistic to see Sofia as the victim of her husbands genius. Her diaries show that she was a formidable storyteller in her own right.” London Times
Review
“Beautifully translated and edited…. Provides a harrowing portrait of a marriage…. [The] diaries, so rich in acute psychological awareness and observation, should be read for themselves, not just as a social document or biographical resource. They are infuriating, heartbreaking, unputdownable.” Michael Dirda, Washington Post
Review
Longlisted for the UK's BBC Samuel Johnson Prize "[Bartlett's]
deep and easy familiarity with her subject and the period permits Bartlett to touch on both the thinkers and writers who engaged Tolstoy...while getting to the essence of the spiritual power that informs his work. Bartlett is particularly adept at assessing Tolstoy's impact..."
-Publishers Weekly, starred "A rich, complex life told in rich, complex prose."
-Kirkus, starred "Bartlettand#8217;s book is an exemplary literary biography."
-Library Journal, starred "[Bartlett's]Tolstoy biography should become the first resort for everyone drawn to its titanic subject."
-Booklist, starred "Rosamund Bartlett's new life of Tolstoy is a splendid book -- immensely readable, full of fresh details, and often quite brilliant in its perceptiveness about the greatest of Russian writers, and one of the stars in the western firmament. This biography has the sweep and vividness of literature itself, and I strongly recommend it."
-Jay Parini, author of The Last Station "It is difficult as a reader to take in the sheer scale and extent of Tolstoyand#8217;s interest and achievement. For the biographer to put all this into less than 500 pages is an achievement in itself. But Bartlett never seems hurried and she gives herself time to paint the scene for us, bringing the scent of Russian earth and grass to the nostrils."
-Financial Timesand#160; (UK) "The extraordinary character of the giant is captured better by Bartlett than by any previous biographer, and this is partly because she knows Russia so well... Superbly well written."
-Spectatorand#160; (UK)
Synopsis
The first accessible translation of Sofia Tolstoy's diaries chronicles in extraordinary detail Sofia's marriage to the legendary man of letters, all set against the backdrop of Russia's turbulent history at the turn of the 20th century.
Synopsis
A] testament to a great spirit, a woman who lived in terrifying proximity to one of the greatest writers of all time, and who understood exactly the high price she would have to pay for this privilege. Jay Parini, author of The Last StationTranslated by Cathy Porter and with an introduction by Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing, The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy chronicles in extraordinary detail the diarist s remarkable marriage to the legendary man of letters, Count Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Set against the backdrop of Russia s turbulent history at the turn of the 20th century, The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy offers a fascinating look at a remarkable era, a complicated artist, and the extraordinary woman who stood at his side."
Synopsis
After marrying Count Leo Tolstoy, the renowned author of
Anna Karenina and
War and Peace, Sofia Tolstoy kept a detailed diary until his death in 1910. Her life was not an easy one: she idealized her husband but was tormented by him. She lived against the background of one of the most turbulent periods in her countrys history, as old feudal Russia was transformed by three revolutions and three major international wars.
Yet it is as Sofia Tolstoys own life story—the study of one womans private experience—that these diaries are most valuable and moving. They reveal a woman of tremendous vital energy and poetic sensibility who, in the face of provocation and suffering, continued to strive for the higher things in life and to remain indomitable.
Synopsis
and#160;The first new biography in twenty years of the literary colossus, spiritual leader, and icon of the nineteenth century "Conveys Tolstoy to me more vividly than any biography I have read."and#8212;A. N. Wilson, Financial Times "Engaging . . . impressive."and#8212;Claire Messud, Telegraph
Synopsis
and#8220;Magisterial sweep and scale.and#8221;and#8212;
The Independent (UK)
In November 1910, Count Lev Tolstoy died at a remote Russian railway station. At the time of his death, he was the most famous man in Russia, with a growing international following, and more revered than the tsar. Born into an aristocratic family, Tolstoy had spent his life rebelling against not only conventional ideas about literature and art but also traditional education, family life, organized religion, and the state.
In this, the first biography of Tolstoy in more than twenty years, Rosamund Bartlett draws extensively on key Russian sources, including much fascinating material made available since the collapse of the Soviet Union. She sheds light on Tolstoyand#8217;s remarkable journey from callow youth to writer to prophet; discusses his troubled relationship with his wife, Sonya; and vividly evokes the Russian landscapes Tolstoy so loved and the turbulent times in which he lived. Above all, Bartett gives us an eloquent portrait of the brilliant, maddening, and contrary man who has once again been discovered by a new generation of readers.
About the Author
Rosamund Bartlett's previous books include Wagner and Russia and the acclaimed Chekhov: Scenes from a Life. An authority on Russian cultural history, she has also achieved renown as a translator of Chekhov.
Table of Contents
Map and#160;viii
and#160;Chronology and#160;ix
and#160;Tolstoy Family Tree and#160;xii
and#160;Bers Family Tree and#160;xiv
and#160;Note on Conventions and#160;xv
and#160;Introduction and#160;1
1 and#160;Ancestors: The Tolstoys and the Volkonskys and#160;11
2 and#160;Aristocratic Childhood and#160;31
3 and#160;Orphanhood and#160;55
4 and#160;Youth and#160;68
5 and#160;Landowner, Gambler, Officer, Writer and#160;83
6 and#160;Literary Duellist and Repentant Nobleman and#160;118
7 and#160;Husband, Beekeeper and Epic Poet and#160;149
8 and#160;Student, Teacher, Father and#160;180
9 and#160;Novelist and#160;214
10 and#160;Pilgrim, Nihilist, Muzhik and#160;251
11 and#160;Sectarian, Anarchist, Holy Fool and#160;294
12 and#160;Elder, Apostate and Tsar and#160;345
and#160;Epilogue: Patriarch of the Bolsheviks and#160;416
and#160;Notes and#160;455
and#160;Further Reading in English and#160;498
and#160;Select Bibliography and#160;499
and#160;Illustration Credits and#160;508
and#160;Acknowledgements and#160;510
and#160;Index