Childhood

Author: Maxim Gorky
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book is part of the autobiographical trilogy created by Gorky based on his own experiences, telling a heavy childhood story of the author. The novel begins with "I" accompanying his mother to seek refuge with his grandfather and ends with his grandfather sending "I" out into the world to make a living. It vividly recreates the life of the lower classes in Russia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The overall tone of the novel is serious and somber. However, on the other hand, the story is narrated from the perspective of a child, which casts a layer of innocence over the tragic scenes. Reading it evokes a faint sorrow in the heart, yet it is not overly heavy, allowing readers to see light in the darkness, kindness in the evil, the glow of humanity in the cruelty, and the immense strength of people overcoming tragic fates in the midst of tragedy.