Resurrection

Author: Leo Tolstoy
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Many of Tolstoy's works are based on real-life events, and Resurrection is no exception. In June 1887, the prosecutor Konoyev visited Tolstoy's estate and recounted a case he had encountered: a prostitute named Rozaly Oiny was accused of stealing 100 rubles from a drunk client and was sentenced to four months in prison. A young aristocrat serving as a juror recognized her as the adopted daughter of his relatives whom he had seduced years ago, when she was only sixteen. Conscience-stricken, he demanded to marry the woman as a way to atone for his past, asking Konoyev for help. This story inspired Tolstoy, who then decided to write a moralizing novel centered on repentance. Over a decade of creative process, with repeated revisions and six drafts, the novel was finally completed. However, at this point, the author discussed the theme of the novel as being "about the economic, political, and religious deception," and also "about the horror of autocratic rule."