Chinese Language New Curriculum Standard Required Reading Series - Resurrection

Author: (Russian) Leo Tolstoy, translated by Ruyong
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-07-01
Features: Many of Tolstoy's works are often based on real-life events, and Resurrection is no exception. In June 1887, Prosecutor Konoyev of a district court in St. Petersburg visited Tolstoy's estate and told him about a case he had encountered: a prostitute named Rozaly Oney was accused of stealing 100 rubles from an intoxicated client and was sentenced to four months in prison. A young nobleman who served 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 to atone for his past sins and asked Konoyev for help. This story inspired Tolstoy, who then decided to write a moralizing novel based on repentance. Over a decade of creative work, the novel underwent repeated revisions and six rewrites before finally being 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 horrors of autocratic rule."