Tolstoy's Confessions

Author: Tolstoy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Tolstoy, a great writer, reformer, and influential moral thinker. He was an individualistic nobleman who, in his later years, unsuccessfully tried to live as a poor peasant; he initially indulged in pleasures but ultimately became a strict Puritan. He was "an ordinary man." He was our brother with whom we deeply connect, sharing the common traits of this world, yet he was more self-aware, more humane, more thoughtful, had clearer vision, and more passionate emotions than us. This genius moralist dug into his soul with cruel fervor and merciless severity. He spent his entire life striving for self-improvement through self-portrayal, never ceasing, never rising, never allowing art to become mere form.