Tolstoy: A Biography

by A. N. Wilson

Overview

"Must surely rank among the most impressively intelligent biographies ever written."—Zena Sutherland, The Economist

In this landmark biography of Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, A. N. Wilson narrates the complex drama of the writer’s life: his childhood of aristocratic privilege but emotional deprivation, his discovery of his literary genius after aimless years of gambling and womanizing, and his increasingly disastrous marriage. Wilson sweeps away the long-held belief that Tolstoy’s works were the exact mirror of his life, and instead traces the roots of Tolstoy’s art to his relationship with God, with women, and with Russia. He also breaks new ground in recreating the world that shaped the great novelist’s life and art—the turmoil of ideas and politics in nineteenth-century Russia and the incredible literary renaissance that made Tolstoy’s work possible. "Admirable. . . . Absorbing. . . . Superb."—Anthony Burgess "Stands as a model of the biographer’s art: intelligent and opinionated, yet judicious—and, what’s more, deliciously readable."—Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393321227
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	03/17/2001
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	626
Sales rank:	731,990
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	1250L (what's this?)

About the Author

A. N. Wilson is the author of the acclaimed biographies Tolstoy, C. S. Lewis, Jesus, and Paul; God's Funeral, and several celebrated novels. He lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

Of this ``major new biography,'' PW commented: ``Without debunking, Wilson never lets his titanic subject off the hook; the result is the most human portrait of Tolstoy to date. This biography is a magnificent achievement, a work of seamless scholarship. It is also a pleasure to read.'' Photos. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly