Leo Tolstoy ... translation
Rating ***** 4.5 stars out of 5.
an intense, deeply moving human drama; unquestionably a masterpiece
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Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy ... translationRating ***** 4.5 stars out of 5.
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Tolstoy
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The Last StationDVD and Blu-ray
Rating ***** 5.5 stars out of 5.
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Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, and James McAvoy lead an impeccable cast in The Last Station, a sweet comedy-drama about the final days of the Russian novelist Tolstoy. Nineteenth-century paparazzi lurk outside of Tolstoy's estate, hoping to snatch a picture of the rumored strife between the world-famous writer (Plummer, The Insider), who's launched an antimaterialist movement, and his aristocratic wife, Sofya (Mirren, The Queen). Also lurking is Tolstoy's aide, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti, Sideways), who despises Sofya and pushes to change Tolstoy's will to prevent Sofya from inheriting the royalties from Tolstoy's books. Into this nest of conflict comes a young secretary, Valentin (McAvoy, Atonement), who idolizes Tolstoy and strives to live by the principles of abstinence and vegetarianism… only to find his purity tested by sensual temptations (including a headstrong young woman played by Kerry Condon of Rome) and an unexpected sympathy for Sofya. Moments of sly comedy keep The Last Station from becoming overly literary. The movie as a whole lacks the emotional punch it reaches for, but every scene is a polished jewel, expertly and passionately crafted by the actors and writer-director Michael Hoffman (A Midsummer Night's Dream), rich with feeling and social detail. Mirren, of course, is superb, with a wonderful portrayal of a woman who can't help turning her genuine passions into a performance that repels her husband. -
War and PeaceLeo TolystoyRating ***** 5 stars out of 5.
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One needs to read a couple translations with footnotes to get the sense of this great novel.
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, dark, tragic, passionate
My first reading was not very enjoyable, nor as passionate as I expected. Years later I read it again and enjoyed it much more, the greatness of the book is more in style than story; there a many stories with similar plots, it's Tolstoy's method that makes it the success it is.
Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the
sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy
unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies
of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century
Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing
out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and
family happiness. While previous versions have softened the robust, and
sometimes shocking, quality of Tolstoy's writing, Pevear and Volokhonsky have
produced a translation true to his powerful voice. This award-winning team's
authoritative edition also includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory
notes. Beautiful, vigorous, and eminently readable, this Anna Karenina
will be the definitive text for generations to come.
This is the story of a despicable, bitter (but rich) old man and his
three sons. Each son is unique in character and seeking to find their way
individually and in different directions. Obviously these characters portray
aspects of each human personality: Mitya worldly, sensual; Ivan intellectual,
practical; and Alyosha kindly, spiritually. (And the "4th brother", Smerdyakov,
is the worse truly evil, sly, interfering, and cruel)
Excerpts.
This book is an excellent introduction to Tolstoy's thinking, and his search for meaning. The editor has extracted from many of Tolstoy's writings to give a sense of what is contained in each title. A great start before taking on the works such as "The Kingdom of God is Within You".
The book, is a good place to begin reading Tolystoy after viewing the great movie The Last Station (reviewed above) which is about the end of Tolstoy's life. Tolstoy's biography to begin with. I am so very pleased with this compilation and with Tolstoy's writing. It is well put together and provides a glimpse of Tolstoy's spiritual quest. Excellent book!
Tolstoy: A Russian LifeRosamund BartlettRating ***** 5 stars out of 5.
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