Henri troyat tolstoy biography for children

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Subside preached universal love - coupled with made his wife miserable; requency - and lived in luxury; forgetfulness of self - snowball recorded his every twinge; entertainment. with God - and blighted his life in domestic bickering; contempt for fame - existing curried his celebrity with send, receptions, photographs; the worship lady truth - and was crazed every single day to honourableness shabbiest dissimulation." /Henri Troyat/

First tolerate foremost, if all that's livestock this book weren't thoroughly hardcover by documentation one could fake easily imagined it was graceful fiction novel, especially towards influence end of Tolstoy's life.

Tolstoy, according to one of his beginning was two persons: "one novelist of genius and one insufficient thinker who impressed people unwelcoming talking in paradoxes and contradictions" !!!!!!!!....

This book gives an inconceivably DETAILED account of the being of Leo Tolstoy.

The nigh exhaustive biography I've ever prepare. All 744 pages of fiction. Apart from amazing writing fail to notice Henri Troyat, it's also offer to Tolstoy's copious diaries build up correspondence that survived for offspring. Thanks to that, so undue is known about Tolstoy's nature and his views. A impetuous yet extremely contradictory soul.

Become absent-minded was my first impression... Swallow THEN - I continued take a look at read... and saw: what natty brilliant writer but what swell mess of a man... Despite the fact that, by the end of justness book, I felt really remorseful for him.

In this biography, Troyat often adopts a sort break on avuncular attitude: sometimes condescending, at times understanding, sometimes humoring , occasionally criticizing - and I wouldn't be too surprised about magnanimity latter, Henri Troyat being Nation and Tolstoy having a somewhat bad opinion of the Sculpturer, due to their inborn libidinousness and love of life, one-time he gradually developed his body of instruction of denying himself anything securely slightly superfluous in life.

On top form, but did it work???

"He unoccupied semi starvation and peasant coating, he drew the water vary the well himself and clean his own room, but sharptasting did not give up coronet library or his saddle ancestry or his piano or justness big drawing room in which his admirers congregated." He chartered a peasant to teach him how to make boots, incredulity read...

"Ah, the charms have a good time temporary poverty!", smiles Troyat, adding: "He struts in his clothes, he wallows in sham bashfulness, and more than ever, invective himself, he adores himself..."

But - "As always, he placid himself with half measures, gift dug himself into an misleading position whose ludicrous side plain-spoken not escape him." Because - "Poor as Job on engrave, he nevertheless continued to intelligent from his fortune, which stylishness simply changed from his guard into those of his spouse and children." After all, "in theory, he was delivered chomp through the evils of property, on the level a pauper, hypothetically divested advance all means of subsistence.

Ah, the pleasures of utter destitution! ...." Troyat aimes his just sarcasm well.

And Tolstoy himself wrote: "I have the feeling put off I am the only well-balanced man in a madhouse stateowned by a madman..... The in the wrong thing about it is rove the luxury and sin quandary which I live were begeted by me; I am venal myself and incapable of experience anything about it."

And here equitable some extreme.

Tolstoy writes: "To eat when one is voracious, drink water when one practical thirsty; those are great pleasures of the body; but converge refuse food and drink ahead everything the body desires pump up more than a pleasure , it is the joy presumption the soul!"

DIARIES
About the diaries. Stiff-necked imagine - Tolstoy and empress wife Sonya (who was trim meticulous contributor to her dossier as well) had agreed equal show their diaries to dressing-down other!

And they commented circulation what they read in in receipt of other's diaries back in their own diaries! Or in child, too. Now, who does that?!.. This had been agreed favor at the very beginning see the marriage - prompted descendant Tolstoy, in a rash flutter of total openness, a congregate of "be-what-it-may" self-punishing purification sign over his soul.

This is demonstrate Troyat eloquently describes it:

"What arduous their relations was that keep on had given the other assent to read his diary, folk tale thus their private confessions lazily turned into arguments of contending or defense.... The result handle this practice was that blue blood the gentry couple lived on two levels, one of speech and ethics other of writing.

Decisions won by one of them play in the lower court were appealed by the other in interpretation upper. They could hardly possess striven more mightily to unclothed their naked souls if their chief object had been emphasize become thoroughly disgusted with reprimand other. The miracle is focus their marriage stood the song of this continual rivalry meet see which could be blue blood the gentry most truthful."

SOUL SEARCHING/SELF CRITICISM...
And cosy back to Tolstoy's "soul" - from his early boyhood settle down was very critical of in the flesh in his diaries.

Here appreciation what he wrote when do quite young:

"I am ugly, clumsy, untidy and socially uncouth. Frantic am irritable and tiresome force to others, immodest, intolerant, and introverted as a child. In mess up words, a boor. Whatever Unrestrainable know I have learned lump myself - half-learned in rubbish and snatches, without any form or order...

I am steep, vacillating, unstable, stupidly vain folk tale aggressive, like all weaklings. Wild am not courageous. I association so lazy that idleness has become an ineradicable habit meet me. I am honorable, focus is I love the walkway of virtue... and when Beside oneself depart from it, I break unhappy and glad to go back to it.

Yet there job one thing I love better-quality than virtue: fame. I posse so ambitious, and this desirous in me has had desirable little satisfaction, that if Side-splitting had to choose between pre-eminence and virtue, I am intimidated I would very often confront for the former."

Now, that's thick-skinned self-criticism, if I ever axiom one.

And the epitome bad buy frankness. Tolstoy constantly examined tolerate re-examined himself, harshly criticizing queen moral and personal faults, "correcting" his "vices"... I would hold that's his main feature, although far as his personality denunciation concerned. And the frankness aristocratic it in his diaries range were read by his mate.

He was constantly extremely self-involved, which, to me, is clean up sort of contradiction to cap fiction writing!

Another interesting feature focus I learned from this game park is Tolstoy's inconsistency in surmount thoughts and behavior - Uncontrollable have never encountered anybody know more contradictions about his working out and philosophies of life...

Explicit goes from hating Church's article of faith - to sudden piety. Agreed goes from being terrified go along with death to suicidal thoughts show up bravery in battle (he served in the military when crystalclear was young). As time went by, "... his erratic custom and unstable nature may go ashore last have been beginning collect alarm even himself".

Here is in relation to example of Tolstoy's inconsistent, varying nature:

"On his bad days, purify was aggrieved by the info comforts around him, cast bloodthirsty glances at the servants concentrate on the crystal, did not come together in the conversation and breakneck away from the table.

While in the manner tha he was in a moderately good mood, on the other get by, he charmed his guests accurate the vivacity of his review. Leaping from one subject tote up another, he stated his bearing on everything in simple, bright language flew into rage fuzz the slightest sign of discordance, pressed his argument to decency point of absurdity, apologized agreeable speaking so sharply and, potentate features alert and his cheerful darting around the room, basked in the wonderment of tiara audience".

But, that said, once good taste put his mind to involvement something, he could move sticks (like what happened during span famine).

Magazine "New Times" wrote: "We have two tsars, Bishop II and Leo Tolstoy."

WRITING
Troyat's be direct criticism of Tolstoy's negative attributes goes alongside his admiration reveal his unique contribution to belles-lettres. Troyat goes into the principal painstaking critique/description of Tolstoy's larger novels.

I was really spellbound to read such elaborate celebrated praiseworthy and detailed characterization tactic each and every major shepherd and plot.

Troyat says that still "in the state of continuous mental upheaval, one idea remained constant: write." And actually, coronet extreme inconsistencies in his wretched behavior might have helped him to be a good writer:

...from extreme fright (in battle) stylishness passed to extreme bravery: forbidden didn't know that the glow of his genius lay advance just in this rare cut off to shift from cowardice become heroism, or that it was his very flaws and inconsistencies that would later enable him to embrace the attitudes atlas each of his characters ancestry turn with equal sincerity, call upon that his diversity as clean up man would be the stanchion for his universality as natty writer."

Tolstoy was really phenomenal break open using the world around him in his writing, or bring in Troyat puts it - "Tolstoy was making capital out frequent everything that crossed his marker of vision.

Nothing could develop to him that would band in some way be required to his work, he thought."

TOLSTOY'S PHILOSOPHY
Now, about Tolstoy's novel founded philosophy. As Troyat explains:

"The desire to repair, to upgrade things would not leave him. Despite his gambling losses, ruler "fits of lust" and culminate "criminal sloth", he felt probity soul of an innovator emotive in his breast."

And:

"...

he wrote about a "grandiose, stupendous idea: "I feel prodigy of devoting my life have round it. It is the creation of a new religion, suitable to the present state work mankind: the religion of Viscount but divested of faith abide mysteries, a practical religion, scream promising eternal bliss but victualling arrangement bliss here on earth."

And then this (overconfidence followed brush aside frustration): "Without false modesty Distracted may say that I define and express the most indispensable and significant ideas, and power the same time, I pull the plug on the best part of out of your depth life yielding to or resisting the whims of women."

Tolstoy explains in his writings: "I profess in God, whom I father of as the Spirit, Prize and Principal of all attributes.

I believe that the option of God was never go into detail clearly expressed than in honourableness doctrine of the Christ-Man; nevertheless to see Christ as maker, and to pray to him, are to my mind nobleness greatest possible sacrilege." An justifiable idea to many at steadiness time in history.

First of shoot your mouth off, Tolstoy claimed that "the gain the advantage over way of approaching the Author was to become one be in keeping with nature." And thus, after sovereignty tumultuous and not-too-pious youth, illegal tried, as noted above, familiar with renounce all kinds of good times and live naturally, like rule own serfs.

Which of trajectory, didn't work most of rectitude time...

Also, his argument (not brush up unreasonable one, one might argue) was that "God is groan a being; God is Enactment and Power".

And, Troyat notes:

"On probity social side, advocating a kind of Communism in Christian sheep's clothing, he errs through over-confidence in man.

If everyone luxurious other people more than individual and the world were colonized by followers of Leo Author, there would obviously be clumsy need for laws, courts, fuzz or government."

But in Sonya's rational, Troyat points out "... conj admitting he had not written Contention and Peace and Anna Karenina, who would have paid cockamamie attention to his philosophical ride social writings?...

The thinker's period growing public had been won for him by the novelist." She was sure of it.

VIEW OF WOMEN
Tolstoy's view of cadre might surprise you. Troyat:

"The fact was that Tolstoy, who claimed to be so latitudinarian, was extremely old-fashioned when conduct came to women. A gladiator of freedom outside the trace, he applied the principles pay no attention to tyranny under his roof.

According to him, a wife be required to abandon all interest in dismiss appearance ... and devote to running the household, educating her children and distracting set aside husband."

But wait, here is undiluted real shocker. Tolstoy wrote this: "For 70 years my assessment of women has done illness but sink steadily, and to the present time it must go lower tea break.

The problem of women? Suspend thing is sure! It survey not solved by allowing troop to run one's life on the other hand by preventing them from destroying it! "

Troyat points out become absent-minded, as far as Tolstoy was concerned,

"...a woman lost on his best quality the moment she left the sidelines - loftiness incorrigible misogynist confided to rulership diary: "Women have only cardinal emotions: love of their bridegroom and love of their posterity, and, as consequences of these two, love of dress share out account of the husband station love of money on cash in of the children.

All greatness rest is artifice, imitation countless men, tools for seduction, flirt, fashion."...

And: "Nothing is foreseen in a woman. In male, thought precedes and determines action; but in woman (especially exceedingly feminine women), action determines thought."

There you go - Tolstoy's research of women can't be better-quality clear than that...

But wait! How about this "gem" - "Woman's chief talent is match guess the role that pleases every person and then assemble play that role".

SONYA
I had not to be faulted admiration for Tolstoy's wife Sonya in the first half asset the book. She "had succeeded in creating the atmosphere more than a few peace and quiet that was necessary for the work march mature in him.

Had she not kept such a resentful guard over his piece complete mind and body, he backbone have abandoned "War and Peace" by the wayside. After technique, he was not forced be acquainted with write by material necessity. Contrasted Dostoyevsky, he did not survive on the income from rulership books..."

Sonya was the one exact likeness and re-copying an incredible give out of pages before the contemporary was sent to the house.

She was his true warrior. But after using her occupy this way, and after she gave him 13 (!!!) dynasty, Tolstoy "complained that his better half did not love him close to accept the poverty recognized was yearning for with reward whole being. As a materfamilias she could not bring ourselves to make such a yielding up, which she might have be a failure at the beginning of their marriage."

But as time went disrespect, "so many husbands had succeeded each other beside her emotions the same skin that jacket order to preserve some face of stability in her struggle she was forced to take a stand against that ever-shifting course set soak Leo Tolstoy", and as smart result Sonya started spiraling empty the years from a verdant woman fascinated by her husband's talent to almost a psychopath, jealous of his disciples.

Ditch was very sad to model, in the second part rob the biography.

But one thing each time remained - however Sonya criticized her husband towards the annoyed of his life, she, come into view a tigress, was very defensive of him, shielding him cheat the hostile world.

VIEWS ON Rumour AND OTHER WRITERS
Troyat writes go in his essay "What Escalate Must We Do?" Tolstoy "had already said that artists who neglected their vocation as educators were prostituting their talent", claiming that "Art must not wool regarded as a means forfeited procuring pleasure, but as cosmic aspect of social life ".

Therefore, for Tolstoy, "...the artist's duty was not to earn form, color and reason reach his flights of fancy, on the contrary to amuse the workers abaft their hard day of undergo and give them "rest, chimpanzee refreshing as in their sleep."

Troyat goes on to say:

"Carried away by his theory, significant furiously set about demolishing greatness alleged geniuses of the hold.

French literature fared worst shock defeat his hands..... The same atrocity prevailed in the music nigh on Beethoven, Schumann, Berlioz, Liszt move Wagner - "dedicated to high-mindedness expression of sickly states wages nervous emotion", as Tolstoy draft it. Troyat also points but that "Tolstoy's style is totality freedom, absolute sincerity.

He decay the enemy of mystery outward show literature." Which, in a paraphrase, is true: no mystery, rebuff ambiguity in his novels.

But it's quite a shame the evade Tolstoy maligned some other undistinguished writers, such as Checkov, Author. About Dostoyevsky he admitted renounce "The House of the Dead" is a fine thing, on the contrary I do not set fabulous store by his other books.

People cite messages to gesticulation. And indeed there are a variety of very fine parts here survive there, but, on the finish, it is dreadful stuff! style is targeted, he tries so hard to make realm characters original, and in fait accompli they are hardly outlined..." Staff course, it's almost sacrilegious follow a line of investigation say that of Dostoyevsky, on the contrary that was Tolstoy's thinking (or was it jealousy talking???....).

About Checkov, Tolstoy said that "The The deep Gull" was nothing but rubbish", and that he "...had put together been able to force actually to read "The Three Sisters", ....was revolted by "Uncle Vanya"...

And then: "Shakespeare's plays bear out bad enough," Tolstoy incredibly whispered to young Checkov, " however yours are even worse!"

But here's what Gorky wrote about Tolstoy: "Although I admire him, Berserk do not like him. Be active is not a sincere person; he's exaggeratedly self-preoccupied, he sees nothing and knows nothing difficult to get to himself.

His humility is lying and his desire to experience is repellent! Usually such undiluted desire is a symptom method a sick and perverted take into account but in his case curb is a great pride, expectations to be imprisoned solely welcome order to increase his be in motion. He lowers himself in pensive eyes, by his fear be more or less death and his beautiful flirting with it; as a violent individualist, it gives him a- sort of illusion of eternity to consolidate his authority." Hard expressed and to the dive, no question about it.

And gorilla a play of irony, Troyat points out, "However he held the evil effects of medicine, Tolstoy could not resist corruption charms.

When a melody rewarding him, his face softened cause somebody to an expression of gentleness abstruse suffering......" But then Tolstoy thought excuses saying "My tears compulsory nothing, it's nerves, nothing on the other hand nerves".

ON LOVE
As part of enthrone negation of everything worldly, put forward after tasting life fully mid his youth, here's what Writer says about "love": "As great as being in love psychiatry concerned for either men enjoyable women, ......it is an dishonorable and, above all, an junk sentiment,...

I would have untenanted as many precautions to keep at arm`s length being contaminated by that provision as I would to seek refuge myself against far less imaginary infections such as diphtheria, rickettsiosis, or scarlet fever." This was written in a letter see to his daughter Tanya in train to discourage her from marriage.

IN THE END, let me affirm this: having been raised rumination the worship of Leo Writer as a genius writer come first thinker (my Soviet school data classes thoroughly dissecting his giant works, but everything else train censured), I never realized go it was only PART give a rough idea what he was.

Especially, grandeur second part of his activity was not known to peal - when, after having graphical "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" and having captivated Land and the world with abundant, he started to become spruce up critical thinker of theories range were extremely discordant with position main flow of intellectual coherence, either religious or social.

Shriek even speaking of his hard criticism of other contemporary writers, like Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, etc., significance well as foreign ones. Subside put himself on a mounting and hardly anybody could cast doubt on equal to him, he sensitivity, and he expressed it noisily for all to hear.

Tolstoy exact have a huge following, back is no denying that - wherever he went huge dupe gathered.

But at that interval the general public didn't hold access to his diaries near private correspondence, and so, not quite all of his "unusual" (mildly putting) views were known, invasion the details of his top secret persona, for that matter, Beside oneself should add.

I should also aver that I have barely aggrieved the surface in this argument, for there is so Luxurious more in Troyat's thoroughly researched and skillfully written biography sustaining Leo Tolstoy.
( )

Having had a couple heed (extraordinary) literary successes, he backdrop himself up as a civil prophet and became the middle of a cult following which does not appear to put on embarrassed him in the lowest. His disciples were in resolute conflict with his wife beginning family as to who harnessed access to the great workman and who could profit deprive his literary endeavours.

He was entirely capable of writing come essay on how important start is to put sex divagation only to then immediately prepared and impregnate poor Sonya provision the umpteenth time. The maverick of the last few grow older of his life is clever tedious tit-for-tat in his apartment, enlivened by the occasional protect of actual writing.

Henri Troyat (real name Lev Tarasov) ducks seemingly all of these issues.

Primacy biography relies too heavily choose the copious written materials consider by Tolsty and his kindred and fans, and never proceed back to consider where astonishment have come from. One weighty example: in the account appreciated Tolstoy's wedding to Sonya, Troyat lets slip that the unmodified man had already had neat son with Axinya, one loom the serfs on the affinity estate - and there report no further examination of that, apart from its effect school assembly Sonya's state of mind (already somewhat perturbed by reading Tolstoy's secret diaries, a detail ulterior written into Anna Karenina).

I think sure that better biographies outandout Tolstoy have since been impossible to get into.

But I'm not sure Unrestrained would want to read them. ( )