Do you like to read books? What kind of book do you like? Who is your favorite writer?
Such questions are of course often heard in our daily lives. People who have hobbies or love to read books certainly have their favorite books, favorite writers, favorite genres, and various other factors. There are even some people who are willing to spend a lot of money just to buy books that they really like.
Among the many writers in the world, do you know about a Russian writer named Leo Tolstoy? If you don’t know it, let’s see who Leo Tolstoy is and the magnificent books of Leo Tolstoy you have to read immediately.
Leo Tolstoy is a Russian writer. He is considered one of the greatest writers of all time. Leo Tolstoy has his real name, Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. He was born in Yasnaya Polyana on September 9, 1828. Leo Tolstoy was the fourth of five children.
Leo Tolstoy started to write about in 1844 when he chose to leave the university. The first novel written by Leo Tolstoy titled Childhood. This novel is a novel with a fictional story about the life of his own youth. Childhood novel written by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1852.
To find out more about the books written by Leo Tolstoy, this article will discuss 7 magnificent books of Leo Tolstoy you have to read immediately.
- Anna Karenina (1877)
Anna Karenina is a novel by Leo Tolstoy which was published in book form in 1878. This novel was called by Leo Tolstoy as the first true novel he had written. Even this novel is also considered the best novel according to other writers and ordinary people.
Anna Karenina is a novel with a storyline related to the betrayal, marriage, family and community life of Imperial Russia. The conflict and plot in this novel are in Anna who betrayed her marriage without love in it by having an affair with a cavalry officer. The novel Anna Karenina has been translated by some people into English.
- War and Peace (1869)
War and Peace is a novel written by Leo Tolstoy which was first published in 1869. Leo Tolstoy started writing the first War and Peace novel in 1863. Initially, the novel had the title “1805”. This novel is also one of the best literary achievements of Leo Tolstoy. Leo Tolstoy said if in fact he was hesitant to call War and Peace a novel because it was not in accordance with the standards of the best Russian literature.
War and Peace is a novel that has a storyline about the history of the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society.
- The Death of Ivan Ilych (1886)
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a novella written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1886. This novella is included in one of Leo Tolstoy’s famous novellas. The Death of Ivan Ilyich is considered to be Leo Tolstoy’s last fictional novel because it was written shortly after his religious conversion.
The storyline of The Death of Ivan Ilyich told about the suffering, dying and death of Ivan Ilyich. This novella was published after nine years from the publication of the Anna Karenina novel. The Death of Ivan Ilyich was written when Leo Tolstoy experienced a deep spiritual crisis in his personal life.
- The Kreutzer Sonata (1889)
The Kreutzer Sonata is a novella written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1889. The Kreutzer Sonata also has another name, namely Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata. The Kreutzer Sonata became a controversial and polemic novella that made the Russian authorities quickly censor after the novella appeared.
The Kreutzer Sonata has a storyline about the growing jealousy of the main character in the novella. This jealousy leads to the murder of the wife of the main character. The Kreutzer Sonata also told about the hypocrisy of marriage conventions in the 19th century. The Kreutzer Sonata also evaluates the roles of music, art, love and lust in society.
- Resurrection (1899)
Resurrection is a novel written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1899. This novel became the last novel written by Leo Tolstoy before he died in 1910. Resurrection was first published in series in the popular weekly magazine Niva. This was done in an effort to raise funds that will be used to resettle the Doukhobor.
Resurrection has a storyline about the legal injustices and human-made justice systems and the hypocrisy of the institutionalized church. The main character who was tortured, was desperate in an effort to free himself who had a mistake in his youth. This novel also discusses the exploration of Georgism’s economic philosophy.
- A Confession (1882)
A Confession is a short work written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1882. A short work that can also be referred to as the author’s autobiography. A Confession has another title called My Confession. Original title given to the A Confession book is Introduction to Criticism of Dogmatic Theology.
The storyline of A Confession tells about Leo Tolstoy’s struggle with a deep moral crisis to lead to his spiritual awakening. About depiction of philosophy and the meaning of religious life of Leo Tolstoy. A Confession also spoke of the distress experienced by Leo Tolstoy and his journey to find answers about life.
- The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894)
The Kingdom of God Is Within You is a non-fiction book written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1894. The book was first published in Germany because it is banned in Russia.
The Kingdom of God Is Within You tells about the deep spiritual crisis experienced by Leo Tolstoy. There is also a description of nonviolence, and the Christian anarchist movement. The book is banned in Russia because it is considered as a threat to the Church and the State. The book The Kingdom of God Is Within You was the culmination of the thought of Leo Tolstoy for thirty years.
I hope this article can really help you to find out the discuss 7 magnificent books of Leo Tolstoy you have to read immediately.