A Russian Proprietor: Restored Classics to Go Edition

· Otbebookpublishing
Ebook
374
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

This collection gathers several early tales by Leo Tolstoy, introduced by Nathan Haskell Dole as vivid, personal works from the writer's formative years. Their realism is sharp and intimate, and they return again and again to gambling, war, death, moral awakening, and the uneasy clash between idealism and lived experience. Among them, A Prisoner in the Caucasus is especially praised for its simple force and its unforgettable figure of Dina. In A Russian Proprietor, the young Prince Dmitri Nekhliudof leaves the university determined to become a benevolent country gentleman and devote himself to the welfare of his peasants. His aunt warns him that this dream is naïve, but he persists, only to discover on his estate how far noble intentions are from rural reality. A visit to the peasant Iván Churis and his collapsing hut exposes poverty, neglect, and the gulf between masterly plans and human hardship. Elsewhere, the collection turns to Albert, an impassioned, eccentric violinist whose artistic fervor is bound up with instability, poverty, and obsession. Through his memories of an aristocratic woman, his lyrical reflections, and Delesof's anxious attempts to help him, Tolstoy creates a moving portrait of genius shadowed by suffering. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.
This collection gathers several early tales by Leo Tolstoy, introduced by Nathan Haskell Dole as vivid, personal works from the writer's formative years. Their realism is sharp and intimate, and they return again and again to gambling, war, death, moral awakening, and the uneasy clash between ide...

Discover more

About the author

Leo Tolstoy, born into Russian nobility in 1828, lived a life marked by privilege, searching self-examination, and profound moral questioning. After a restless youth and military service, he emerged as one of the great voices of nineteenth-century literature, first gaining attention with his early fiction and then securing his place with sweeping novels, powerful short stories, and later philosophical and religious writings. Across his career, he explored the inner lives of ordinary people and aristocrats alike, portraying war, family, faith, poverty, duty, and the struggle to live truthfully. His best-known achievements include monumental novels and deeply humane shorter works that combine psychological insight with vivid social observation. Tolstoy's writing is united by a concern for conscience, justice, and the possibility of moral renewal, themes that still speak urgently to readers in an age shaped by inequality, conflict, and uncertainty. He remains significant not only as a master storyteller but as a writer who challenged his own society and his own assumptions, making his work feel both timeless and deeply alive. Readers who appreciate rich character studies, ethical drama, and literature that asks serious questions about how to live will find him especially rewarding.

Leo Tolstoy, born into Russian nobility in 1828, lived a life marked by privilege, searching self-examination, and profound moral questioning. After a restless youth and military service, he emerged as one of the great voices of nineteenth-century literature, first gaining attention with his earl...

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.