Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (September 9, 1828 November 20, 1910) was a Russian critical realist writer, philosopher, thinker and educational reformer in the 19th century.
What are Tolstoy's representative works
1. War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel written by the Russian writer Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. It has four volumes and more than 1.2 million words. Written from 1865 to 1869, the novel was first published in the Russian Bulletin in 1865 under the title of Voyna Imir.
The novel spans 16 years, from 1805 to December 1821, when the Communists planned an uprising. The content of the novel mainly revolves around four families - Bezuhov family, Balkansky family, Kurakin family and Rostov family. Focusing on the Russian Patriotic War in 1812 and focusing on the life of aristocratic youth, it describes many characters and their changes in the war life.
It reflects the complex social reality and the historical characteristics of rapid changes in the 1960s and 1970s, and has a unique epic character. War and Peace explores the future and social outlet of Russia, puts forward the social ideal of fraternity and peace, and has strong humanitarian feelings.
2. Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a realistic novel written by the Russian writer Lev Tolstoy. It was started in 1873, published in the Russian Gazette in January 1875, and completed in 1877.
As a model of realistic novels, Tolstoy is meticulous in psychological description; Through the precise control of the inner activities of the characters, the importance of psychological description is highlighted. Anna Karenina is a classic work in the history of literature. The image of Anna Karenina in the novel has also become one of the images that have been studied by generations.
3. Resurrection
Resurrection is a novel written by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy from 1889 to 1899. It was published in Russia in 1900.
"Resurrection" reflects Tolstoy's moral self-improvement as the connotation of Tolstoy's doctrine. Tolstoy wrote an open letter to the tsar in response, in which he condemned the state religion and the autocracy of the government in Russia. Since its publication, the novel has produced many derivative works, such as the symphony Resurrection (1903) by French composer Albert Russell, the opera Risurrezione (1904) by Italian composer Franco Alfano, and the movie Resurrection (Воскресение).
Tolstoy's creative characteristics
1. Early
In his early works (before 1860), Tolstoy discovered the gap between the rich and the poor of aristocratic landlords and peasants in Russian society by exploring the meaning of life. From 1847, Tolstoy began to keep a diary and kept it until his later years. The diary is a record of his constant self-examination and spiritual exploration, through which he studies people's inner life.
His early works are all expanded by diary and processed by art. He wrote the short story "A Landlord's Morning", and the protagonist Nekhrusdorf was Tolstoy's early autobiographical artistic image, which incorporated the author's personal experience of the farm reform.
2. Medium term
In the middle period (1863-1880), Tolstoy tried to solve the social problems of Russia from history in view of the complex social contradictions at that time. His creative thought has developed forward and his critical force has gradually strengthened, but the philanthropic thought of "not fighting evil with violence" is increasingly evident in his works. He believes that the divine nature and animal nature in human nature are mixed, and only the divine nature can be immortal.
3. Later stage
In the later period (1881-1910), Tolstoy began to create some folk stories, legends, fables and dramas aimed at promoting his own theory among the people. In the creation of the novel Resurrection, the image of the protagonist Maslova depicts all stages of life through careful psychological analysis, further excavates the reality, and forms a complete set of artistic ideas. The image of the people through the way of discussion shows that the reason why the people are extremely poor is that the only land that can support them has been taken from them by the landlords, which has caused great anger and hatred among farmers. It is the private ownership of land and the autocratic regime in which the minority oppresses the majority.
Tolstoy's Literary Influence
1. Tolstoy has written a large number of works with profound content and beautiful form in nearly 60 years of creative activities. His creation had a great impact on the development of Soviet Russian literature and the literature of other ethnic groups in the Soviet Union. Many Soviet writers could feel the traces of Tolstoy's tradition.
2. Tolstoy's thought has influenced Russian intellectuals and cultural circles for decades. At the end of the 19th century, Russian society suffered severe political and social turbulence. Many intellectuals and cultural people believed that Tolstoy's thought was an effective tool to deal with this crisis.
