Tolstoy and the novel

by John Bayley

Book Overview

Tolstoy's art as represented in his greatest novels: War and Peace and Anna Karenina continues to absorb, fascinate and delight modern readers despite the lack of appeal of much of his later... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006BQ89A
• Release Date: January 1967
• Publisher: Viking Press
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A fine critical study

This is what Tolstoy says about 'War and Peace'. "It is not a novel ,even less a poem, and still less a historical chronicle.'War and Peace' is what the author wished and was abvle to express in the form in which it is expressed." Tolstoy then goes on to say that all the great works of Russian literature deviate from European forms. Bayley in this excellent critical study seems to agree that there is something special about the urgency in which Russian literature 'caught up' with Europe. But he also shows Tolstoy's mastery of novelistic elements. One interesting point is when Bayley puts Tolstoy on the same level as his great nemesis Shakespeare. Bayley talks about them both as being ' the most retrospective of writers', This is a fine critical study and teaches much not only about the work of Tolstoy but about Russian Literature in general.