Major Issues
Author Links
Essay Questions

Major Issues

Biographical critics have drawn connections between Tolstoy’s personal dissatisfaction with his life, relationships, and religion, and the theme of the tragic dissatisfaction of human existence in his major works. Tolstoy’s centrality to the development of Russian realism has been examined by literary historians. Readers and critics have admired his ability to marry specific realistic details with profound exploration of philosophical, moral, and psychological matters. Tolstoy takes on the big questions in his fiction: including the significance of life, death, war, and human relationships. Critics point out, however, that Tolstoy’s writing is by no means pedantic. His readers are drawn in and compelled to care about the fate of his very believable, often tragic, characters.

Author Links

About Leo Tolstoy
This page presents an overview of Tolstoy’s life and works, a short discussion of his moral philosophy, and links to other resources.

About Leo Tolstoy
This site includes a discussion of Tolstoy’s literary accomplishments and a list of links to more material.

Leo Tolstoy: 1828-1910
This bio-critical essay examines Tolstoy’s work as a novelist, and later prophet.

The Last Days of Leo Tolstoy
Tolstoy’s friend and secretary recounts the writer’s flight from his ancestral estate, final days, and death scene.

Images of Tolstoy
A gallery of photographs of the Russian writer.