To understand and appreciate Russian author Leo Tolstoy, one has to understand and appreciate Russian history. Leo Tolstoy was born as a part of the aristocratic class in Russia, yet he spoke up for the serf. Russia has millions of uneducated serfs – and has had for generations. Most viewed them as worthless. Like Abraham Lincoln, Tolstoy saw value in their lives; he, as they say, saw their humanity. Even though many did not read Tolstoy (or anyone else) closely, his magnanimity was felt by all in Russia. His name reverberates in their ears, again, much like Lincoln’s name reverberates in African-American homes.
Leo Tolstoy is an enigma. His life is full of contradictions. On the one hand, he spoke out for the serf and – as an ascetic – sought to renounce the luxury and pleasure he was born into; on the other, he had a wife who sought financial security and thirteen children. (Hardly a life of asceticism…) For most of his life, he maintained a troubled soul – not only about the plight of Russia’s ubiquitous serfs but also about any goodness in the world more generally. This led to personal instability. Unlike the other great Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky (who celebrated life’s inherent goodness), Tolstoy sought to escape the world in the philosophy of his writings (while living in a lavish mansion).
These contradictions and tensions came to a head in his final years. The most famous Russian in history to that point, he routinely fought with his wife over the royalties of his books. Embarrassingly, most Russians well knew of his marital spats. Eventually, he left home and died near a railway station, seemingly of pneumonia. Throughout this time, Tolstoy’s adoring fans and disciples seem embroiled in a never-ending conflict with his wife of forty-eight years.
The author of this account, the biographer Jay Parini, sketches a fictionalized account of this final year. He uses the diaries of numerous people in Tostoy’s inner circle as sources. These sources paint a picture of conflict and personalities and provide a 360-degree view of Tolstoy’s life. Parini weaves them together brilliantly into a beautiful tapestry that encases the whole of Tolstoy’s personality. Indeed, no one person, whether disciple or family member, could fully grasp Tolstoy’s insightfulness and historical impact.
Overall, this is a fun and interesting read that was made into a well-received Hollywood movie. I am planning to watch the movie and would recommend it if you do not have the time to flip through this biopic. Parini, as always, spins good yarn about an interesting topic.
The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy’s Final Year
by Jay Parini
Copyright (c) 1990.
ISBN13 9781841959672
Page Count: 290
Genre: Historical Fiction, Biography
www.amazon.com