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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
3.5
Beautiful writing at times, I had grown to hate the main character which might have been Tolstoy's goal for his readership.
Beautiful writing at times, I had grown to hate the main character which might have been Tolstoy's goal for his readership.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
in which (the projection of) young Tolstoy learns that poor people are people, too
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my first Tolstoy book (as part of Dickens vs Tolstoy book club), and can never deny how pure, affecting, genuine, and stimulating this was. The characters are vivid, adorable and sometimes annoying, but then I can relate their traits to people around me. The fact that they are flawed (more so in the POV of narrator) made me more attached to them and wishing for some time to converse with them over a cup of tea or coffee while someone's playing the piano.
This book made me feel something, and guiltily connecting my narrow-minded thoughts back when I was younger to Nicolinka's experiences. It made me mad, smile, sad, contemplate, and other emotion that is the product of what's mentioned.
I like this & the more I think about it, the more I grow fond of the story's wholeness. I'm glad I read this. And, I LOVE Tolstoy's way of writing, I can imagine myself having his words as my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would gladly chew, feel its texture on my mouth, and let it glide through my esophagus with unlimited stomach space.
This book made me feel something, and guiltily connecting my narrow-minded thoughts back when I was younger to Nicolinka's experiences. It made me mad, smile, sad, contemplate, and other emotion that is the product of what's mentioned.
I like this & the more I think about it, the more I grow fond of the story's wholeness. I'm glad I read this. And, I LOVE Tolstoy's way of writing, I can imagine myself having his words as my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would gladly chew, feel its texture on my mouth, and let it glide through my esophagus with unlimited stomach space.
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
at the time of writing this short review it has been a few days since i finished the book. i felt like i needed to reflect upon it a bit, and i am glad i did. when i first finished the book i didn’t feel that i liked it a lot, but it has been about a week and i find that i miss the characters and their stories, and that is very important to me. it shows me that this book affected me more than i thought, and therefore it deserves a higher rating than what it would have gotten, had i rated it when i finished it.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
BOOK REVIEW
"Childhood, Boyhood, Youth" by Leo Tolstoy
"Childhood, Boyhood, Youth" were the very first works and prose of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, written and published respectively in the years 1852, 1854 and 1856. This is Tolstoy's only autobiographical text, being a precursor of the long prose as a record of one's autobiography in literature. These three stories are sequels of each other, as these 3 stories follow the life of one Nicholas and his bright beginnings in childhood, his adventures in Boyhood, and his "resurrection" or retracting back to his religious beliefs in the end of the third novella "Youth". Penguins Classics and other editions of these novels, at least published by the same publisher, have been combined rather than published in their original 1 book per novella, due to the sparse and shorter prose of these works.
MY THOUGHTS:
So I haven't read Tolstoy for quite a month and I decided to read this work because it was originally part of my reading goal for August. I honestly thought myself that I'd drop this alongside "White Nights and Other Stories" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the latter author's complete works, one I've downloaded from Project Gutenberg and translated by Constance Garnett.
These novellas intertwined and published as one was all ok. I really enjoyed reading the Childhood and Boyhood parts. But "Youth" was so melancholic that you'd imagine why Tolstoy wanted to retract and did so successfully, back to his religious upbringing late in his life.
Tolstoy was an irresponsible, gambling addict soldier on the warfronts of the Crimean war in the year 1854. Subsequently, the man probably had a reason to write these works of his lest he dies in the war. He survives but loses all his money because of his irresponsible, spendthrift ways.
Fast forward over 10 years past that, Tolstoy was writing his first novel (though he kept declining it wasn't a novel) "War and Peace". Well, you could see Tolstoy himself was growing, living this bildungsroman phase in his later life.
These novellas are a testament to his prowess as a capable writer. I saw how bleak his life has been in "Youth", when he was suppose to be enjoying but because of his decisions to be in war shows how rather young, naive and how poorly planned his decisions were.
I really loved these novellas, "Childhood" and "Boyhood" were all great but short so readable in a day. Then "Youth" was the longest of his autobiographies enough to actually be considered a novel. These are great starters to the writings and prose of Tolstoy, you probably wouldn't expect as much but expect "War and Peace" to be rewarding when finally finished reading but a long, thousand pages.
"Childhood, Boyhood, Youth" by Leo Tolstoy
"Childhood, Boyhood, Youth" were the very first works and prose of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, written and published respectively in the years 1852, 1854 and 1856. This is Tolstoy's only autobiographical text, being a precursor of the long prose as a record of one's autobiography in literature. These three stories are sequels of each other, as these 3 stories follow the life of one Nicholas and his bright beginnings in childhood, his adventures in Boyhood, and his "resurrection" or retracting back to his religious beliefs in the end of the third novella "Youth". Penguins Classics and other editions of these novels, at least published by the same publisher, have been combined rather than published in their original 1 book per novella, due to the sparse and shorter prose of these works.
MY THOUGHTS:
So I haven't read Tolstoy for quite a month and I decided to read this work because it was originally part of my reading goal for August. I honestly thought myself that I'd drop this alongside "White Nights and Other Stories" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the latter author's complete works, one I've downloaded from Project Gutenberg and translated by Constance Garnett.
These novellas intertwined and published as one was all ok. I really enjoyed reading the Childhood and Boyhood parts. But "Youth" was so melancholic that you'd imagine why Tolstoy wanted to retract and did so successfully, back to his religious upbringing late in his life.
Tolstoy was an irresponsible, gambling addict soldier on the warfronts of the Crimean war in the year 1854. Subsequently, the man probably had a reason to write these works of his lest he dies in the war. He survives but loses all his money because of his irresponsible, spendthrift ways.
Fast forward over 10 years past that, Tolstoy was writing his first novel (though he kept declining it wasn't a novel) "War and Peace". Well, you could see Tolstoy himself was growing, living this bildungsroman phase in his later life.
These novellas are a testament to his prowess as a capable writer. I saw how bleak his life has been in "Youth", when he was suppose to be enjoying but because of his decisions to be in war shows how rather young, naive and how poorly planned his decisions were.
I really loved these novellas, "Childhood" and "Boyhood" were all great but short so readable in a day. Then "Youth" was the longest of his autobiographies enough to actually be considered a novel. These are great starters to the writings and prose of Tolstoy, you probably wouldn't expect as much but expect "War and Peace" to be rewarding when finally finished reading but a long, thousand pages.
Really enjoyed this. We have a first person narrative of Nikolenka. Part of an aristocratic family in Russia in 19th century. We see him grow up through the 3 stages of childhood. I preferred the first 2 books as by the time he was 16 I thought nikolenka was an insufferable snob.
Tolstoy writing, particularly his descriptions of nature and the countryside is sublime. Particularly brilliant descriptive chapters were the hunt, the thunder storm and youth.
This was Tolstoy's first novel so not as accomplished as his later works but still obviously Tolstoy.
Tolstoy writing, particularly his descriptions of nature and the countryside is sublime. Particularly brilliant descriptive chapters were the hunt, the thunder storm and youth.
This was Tolstoy's first novel so not as accomplished as his later works but still obviously Tolstoy.