Early literary recognition

Throughout his time in the war in the Caucasans, Leo Tolstoy is worrying about his future, his nature and the money needed to meet gambling debts, living expenses and costs associated with his country estate. But he is also writing in earnest. His big break as a writer comes when he sends the manuscript of Childhood to the progressive monthly literary journal The Contemporary in July 1852. Tolstoy is delighted with the positive reply he gets back from the editor, NA (Nikolay) Nekrasov. He has not yet turned 25 years of age.

When his work is published for the first time several months later, under the title The Story Of My Childhood instead of simply Childhood it brings him immediate acclaim. But Tolstoy is annoyed at the many unauthorised changes, including to the title. He is not paid, which is usual for first-timers, but is paid 50 roubles per printed page for the stories that follow (p97, Tolstoy, Troyat).

Despite the distraction of his literary success, Tolstoy is dissatisfied that, after two years in the Caucasans, he has failed to secure a military decoration to impress everyone at home. He asks for a discharge but is refused. He then applies for a transfer and in January 1854 learns that, after a month off on leave, he is being sent to the Crimean War. Around this time he takes his officer’s examination.

When Tolstoy leaves the Caucasus, his suitcase is bulging with manuscripts, including Boyhood, the sequel to Childhood, and a range of short stories. He also has enough memories of experiences and people he has met to create the acclaimed novel The Cossacks, published about 10 years later.

In the frontline
Home from the war
First trip to Europe
Another brother dies