The literature

Leo Tolstoy’s body of work demonstrates extraordinary powers of observation, an exacting ability to recreate life and superb skill as a storyteller. It is a window into his life and into Russia in the 1800s. It also mirrors the way people everywhere think and feel, and the complexity of human psychology.

His most famous two novels are War and Peace, a sweeping drama about noble families living through a significant time in Russian history, and Anna Karenina, about human nature and love. But his body of work includes emotive war-time sketches, challenging plays and intriguing short stories.

He is born at a time when Russia is experiencing an extraordinary intellectual and cultural flowering and into the aristocracy which places great emphasis on education. He is extremely well read, has a particular skill for languages, and many European writers exert a great influence of him.

The literary landscape
Writing at war
War and Peace
Anna Karenina
The body of work
Literary influences