Leo Tolstoy's 5 Greatest Novellas Annotated
Below is a Q&A I did for Tolstoy's best short novels (or long short stories) that I annotated. I hope you enjoy it.
Q1: You have previously edited Leo Tolstoy's 20 Greatest Short Stories Annotated. What made you turn to his shorter novels that we today call novellas?
A1: A dainty literary word, isn't it? Tolstoy's novellas offer much richer characters than his short stories. His war stories are especially vibrant since he drew from his war experiences in the Caucus.
Q2: What is your favorite Tolstoy novella?
A2: "Master and Man." Only Tolstoy could write a short novel that shows the juxtaposition between the rich and the poor in such a way. There is cruelty, a Russian snowstorm, just deserves, and love. The ending is fabulous.
Q3: Why did you annotate this collection of Tolstoy novellas?
A3: Just like for his best short stories, I wanted to add color to Russian terms and many of the historical figures mentioned by Tolstoy who were popular individuals of the day. I think many people think of Tolstoy as an author who wrote during the long Russian winters in a cabin and was a bit out of touch with popular society. The opposite is true. Tolstoy was very topical for his day. He references the leading artists and met a lot of his contemporaries--at least in Russian literature. Tolstoy came from a high society family with deep ties to the military and Russian aristocrats. He was also well traveled, which only wealthy families could afford in those days. His story about the Swiss hotel he visited in Lucerne is included in Tolstoy's best short stories and is one of his best.
Q4: What do you think Tolstoy would write about if he were alive today?
A4: He would still be calling out religious wrongs and trying to help the poor. Not much would change. Tolstoy loved gardening and living off the land. He was anti-establishment, too. He was the first to start a Montessori-type school. He wore peasant clothes and didn't shave his beard. Tolstoy was the original hippie. (Laughs)
Q5: What surprised you the most about these stories?
A5: It has to be Tolstoy's comedic side. As Americans we tend to think of Russians as rather stoic and serious people. Of course, that is not the case all the time, but it is a perception. Tolstoy is no different. Most people, myself included, think of Tolstoy as the serious Russian bear of literature. Yet most of the five novellas included in the anthology have moments that caused to me laugh out loud. That's saying a lot since some of them are 150 years old.
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