It’s no secret that I love War and Peace. I’ve shared the reasons why before,…
Tolstoy
Not always accurate, but rich and engaging nonetheless: The BBC adaptation of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The cast of 2016’s BBC1 production of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Photograph: Mitch Jenkins/BBC The…
Tolstoy on doing “a lot of bad things, without wishing to – simply from imitating grown-ups”
When researching Tolstoy, I find myself noticing a common theme of failure: of not being…
“Works which made an impression”: Leo Tolstoy’s favourite books from each stage of his life
Tolstoy, 1895. Published by Cassell and Co, NY, 1911. In 1891, a Petersburg publisher (who was…
The power of a sunset: how Viktor Frankl & Tolstoy’s Pierre Bezukhov are lifted from hardship by the beauty of nature
Despite experiencing unimaginable hardship during the Holocaust, Viktor Frankl describes in Man’s Search for Meaning how…
Tolstoy’s Pierre Bezukhov on why being knocked off course is “only the start of something new and good”
My favourite translation by Anthony Briggs and published by Penguin. A fortnight ago I submitted my…
Lessons on failure from Pierre in Tolstoy’s War and Peace
I’ve posted before about Tolstoy’s “Rules of Life” and desire for self-improvement, both of which…
“Head and shoulders above the others”: What James Joyce Thought of Leo Tolstoy
Stephen Longstreet, Elliot Paul and James Joyce, 1927 James Joyce wrote to his brother, Stanislaus,…
Reasons to Read Anna Karenina, Part 1: The Authenticity of Levin
I shared some thoughts on the introduction to Rosamund Bartlett’s translation of Anna Karenina at…
Initial Thoughts on Rosamund Bartlett’s Translation of Anna Karenina
I don’t give Anna Karenina enough attention here on Tolstoy Therapy. In fact, I’ve never…
The Tolstoy Therapy Calendar of Wisdom: Quotes and Sayings to Nourish the Soul
I’d like to thank all of you who contributed such wonderful quotes for the giveaway…
Celebrating Tolstoy’s 186th Birthday with a Giveaway of A Calendar of Wisdom
A portrait of Leo Tolstoy in his study by Vasily Meshkov, 1910. Today marks the…
If You Don’t Know Where to Go in Life, Try Reading War and Peace
I write a lot about Pierre Bezukhov, one of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy’s…
Tips for Reading War and Peace & Getting Started with Leo Tolstoy
A reader recently got in touch to ask what advice I’d give for reading War and…
What Leo Tolstoy Can Teach Us About Overcoming Anxiety
Tolstoy at the time of writing War andPeace, 1868. Image source. While on a trip…
‘Give War and Peace a Chance’ This Summer with Andrew D. Kaufman
My copy of Give War and Peace a Chance, before it was covered in Post-it…
12 Life Lessons to Gain From Reading Leo Tolstoy
After completing a considerable chunk of Tolstoy’s major works, I’ve been thinking about the lessons that…
Reading Tolstoy as a Twentysomething (& Completing His Major Works Before 21)
In the last few weeks, I’ve been very busy reading Tolstoy. I had already enjoyed…
Tolstoy on the Importance of Books and Literacy in Prisons
“When you are free you don’t have such a painful desire to read as you…
On War & Peace: My Problems With The Pevear & Volokhonsky Translation (Part II)
My well-worn copy of War and Peace. I recently shared the reasons why…
On War & Peace: My Problems With The Pevear & Volokhonsky Translation (Part I)
What are your thoughts on the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of Tolstoy’s War…
An Extract From Tolstoy Therapy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy for a Fear of Death
This is an extract about The Death of Ivan Ilyich from the bibliotherapy book I’m…
What Bibliotherapy Means to Me
Another amazing vintage library ad fromBrain Pickings! Bibliotherapy is a word I use a lot…
Why Read War and Peace? The Reasons Why I Love Tolstoy’s Masterpiece
My well-worn (and well-loved) copy of War and Peace If you tell someone that you’re…
Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom: The Best Self-Help Guide for Modern Life?
My Scribner edition of A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, translated by…
Childhood, Boyhood, Youth by Leo Tolstoy: Themes of Shyness and Self-Improvement
Leo Tolstoy began Childhood, Boyhood, Youth – a trilogy – in his early twenties. It…
My Favourite Classical Music, featuring Haruki Murakami’s novels, The Road to Perdition Soundtrack, Chopin and more
Road to Perdition, the movie with my favourite classical soundtrack. Unfortunately, as I have nowhere…
Family Happiness, The Tolstoy Book Mentioned in Into the Wild
I wanted to read Tolstoy’s Family Happiness after watching Into the Wild a few months ago: an…
Which books would you take to a desert island?
A photo from my trip to Malawi in 2009 I always have been, and always…
War and Peace: Thoughts on the Epilogue
It feels like I’ve left it too long after finishing War and Peace to write…