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The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy

The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy

by Doris Lessing (Foreword), Cathy Porter (Translator), Cathy Porter (Translator), Doris Lessing (Foreword), Sofia Tolstoy (Author)

  • New

    Paperback 2017

    $14.56
Synopsis

When Sofia Behrs married Count Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War and Peace", husband and wife regularly exchanged diaries covering the years from 1862 to 1910. Sofia's life was not an easy one: she idealized her husband, but was tormented by him; even her many children were not an unmitigated blessing. In the background of her life was one of the most turbulent periods of Russian history: the transition from old feudal Russia to the three revolutions and three major international wars. Yet it is as Sofia Tolstoy's own life story, the study of one woman's private experience, that the diaries are most valuable and moving. They are a testament to a woman of tremendous vital energy and poetic sensibility who, in the face of provocation and suffering, continued to strive for the higher things in life and to remain indomitable. It contains a forward by Doris Lessing.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 656
 Edition: Reprint
 Publisher: Alma Classics
Published: 08 Jun 2017
ISBN 10: 1846881021
ISBN 13: 9781846881022

Media Reviews
The diary entries bear witness to a remarkable life: the life of an exceptional woman, married to one of the most exceptional men of the time, with all her passions and difficulties laid bare. This is a book that is interesting for what it says about the predicament of women in the past, and how that compares to their present circumstances. - The Sunday Times The hundreds of pages offered by Porter in this selection are testament to a great spirit, a woman who lived in terrifying proximity to one of the greatest writers of all time, and who understood exactly the high price she would have to pay for this privilege. - Jay Parini, The Guardian An elegant, readable volume - A.N. Wilson, The Spectator This is a book which is interesting for what it says about the predicament of women in the past, and how that compares to their present circumstances. While reading it, I was so enthralled that I found myself dreaming about Sofia, about speaking to her myself, desperately wanting to reach out to her and offer her words of comfort for her pain. - Doris Lessing
Author Bio
Sofia Tolstoy was the wife of Leo Tolstoy for nearly fifty years. She gave birth to his thirteen children and raised his numerous grandchildren, keeping a detailed diary of her entire married life.