Childhood, Boyhood and Youth

"Childhood Boyhood Youth" is an example of a brilliant author's first work. Childishly innocent at times, this small book aims not to stun with scope, but rather to present the simple life of a young Russian man growing up. This is precisely what "Childhood Boyhood Youth" does. And charmingly as well. Tolstoy is best known for giants such as "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina". While this lacks the huge punch "War and Peace" might give the reader, it has its own little quirks - the book is funny at times, sad at others and remarkably realistic. Semi-autobiographical as it is, it's very easy to get into the story and relate to the characters (based, obviously, on Tolstoy's own experiences). Readers coming from "War and Peace" will find equally descriptive, solid writing but including a touch more innocence and, ironically enough, youth to it. "Childhood Boyhood Youth" is not a splendid novel for the ages. It is, however, a small opening novel to a remarkable author's career. Readers new to Tolstoy will want to continue to his later works (and may even appreciate them more). Readers looking back will find a different type of book, but one that still stands tall as a Tolstoy book, and a good one at that. In that same vein, it's an excellent novel about growing up and accepting the numerous responsibilities that come with age. It looks at the whole picture of growing, the nice moments and the bad in a quiet, clear reminiscent manner. For a different take on Tolstoy, here's a nice little book. "Childhood Boyhood Youth" is easy to read, enjoyable and interesting. Warmly recommended.

Most people when they think of Tolstoy, War and Peace comes to mind. Others, Anna Karenina which is in large part due to Hollywood, the popular media and the numerous translations available over the years (Constance Garnet, Maud, etc..). When people think of Nineteenth Century Russian Literature as whole, names like Dostoevsky, Pushkin and Chekhov come to mind. "Crime and Punishment", "Eugene Onegin" and "The Cherry Orchard" are works we might randomly associate with the novel, the narrative-poem and the plays of the great Russian masters. Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth is that work which stands on the periphery, not only of Tolstoy's works but also of Russian literature in general. It feels Russian, the characters are Russians but the influences come from French literature (Rousseau) and Germany (Schiller, Goethe). There is a Bildungsroman element but I wouldn't want to label it a novel of development. There is also something more. Feeling, wonder, innocence, they too appear in the French and Germanic influences but there is also a great deal of sensation (a "novel of sensation"?). Reading this book, I could feel the narrator's home, I could feel his emotions. It is a work that explores the visceral aspects of being young, growing up and trying to find one's way in society. Tolstoy's work often carry a great philosophical and moral weight. He was heavily influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer and his theories about the "will-to-live" and the endless cravings of "desire". Not only that, he was reading up on the works of the Shakers, their celibacy stance. The Kreuzer Sonata and The Devil are essentially works in which Tolstoy is maddened with lust and morality. Here, you could say is the lighter Tolstoy, a Tolstoy of impressions, beauty, and tender emotions. There is no moralizing or foreboding, no fear of judgment, no murdering of wives. It is novel that looks forward to Proust in its dreamlike presentation of being young. While reading this book I felt like I disappeared into the child I once was and still am. A true hidden treasure and also the perfect example of how all Russian literature is not necessarily dark and murky.

In my previous review I mistakenly called the Russian editor Katkov. The correct name is N. Nekrasov. Sorry :)

This is Tolstoy's first trilogy, his first ever attempt at fiction. Semi-autobiographical and full of precious recollections of those great little things in life we all cherish so much, it is already a magnificent introduction to Tolstoy's great insightful mind and his striving for love and goodness through his characters. One Russian critic called "Childhood, Boyhood and Youth" the poetry of one's childhood. It truly is. Among the numerous little occurrences and funny stories, you can deeply feel the purpose of the book: love is everything that matters in this world and without love, our existence loses its meaning and our aspirations are dead. You can see it especially in Mother's letter and the character of Natalia Savishna. If you decide to read this wonderful book, make sure you picked the right translation. There are two slightly different versions of this work, thanks to the Russian editor Katkov, who made a lot of changes to the original without Tolstoy's consent. This "bad" version is represented in C.J. Hogarth's translation (Everyman's Library). Coupled with plain poor translating, it made reading the text unbearably dry and boring. Don't buy this translation! You will not find original Tolstoy there! After this book was published for the first time by Katkov, Tolstoy wrote a letter to him, where he complained about the changes. I have read both versions and I can say: the difference is significant. The most spicy, candid and beautiful moments are just not there. I would recommend translations by Prof. Leo Wiener or Rosemary Edmonds, although I haven't read much of the latter. As long as it begins as "Childhood" and NOT "The History of My Childhood", it should be alright. This book is not as consistent and in-depth as Tolstoy's later works, but for a 24-year-old officer, who had just begun to express himself on paper, this is a really magnificent work, easy to read and full of emotions. This is why I am giving it five stars.