Anthony Briggs Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

A new short biography of the author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, by a preeminent Russian scholar In this compelling new biography Anthony Briggs explores the effect of Dostoevsky's turbulent life on his literary genius. Described by one contemporary as "the Shakespeare of the lunatic asylum," Dostoevsky famously divided critics during his lifetime. His childhood and family life have been the subject of scrutiny, most famously in inspiring Freud’s essay "Dostoevsky and Parricide." In later life his membership of the Petrashevsky Circle of liberal intellectuals resulted in his prosecution by the authorities: he was forced to attend a mock execution and then exiled for four years to a Siberian prison camp.

The book explores the life of Tolstoy, born in 1828 in central Russia, highlighting his experiences as a soldier and his evolution into a celebrated writer. It focuses on his iconic novels, "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina," while Anthony Briggs analyzes these works alongside others. The narrative delves into the complexities of Tolstoy's character and examines the impact of two detrimental figures in his life, whose influence significantly altered both his personal journey and literary career.

Oorlog en vrede richt zich op de invasie van Rusland door Napoleon in 1812 en volgt drie van de bekendste personages in de literatuur: Pierre Bezoekhov, de onwettige zoon van een graaf die vecht voor zijn erfenis en verlangt naar spirituele vervulling; prins Andrei Bolkonsky, die zijn familie achterlaat om te vechten in de oorlog tegen Napoleon; en Natasha Rostov, de mooie jonge dochter van een edelman, die beide mannen intrigeert. Terwijl het leger van Napoleon binnenvalt, volgt Tolstoj levendig personages uit diverse achtergronden—boeren en aristocraten, burgers en soldaten—terwijl zij worstelen met de problemen die uniek zijn voor hun tijd, geschiedenis en cultuur. Naarmate de roman vordert, overstijgen deze personages hun specifieke context en worden ze enkele van de meest ontroerende—en menselijke—figuren in de wereldliteratuur.