Originally published in 1970, this account of Tolstoy’s achievement as a novelist concentrates on the best known of his works, in particular the two masterpieces Anna Karenina and War and Peace. Extracts are, however, taken from all the major novels and are arranged chronologically to demonstrate the development of his technique. The main part of the book is concerned with narrative method and analyses Tolstoy’s treatment of character, landscape and dialogue together with his use of satire and irony. The range of subject matter throughout the novels is then discussed. In this way, Tolstoy’s genius is seen to lie in his unique gift for penetrating deeply into the individual lives of his characters and at the same time embracing their actions within a complete framework of social and political life.
