Childhood

Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.4

Word count: 212K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Childhood by graf Leo TolstoyAuthor: Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910,Language: English, Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature, Release Date: Mar 22, 2006

Editor's review

Childhood is the first volume of Tolstoy's autobiographical trilogy, offered free in English translation by Project Gutenberg. Through a child's eyes it revisits the daily life of a noble family, rendering with delicate restraint the sensitivity, confusion and loss of growing up: no dramatic plot, but a wealth of psychological detail worth returning to. Its value lies in showing the fine-grained texture beneath Tolstoy's later grand narratives, and it serves as a light entry into Russian literature and autobiographical writing. The English translation is relatively plain in style, suited to readers with some grounding in English. As a public-domain electronic edition it usually comes without introduction or notes; readers may supply their own context on 19th-century Russian society, or read it alongside Boyhood and Youth to observe how the narrator's perspective matures.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers seeking a light entry into Tolstoy
Literary readers interested in autobiographical fiction and coming-of-age themes
Those with some English who want to practise reading a long English work
Literature enthusiasts studying 19th-century Russian noble family life

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot conflict or fast-paced narrative
Beginners not yet comfortable reading English and needing a Chinese translation alongside
Academic readers seeking detailed historical notes and introductions

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters to sense the narrative tone before deciding whether to continue straight through; there is no need to rush.
Note the gap between the child's perspective and the adult world, and jot down the psychological passages that strike you.
Afterwards, go on to Boyhood and Youth to observe how the same narrator's perspective changes.
If the English proves hard going, read a Chinese translation first for the plot, then return to the English for comparison.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a complete novel or an excerpt?

According to the materials, this is an electronic English translation of Tolstoy's Childhood, the first volume of his autobiographical trilogy. The materials do not indicate an excerpt, so it can generally be regarded as the complete text of the work, though the editorial details of a public-domain electronic edition depend on the actual file.

Can I read it without having read other works by Tolstoy?

Yes. This is an early work by Tolstoy, short and gently paced, and it does not depend on background from other works. Read it as a standalone coming-of-age novel; it will be no obstacle to approaching his longer works afterwards.

How difficult is the English?

As an English translation of a 19th-century Russian novel, the sentences tend to be long and the description dense, though the vocabulary is not especially difficult. Readers with college-level English reading ability or a habit of reading classic long novels will find it easier to get into; if you rarely read long English sentences, it is advisable to read the Chinese version first and compare.

Does the electronic edition include notes and an introduction?

The materials show this is a public-domain Project Gutenberg e-book, primarily providing the text, with no indication of notes or an introduction. If you need background on 19th-century Russia, it is advisable to prepare relevant historical materials yourself or choose an annotated print edition.

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About the author

Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910 Author

Leo Tolstoy (Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910) is a highly important writer in the history of Russian literature. Public information about his nationality and exact dates of birth and death is limited; the library records only his name, the number of his works, and representative titles. The library holds 81 of his works, with representative titles including Anna Karenina and War and Peace (Sota ja rauha). These titles show that he excelled at presenting characters' fates and inner conflicts against broad social panoramas, with calm narration and a reflective quality, while questions of family, morality, and the course of history run throughout. His works have been translated into many languages and have a lasting readership and wide influence.