Boyhood

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

4.1

Word count: 159K words
Chapters: 16

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.Boyhood 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

Boyhood is the second of Leo Tolstoy's three autobiographical novels, following Childhood. Told from a boy's perspective, it depicts the inner turbulence, family relationships, and awakening of self-awareness that accompany growing up. Tolstoy is known for his delicate psychological portraiture; though short, this book concentrates his early observations on human nature, class, and moral feeling, making it an important entry point for understanding his later work. The English translation provided by Project Gutenberg gives English readers direct access to the original's character, but lacks notes and an introduction, so readers must supply the background of nineteenth-century Russian aristocratic life themselves. It suits readers who enjoy Russian literature and are interested in themes of growing up and psychological description, to be read slowly and savored, and can also serve as supplementary reading for understanding the starting point of Tolstoy's creative work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like Tolstoy and want to understand his early autobiographical works
Literary readers interested in the coming-of-age novel and the psychology of a boy
Readers with some English proficiency willing to read classic English translations
Students of Russian literature who need supplementary foundational texts

Not a good fit for

Readers who want the complete trilogy and a continuous reading experience
Beginners with weak English who rely on Chinese translations
Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

It is best to read Childhood first, then this book, to grasp the continuous thread of the autobiographical trilogy.
While reading, pay attention to the protagonist's psychological changes and jot down memorable inner monologues.
Understand the characters' words and actions in light of nineteenth-century Russian aristocratic family background to reduce the gap of time.
After finishing, review the whole book and sort out the connection between the theme of a boy's growth and Tolstoy's later thought.

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

Can this book be read on its own, or must I read Childhood first?

It can be read on its own, but it is the second part of an autobiographical trilogy and is connected to Childhood in characters and storyline. Reading Childhood first will better help you understand the protagonist's growth and family relationships, making for a more complete reading experience.

How difficult is the English translation to read?

The book is short and the language is generally plain, but it carries the expressive habits of nineteenth-century literature, and some long sentences and psychological descriptions require patience. Readers with intermediate English reading ability can finish it with the help of a dictionary.

What is the relationship between this book and Tolstoy's novels?

This book is an early autobiographical work by Tolstoy, showing his interest in psychological description and observation of human nature, traits that developed further in his later novels. It can serve as an introductory text for understanding the starting point of Tolstoy's creative work.

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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.