Childhood and Adolescence

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

0.0

Word count: 355K words
Chapters: 36

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.L'enfance et l'adolescence by graf Leo TolstoyAuthor: Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910,Language: French, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Dec 20, 2014

Editor's review

This book is the French translation of Childhood and Boyhood, the first two parts of Tolstoy's autobiographical trilogy, and is in the public domain as an ebook. Its value lies in its detailed first-person portrayal of a noble boy's psychological growth from childhood to boyhood: family warmth, loss of affection, the awakening of self-awareness, observation of others and the world, and the unease and vanity of adolescence. The narrative is not driven by strong plot but excels in sensory detail, inner fluctuation, and subtle interpersonal distinctions, letting readers sense the early seeds of the moral and human themes that would later occupy the author. The French translation is suitable as French reading material and for readers interested in the origins of Tolstoy's writing. Read it slowly, attending to the narrator's shifting feelings and the fine details of family relationships; compared with the author's later works, the continuity of his spiritual concerns becomes clearer. As a public-domain ebook, edition information is limited; focus on reading the text and do not expect notes or an introduction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in Tolstoy's life and the origins of his writing
French learners who wish to read Russian literature in the original language
Readers who enjoy psychological description and coming-of-age themes and do not rely on strong plot
Literature enthusiasts studying autobiographical fiction and childhood narrative

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction expecting intense plot or dramatic conflict
Learners who cannot read French and are unwilling to use a parallel translation
Beginners who need detailed notes and a scholarly introduction

Reading tips

Read according to the two growth stages, childhood and boyhood, noting changes in the narrator's self-awareness.
French learners can closely read two or three pages a day, noting common expressions for psychological description and sensory detail.
After finishing, briefly map the family relationships, then revisit key scenes for a fuller understanding.
Read alongside Tolstoy's later works to observe the continuity of his moral concern and observation of human nature.

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 book the complete trilogy?

This book contains Childhood and Boyhood, not the complete trilogy that includes Youth. Read it by the two parts' respective growth stages and do not expect the later Youth.

Is the French difficulty suitable for beginners?

The text is a nineteenth-century French translation; its sentence patterns and vocabulary pose some challenge for beginners, and the psychological passages are long. Intermediate reading ability is recommended, or proceed gradually with a parallel translation and a dictionary.

Does lacking Russian affect understanding?

No. This is a French translation, and reading does not depend on Russian. To understand differences between the translation and the original, you may consult translations in other languages, but this does not affect grasp of the coming-of-age narrative and psychological description.

Why is Tolstoy's early autobiographical work worth reading?

It shows the author's detailed observation of childhood feelings, family relationships, and adolescent psychology, revealing the early form of the moral and human themes that later concerned him. It is especially valuable for readers interested in understanding the origins of Tolstoy's writing.

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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.