What Shall We Do?

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

4.2

Word count: 600K words
Chapters: 60

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.What Shall We Do? by graf Leo TolstoyAuthor: Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910,Language: English, Class: DK: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Russia, Former Soviet Republics, Poland, Release Date: Jan 27, 2012

Editor's review

This is a work of nonfiction from Tolstoy's late-life intellectual transformation, centered on the question of how a person of conscience should live in the face of urban poverty and injustice. The book does not rely on a theoretical system but advances through the author's own perplexity and self-questioning as he took part in relief work and visited the poor, presenting a thinker dismantling his own privileges. For readers, its value lies not only in understanding Tolstoy's moral views but in observing a mode of writing that tests daily conduct against belief. The prose is direct, strongly argumentative, at times repetitive and preachy, requiring a discerning reading. It fits within the reading context of social ethics, Russian intellectual history, or Tolstoy biography, and reading it alongside late works such as A Confession reveals the continuity of his thought. The electronic edition is a public-domain English text, convenient for searching and excerpting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in social ethics and poverty
Those studying Tolstoy's late thought and Russian intellectual history
Readers who enjoy first-person reflective argumentation
Students needing a public-domain English text for course reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete theoretical system or policy proposals
Those who only want Tolstoy's fiction and have little interest in argumentative prose
Readers who prefer brisk narrative and have no patience for long moral argumentation

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to grasp the author's central question, then decide whether to read the whole.
Mark passages where the author questions his own privilege and compare them with your own situation.
Read alongside other late works by Tolstoy to observe how his thought unfolds.
Skim repetitive passages in the argument and focus on concrete observations and self-reflection.

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 a novel or an argumentative work?

From the available information, it is Tolstoy's nonfiction, developing argument and self-reflection around social poverty and personal responsibility rather than fictional narrative. Approach it as a collection of intellectual essays, not as a story with a plot.

Can readers with average English read it?

The text is public-domain English with long sentences and strong argumentation, posing some difficulty for non-native readers. Try the first few pages with a dictionary or a bilingual edition; if your goal is to understand the ideas, you may also read introductory materials before the original text.

Is it suitable as an introductory book for studying Tolstoy?

It is better suited as specialized material on his late thought than as a first introduction. If you have already read his fiction and a biographical overview, this book will make clearer how moral concerns enter his writing; complete newcomers should first fill in the background.

What should I note when reading the electronic edition?

Public-domain electronic texts are convenient for searching and excerpting, but formatting and notes vary by edition. Use annotation-capable reading software and record page or paragraph locations for later citation and checking against the original.

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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.