Tolstoy (taught in English)

In this course we will explore the major works and artistic development of literary giant Leo Tolstoy. Students will encounter Tolstoy’s epic range, philosophical depth, and psychological acuteness through early short fiction, War and Peace, later works such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Kreutzer Sonata, and selections from his memoirs, diaries, and letters. We will trace the evolution of Tolstoy’s writing from early psychological realism through the epic experimentation of War and Peace to the more philosophical and didactic fiction of his later years. Particular attention will be given to Tolstoy’s distinctive narrative techniques, including psychological interiority, defamiliarization, epic form, and his interrogation of conventional romantic and literary narratives. No knowledge of Russian required.