In this blog post, we’ll explore how Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ conveys timeless insights through its vast narrative and vivid characterizations, focusing on the work’s background, plot, and characters. An Introduction to the Life of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy was born in 1828 into a distinguished Russian count’s family. Having lost his...
How Did the Decembrists’ Return Home Change Tolstoy’s Vision for ‘War and Peace’?
In this blog post, we examine how the Decembrists’ return home, the Crimean War, and the reign of Nicholas I influenced Tolstoy’s motivation to write and the expansion of the narrative in ‘War and Peace’. The Decembrists Return On December 14, 1825, a group of young officers from distinguished aristocratic families in Russia staged an uprising with the aim of overthrowing the...
Is the Life I’ve Chosen Really the Right Choice? — Reflections on “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”
In this blog post, I’d like to share how reading “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” led me to reflect on the path I’ve chosen in life and its meaning. My Choice “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Questions about what our future will look like—one of the most common questions we hear as we grow up—didn’t mean much to me until high school. Since my career path was determined by studying...
Who Is Rilke, the Master of Modern Literary Art?
In this blog post, we’ll explore Rainer Maria Rilke’s life and literary career, as well as provide commentary on his major works, organized chronologically and by title. Rilke’s Life and Literature Rainer Maria Rilke was born on December 4, 1875, in Prague. At the time, Prague was the center of German-ruled Bohemia, and Rilke’s family experienced an early rift due to the personality...
Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’: A Masterpiece, but Why Is It Rarely Read?
In this blog post, I’ll explain why Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ should remain a classic rather than a relic of the past, and suggest ways to appreciate this vast work relatively easily. The Scale and Paradox of a Masterpiece Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ is a truly monumental work. First of all, it is so vast in scope that it can be called an epic novel, with a cast...
Why is ‘Anna Karenina’ a novel about death rather than love?
In this blog post, I will examine the hidden meanings of ‘Anna Karenina’ by reinterpreting it—not as a simple love story, but through the lens of Levin’s reflections on death and the questions of life and death. There is a book titled ‘The Ideal Library on a Desert Island’, which asks readers to name the three books they would take with them if stranded on a desert...
What is the meaning of life and death learned from The Death of Ivan Ilyich?
In this blog post, I aim to deeply reflect on the essence of life and death through Leo Tolstoy’s ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’. I’ve wondered what I would do today if I knew I would die tomorrow. I worried about my parents. I should tell them I love them and thank them. The rest of my family and friends would be sad too. But the most pitiable person was me. Since I am the one who...
Why do we avoid talking about death and only grasp its meaning at life’s end?
In this blog post, we reflect on why we avoid talking about death and only grasp its meaning at life’s end. Facing Death Every human being will eventually face death. Death is as natural and inevitable as growing old. Yet in modern society, discussing death is often considered taboo, and people tend to avoid it intensely. When someone brings up death, most people react uncomfortably...
The Death of Ivan Ilyich (How Can We Find Meaning in Life?)
This blog post explores how we can find meaning in life through ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich,’ focusing on regret and reflections on life. We all experience many regrets as we live our lives. We often think things like, “I wish I had studied harder for that exam…” or “I wish I had been kinder to my parents…” There is a fundamental difference between these two types of regret...