A survey of the writer's principal artistic works, treated in relation to his life and to developments in Russian and European literature. Extensive outside reading required for this course.

This course offers an introduction in translation to the work of Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy wrote in many forms and genres, and we will read a variety of texts, but most of our attention will be devoted to his two masterpieces: War and Peace and Anna Karenina. These are thrilling and engaging works; they are also very long. Students enrolled in this course should be prepared to read and discuss between 200 and 300 pages per week. While we will consider historical and biographical context, our focus will be on close reading of the texts and on discussion of the work’s formal and ethical dimensions. Texts include: Leo Tolstoy. Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth. Modern Library. Random House, 0-375-75944-1 Leo Tolstoy. Anna Karenina. Penguin, 978-0-14-303500-8 Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy’s Short Fiction. Norton Critical Edition, 978-0393931501 Leo Tolstoy. War and Peace. Vintage, 978-1400079988

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills