Anthony Briggs Livres

Tolstoï a voulu que l'action de Guerre et Paix débute comme un jet d'eau dont les mille gouttelettes iraient s'éparpiller ensuite de tous les côtés. Le jet d'eau jaillit avec une telle force qu'il retombe en pluie, en torrent fougueux qui charrient toute la Russie. Y voguent, y chevauchent au son des cloches et du canon, des armées entières, des personnages historiques -Napoléon, Koutouzov, Alexandre - et des êtres non moins célèbres bien que sortis de l'imagination du lion Tolstoï : le très beau et très valeureux prince André, le moins beau mais tout aussi séduisant Pierre Bézoukhov, Natacha, l'adorable pécheresse ... Œuvre immense, monument de la littérature, aucun adjectif n'est ridicule qui s'applique à Guerre et Paix, mais aucun ne lui rend justice. C'est le chef-d'œuvre du roman historique, le chef-d'œuvre du roman de tous les genres et de tous les temps.

The book explores the life of Tolstoy, born in 1828 in central Russia, highlighting his experiences as a soldier and his evolution into a celebrated writer. It focuses on his iconic novels, "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina," while Anthony Briggs analyzes these works alongside others. The narrative delves into the complexities of Tolstoy's character and examines the impact of two detrimental figures in his life, whose influence significantly altered both his personal journey and literary career.

A new short biography of the author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, by a preeminent Russian scholar In this compelling new biography Anthony Briggs explores the effect of Dostoevsky's turbulent life on his literary genius. Described by one contemporary as "the Shakespeare of the lunatic asylum," Dostoevsky famously divided critics during his lifetime. His childhood and family life have been the subject of scrutiny, most famously in inspiring Freud’s essay "Dostoevsky and Parricide." In later life his membership of the Petrashevsky Circle of liberal intellectuals resulted in his prosecution by the authorities: he was forced to attend a mock execution and then exiled for four years to a Siberian prison camp.