Leo Tolstoy - Thoughts from the book 'For Every Day' (1909)

[petrustella]

Thanks a lot for this opportunity to enter in contact more directly with his soul...

I am listening it, preparing a speech on his teachings, for the commemorations of the centenary of his death, in Portugal...

[marcusflores09]

I've studied Russian, and I have to say his grasp of English is absolutely startling.

[hislord]

this man is amazing, and his convictions that he expressed in his book Redemption was what i went through in life. i don't want to bring religion into this but this man has truly reached what i would describe as a true christian....my life an convictions were so similar to his and i discovered i wasn't the only one who had them. unfortunately everyone religious and non-religious alike have accused me of stupidity.

[abspathi]

yes... yes.........say yes to pacifism. Magic of the green stick, the peace of a grassed grave,........ all did really hit my mind.

[raggedclown]

Thanks for a fascinating upload. Nice story of how you came by the recording too.

[polymath7]

I had no idea this recording existed. Would that I knew a word of Russian!

[Friggs0820]

In my experience, thinking too much will drive a man crazy.

No doubt Tolstoy had bouts of madness since he was the ultimate thinker.

[Friggs0820]

Tolstoy is on another level. His ability to psychoanalyze a person before it became a professional practice still impresses me greatly.

What made Tolstoy a genius was his ability to fully understand people. A lot of writers paint inaccurate portrayals of people and the world. Tolstoy was precise in his portrayals. He could take on the viewpoint of anyone and I bet this characteristic led him to suffer in his personal life a great deal.

[polymath7]

Indeed, Tolstoy's grasp of human nature is simply unrivaled in all of literature, with the *sole* exception of Shakespeare.

But, though Shakepeare's characters are faultlessly convincing and authentic, they don't seem palpably *real*, if you know what I mean.

Andrei Bolkonski and Pierre Bezhukov however, though they dwell in a Tszarist Russia that could scarcely be more disimilar to the American midwest where I grew up, seem more tangibly real and alive to me than most my extended family.

[axionication]

Utterly amazing. Never thought it.

Thanks.

[vstasov]

Magnificent archiving.  Thank you.

[5tranger]

can someone tell me what the hell he just said?

[MacJaxonManOfAction]

Read the video description, the words are in there

[WC3POchannel10A]

"Are thou doing the right thing?" - a question I try to remember every day. Thank you for presenting this. Tolstoy is my favorite author.

[ateleia]

WOW!

[blueperegrine]

I ADORE HIM! I had no idea he spok English too.

[Marcolopolis5]

Thanks for this upload. It is surreal to hear his voice.

[weimeranar]

I agree, Tolstoy is the first among a galaxy of great Russian authors. A thrill to hear his voice. Thanks so much.