Vie de Tolstoï

This vivid portrait follows the rise of the Russian novelist who became a beacon for a whole generation of European readers. Through the eyes of a young French scholar in the late 1880s, we watch the flood of Tolstoy's masterpieces—War and Peace, Anna Karenina, The Death of Ivan Ilyich—burst onto Parisian bookshelves, sparking feverish discussions in cafés and classrooms. The author sketches the lively circles of students, poets, philosophers and mystics who, despite their divergent beliefs, found common ground in Tolstoy's blend of storytelling and moral questioning.

Drawing on newly published letters and excerpts, the biography also reveals Tolstoy's expanding dialogue with thinkers from Asia, especially his poignant exchange with Mahatma Gandhi that foreshadowed a global movement of non‑violent resistance. While tracing his early literary triumphs and the growing weight of his conscience, the narrative remains anchored in the youthful enthusiasm that first greeted his work, offering listeners a sense of the idealism that defined his formative years.