Sofia Tolstaya, the Author

Her Literary Works in English Translation

Compiled by Andrew Donskov
Translated by John Woodsworth & Arkadi Klioutchanski
Categories: Literature & Language Studies, World Literature
Publisher: University of Ottawa Press
Ebook (PDF) : 9780776629452, 470 pages, November 2021
Ebook (EPUB) : 9780776629469, 470 pages, November 2021
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Excerpt

“Tolstaya's engaging documentary and belletristic legacy will give a world-wide voice to an important example of a woman's perspective on late nineteenth century Russia history and literature. A highly independent woman, cultured, intelligent and literarily talented professional, who was well in advance of her time.”

Table of contents

Acknowledgements from the First edition

Preface to the Second edition

Explanatory note
Selected genealogy

PART I
Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya: a literary life 

1. Introduction
2. Sofia Andreevna: a literary life in context
3. Autobiographical works
4. Tolstaya’s works of fiction
4.1 First story: Natasha
4.2 Contributions to Tolstoy’s A new primer [Novaja azbuka]
4.3 Story collection: The skeleton-dolls [Kukolki-skelettsy]
4.4 Novella: Who is to blame? [Ch’ja vina?]
4.5 Narrative: Song without words [Pesnja bez slov]
4.6 Poem in prose: Groanings [Stony]
Concluding remarks
Selected chronology 
Bibliography 

PART II
Literary works of Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya
(in English translation) 
1. Natasha
2. A new primer (Stories) [Novaja azbuka (Rasskazy)]

3. The skeleton-dolls and other stories [Kukolki-skelettsy i drugie rasskazy]

3a. The skeleton-dolls (a Christmas story) [Kukolki-skelettsy (Svjatochnyj rasskaz)]  
3b. Grandmother’s treasure-trove (a fable) [Babushkin klad (predanie)]  
3c. The story of a grivennik (a fairy tale) [Istorija grivennika (skazka)]

3d. Vanechka (a true story from his life) [Vanechka (istinnoe proisshestvie iz ego zhizni)]

3e. The rescued dachshund (Vanechka’s story) [Spasënnyj taks (rasskaz Vanechki)]

4. Who is to blame? (novella) [Ch’ja vina? (novella)]  
5. Song without words (narrative) [Pesnja bez slov (povest’)]

6. Groanings (poem in prose) [Stony (stikhotvorenie v proze)]
7. My life (excerpts) [Moja zhizn’ (fragmenty)]

8. Poems by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya published in My life [Stikhotvorenija Sofii Andreevny Tolstoj, opublikovannye v ee memuarakh «Moja zhizn’»]

9. Other poems by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya [Inye stikhotvorenija S.A. Tolstoj]

 Index of names

Description

Dealing with the most topical questions of the time, Sofia Tolstaya’s artistic works—from parables to short stories, novellas, and memoirs—show deep insights into the social context of nineteenth-century Russia.

In his lengthy review of My Life (along with other Tolstaya publications) in Canadian Slavonic Papers, the eminent Tolstoy scholar Hugh McLean (2011) laments the fact that it has taken so long (almost a century after her death) to focus academic attention on Sofia Tolstaya, and that there has been no unified publication of her works, scattered as they are among dated journals or not published at all.

This book aims to help fill this lacuna by offering a critical introduction to her literary output as a writer in her own right, and presenting, for the first time, an anthology of her main artistic works, some in fresh English translation, and others never translated before.