Childhood, Boyhood, Youth

Childhood, Boyhood, Youth #1-3

by Leo Tolstoy, Dora O'Brien

A brand-new translation of Tolstoy's autobiographical trilogy  Tolstoy’s first published work, completed in 1856,  recounts his early life up to his university days. These are not memoirs in the strict sense of the word, as the author’s Stendhalian take on the autobiographical genre confronts and blurs the notions of reality and imagination, combining nostalgic anecdote with frank personal assessment and philosophical extrapolation. An early display of Tolstoy’s storytelling genius, written in his classically simple yet colorful language, these chronicles provide the reader with invaluable insight into the personal and literary development of one of the greatest writers of all time. Additional materials include essays on Tolstoy's life and his works, a translator's note, and early reviews.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Russia, Russian Literature, Literature, 19th Century, Novels

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1886

About the author

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой; most appropriately used Liev Tolstoy; commonly Leo Tolstoy in Anglophone countries) was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. Tolstoy is equally known for his complicated and paradoxical persona and for his extreme moralistic and ascetic views, which he adopted after a moral crisis and spiritual awakening in the 1870s, after which he also became noted as a moral thinker and social reformer.

His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reviews

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just preface this by saying, Tolstoy can do no wrong in my eyes. This is what you may call a biased review… with that being said, I shall proceed!

Childhood was the first work of fiction written by young Leo Tolstoy. It was supposedly his one and only attempt at writing like Charles Dickens, a major idol of his. Historian Simon Schama described Childhood as, “...one of the most mawkish and awkward and forced and sentimental and disingenuous of all the things that Tolstoy did…” Which in fact is true, especially when you compare it to his major works, such as Anna Karenina. Childhood doesn’t even come close to scratching the endless and cosmic surface of Anna Karenina. What it does do is show the little brilliances that were inside him from the very beginning. Those little brilliances will later multiple and become the groundbreaking prose that make up his major works.
Childhood Boyhood Youth is a trilogy chronicling the early years of our narrator Nikolenka, who was born into a family of high standing in Russian society. We follow him from his childhood as an innocent and doting son, through his boyhood and early schooling, into his youth as he works towards his university studies. The trilogy doesn’t conform to a structured plot, but shows Nikolenka’s evolution through his thoughts, beliefs, and actions.
My personal favorite out of the three parts was Childhood. The tender relationship (child) Nikolenka had with his mother felt palpable, like their love came off the page. “When Mama smiled, as fine as her face was, it was made incomparably better, and everything around seemed more cheerful. If in the difficult moments of my life I could have had a glimpse of that smile, I would never have known the meaning of sorrow.”
As Nikolenka grows up and experiences loss, and therefore his loss of innocence, we see a great change in him. “Only those capable of strong love can experience strong grief, but the very need to love serves as a counterweight to their grief and heals them.” In Boyhood we see him develop from a sheltered child into an insecure and uncertain boy. This part of his life is filled with trepidation and a desire to belong, while trying to figure out what kind of person he wants to become. Later in Youth, Nikolenka’s arrogance and bigotry replaces his feelings of inadequacy. His high ranking position and the faulty influence of others proves to make him into a less than likable person. The subtle brilliance of this story lies in the sincerity and clarity with which his growth is represented.
Tolstoy doesn’t just tell a story, he holds up a mirror to society and shows us (past and present readers) the world we all inhabit. To quote Simon Schama again, “What Tolstoy did was go to a different place, and that different place he went to was into the modern world. He’s as much a part of our experience, more so perhaps then he was of the 19th century. And what he did not want to do eventually, was be theatrical like Dickens. He doesn’t actually have characters in his books, he has people. They’re ordinary names for ordinary people.” Unlike Dickens with characters such as: Magwitch, Micawber, or Scrooge. Tolstoy puts purpose into each name, not to describe their character or theatricality, but their position in life, specifically Russian society. I will use Anna Karenina as an example. Anna’s name holds sophistication and tantalizing beauty as it rolls off the tongue. It represents her as a Russian aristocrat. While her full name represents her marital status, which is the most important aspect of her story. Then we have the character nicknamed Kitty, full name Princess Katerina Alexandrovna Shtcherbatcky. The name Kitty holds a feeling of innocence and naivety, which directly relates to her position in society and the story as a whole. These same facets were first present in Childhood. The brilliance is not in the overzealous style of Dickens, but the honesty of Tolstoy.
What I think Tolstoy is trying to show us through Nikolenka, is how even though we as individuals make our own choices, those choices are a direct result of an endless amount of outstanding circumstances. To list a few: your position in society, your upbringing, your family and friend/the people you surround yourself with, your education, your outlook on life, your obligations, your relationships, your personal expectations, societal expectations, your plans for the future, and on and on and on… These are fundamental aspects of who a person was, who a person is, and who a person becomes. And why Tolstoy’s works stand the test of time, is because the modern reader is dealing with this, just as 19th century readers were dealing with this. It is a part of living that time doesn’t come close to touching. We 21st century readers still read Tolstoy because we can relate and sympathize with the people that live among his words. When reading a work of Tolstoy’s, you don’t just see characters, you see yourself reflected back in that metaphorical mirror I referred to earlier. Essentially, Tolstoy is immortal because he lives on in all of us. That is what I call brilliance!

[Valeriu Gherghel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prima carte a lui Lev Nikolaevici Tolstoi. A anunțat un mare prozator.

Tolstoi a fost un sever observator al păcatelor celorlalți și, nu în ultimul rînd, al păcatelor proprii. Detesta fățărnicia și înfumurarea. Avea și o latură masochistă. În volumul de față, povestește că se ascundea într-o magazie și se biciuia cu frînghia pe spinarea goală. Ținea pe palma întinsă, pînă la epuizare, lexicoanele unui anume Tatișcev. Bănuim că erau niște tomuri foarte groase, enorm de grele.

Simțea adeseori că „a căzut foarte jos”, se învinovățea de tot felul de greșeli și își trasa / aplica perseverent pedepse (fără mare efect!!!). Privea la sine, în oglindă, cu maximă răutate. Citiți:

„Chipul meu (...) avea cele mai obișnuite, mai grosolane și mai urîte trăsături: ochii mici, cenușii, păreau a vădi prostie și nu inteligență... Toate trăsăturile feței trădau moliciune, confuzie, erau nedefinite”.

Era pîndit și de exhibiționism: într-o ocazie și-a ras complet sprîncenele. Izbucnea în plîns cînd asculta Apassionata lui Beethoven. Aprecia, primăvara, mirosul pelinului și rupea crengi tinere pentru a-și biciui obrajii cu ele.

Aș menționa, în treacăt, faptul că Tolstoi a lucrat la carte (și) în timpul unei misiuni în Principatele române. Era ofițer, „praporgic”. A ajuns pînă la București (a dat o fugă și pînă-n Oltenița), apoi s-a întors acasă prin Iași (august-septembrie 1854) și Chișinău. Mor de curiozitate să știu cîte pagini a scris în Iași...

P. S. Un ilustru poet din Iași (care are norocul de a fi contemporan cu mine) mi-a spus odată că Tolstoi nu are umor. Nu găsești nicăieri umor în romanele lui. Pe loc n-am știut ce să zic. Am fost de acord. Apoi mi-am amintit de acest roman. (18.02.23, sîmbătă)

[Marc Lamot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three booklets that more or less autobiographically reflect the youth of the author, in the person of Nikolaj Petrowitjs Irtenjew, a boy who grows up in a very protective aristocratic environment. The pieces of this coming-of-age story were published in 1852, 1853 and 1856 and immediately brought Tolstoi some recognition in the literary world.

The first part, Childhood, describes his blissful time as a little boy at the parental domain in Petrovskoye, the departure for Moscow and the ‘beau monde’ that opens up to him there, until the death of his mother. The book is fluently written, even starts strongly and unusually with the waking up and the morning ritual by the German tutor Karl Ivanich. The distance between child and adults is beautifully illustrated, just as the ambiguous attitude of the child towards the adult world: sticking to conventions, but having different feelings.

Part two, Youth, is set again in Moscow, where the now motherless boy is raised in the home of the distant and very conventional grandmother. Little Niko clearly has a hard time with those conventions. The prepubescent problems culminate in an apotheosis, spying on his father's inappropriate behavior at a family party. Nikolaj (aka Lev) here first discovers the the "social problem": the existence of another world, full of limitations.Stylistically again it offers high quality with especially in the beginning the description of the storm.

Part three, Youthhood, is much more factual and descriptive: how sixteen-year-old Niko is preparing for his university entrance exam, clearly having problems with the people in his immediate and wider environment (as a result of a haughty attitude with which he wants to impress), how he neglects his studies and gets absorbed in society life and eventually fails his exams and is exposed as a loser. This part is less captivating and especially less sparkling than the previous one. Still, it shows a fantastic literary talent in the making.

[Inderjit Sanghera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood, Boyhood and Youth was Tolstoi's first novel, it is the novel, along with Turgenev's 'Sketches' which, at least in it's first part 'Childhood', best celebrates Russian country life and the peasantry. Some of the descriptions of nature would not look out of place from Turgenev's best works, a lot of the character portraits, sympathetic descriptions of lost, pathetic people, obviously influenced Chekhov. It is also nice to see elements of Leo's oft contradictory personality begin to emerge in the book; from his selfless love of other people to his boundless egoism, from his compassion to his vast imagination, the book is a description of the emergence of a genius; one even sees Tolstoi's literary alter ego's emerge; shy, awkward mawkardishly romantic Levin can be sensed in many of the ball scenes, where an embarassed Leo glowers in the corner. Overall a beautiful book and well worth a read.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Childhood, Boyhood and Youth is that of Nikolai or Kolya, the central character and narrator. Although set in Czarist Russia in the 19th century this experience of growing up feels universal. I blushed with him and hung my head with his as I read of his young priggishness: the same feelings I’ve experienced when looking through diaries foolishly kept at a tender age.

The writing here is sublime, particularly Childhood. Reading this reminded me how much I love Russian literature, at least what I have read so far. Nicky’s world is that of a stratified Russia and he is conscious of his place in it upon exiting the womb.

[Darwin8u · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here are my reviews of:

1. Childhood - ★★★
2. Boyhood - ★★★★
3. Youth - ★★★

[morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

one thing that drives from the pure excellence that is Tolstoy's writing is that you don't just picture everything your reading, you feel embedded within it

[Bojan Medić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selindžer je jednom napisao da ono što ga stvarno obara jeste knjiga posle koje poželiš da ti je njen pisac najbolji prijatelj, i da možeš da ga okreneš telefonom kad god ti dođe.

Prva knjiga u životu koja me je oborila u toj meri da sam poželeo sve što je Selindžer napisao, pa čak i više, da odem pravo pred piščeva vrata (da je tako nešto, jelte, moguće), je „Detinjstvo, dečaštvo, mladost“, Lava Tolstoja.

Pročitao sam je bezmalo pet puta.

Svaki put kad uzmem da je čitam govorim sebi kako preterujem, kako sam prethodni put bio u melanholičnom raspoloženju čim sam se toliko primio na priču, i čim me je toliko raspametila i raspilavila. Ali već sa prvom stranicom osetim kako me priča ponovo uvlači u sebe, i priziva sećanja na detinjstvo. I više mi nema povratka i spasa dok je ne pročitam do kraja. I onda me, kao i obično, priča povede od smeha do suza, i na kraju dotuče.

Ima delova gde moram da prekinem sa čitanjem ne verujući šta sam pročitao. To su oni delovi gde imam utisak da čitam opise iz svog detinjstva. Tada se obično prepustim maštanju i zamišljam kako odlazim kod Tolstoja u Jasnu poljanu sa željom da ga pitam kako je sve uspeo da prenese na papir, kako je uspeo tako uverljivo da dočara sve one gotovo neuhvatljive detinje misli i sva ona tanana detinja osećanja.

Svaki put kada završim sa čitanjem obavezno pogledam u Tolstojevu sliku. Tad naprasno shvatim da to nije više onaj mršavi starac sa dugom, belom bradom kojeg sam video pre početka čitanja. Tad već mogu jasno da nazrem da je to čarobnjak iz drevnih legendi, čarobnjak koji je svoj čarobni štap zamenio perom i svetu podario neprocenjivo blago; čarobnjak i „moj najbolji prijatelj“.

[Steven R. Kraaijeveld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth were Tolstoy's first published works; they are loosely based on his early life up to his university days, told from the perspective of a boy named Nikolenka as he makes his way through the joys and miseries of childhood and early adulthood. Some parts of the trilogy are more interesting and better worked out than others; there is enough in them to hold interest, however, and one can see the germs of Tolstoy's later genius in this early writing. Many themes that he will later develop more emphatically and memorably, like the idea of self-improvement, ideas related to theology, piety, and morality, jealousy, desire, the aristocracy vs. the common people and their relative worth, death and dying, honesty, friendship, familial relations, and of course youth, are present here. As is his story-telling ability, which, it should be clear, is forever beyond doubt.

[Abolfazl · Rating 4 out of 5]

برای علاقه مندان به تولستوی کتاب مفیدی است تا بیشتر با افکار و احساسات او آشنا شوند. برای غیر علاقه مندان هم چون به صورت داستانی خاطرات را بیان می کند سرگرم کننده است و حالت داستان های کوتاه را دارد.

[Brodolomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upečatljiv početak jednog velikog književnog opusa. Kada kažem početak, ne mislim samo na trilogiju u celini, već na prvi pasus Detinjstva – ubijena muva pada na nos i budi usnulog desetogodišnjeg junaka, koji dremljivo i razdraženo počinje da sagledava svet oko sebe. Otvoriti oči ujutru, uvek je susret sa kosmosom vrednim istraživanja.

Bez pravog romanesknog zapleta. Više nizanje epizoda kroz tri vremenske etape odrastanja: Detinjstvo - rajska bašta. Dečaštvo – pustinja. Mladost – dekorativni vrt plastičnog cveća. Od idealizovanog detinjstva na selu do korozivno izveštačene mladosti u gradu. Put odrastanja nesumnjivo oblikovan pod uticajem Rusoa, Tolstojeve omiljene lektire.

Četvrti deo nikada nije napisan, iako se treća knjiga završava obećanjem da će čitalac dobiti i četvrti nastavak. Sudeći po obećanju, četvrti deo je trebalo da pripoveda o Nikolinom duševnom preporodu i pokušaju da se odgovori na pitanje kako moralno živeti. Sva kasnija Tolstojeva književna ostvarenja pokušavaju da odgovore na ovo pitanje, tako da ispadne da smo umesto četvrte knjige, dobili sva ostala Tolstojeva ostvarenja (sa doduše nerešenim pitanjem).

[Gebanuzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

El poder de León Tolstói radica en que se adentra a esa cueva oscura y poco penetrable que es la psique misma del humano. En este texto, que al parecer no es de los favoritos del propio Tolstói -Lo menciona en la parte de "recuerdos" anexos al libro-, es una mezcla entre sus recuerdos de infancia, el querer retratar a amigos de la infancia, y claro, ficción.

Me encanta que en los textos de este autor siempre hay un momento en que simplemente me pierdo, toma mi mente, y no puedo parar de leerlo. Es bella la sinceridad con que nos relata los días del personaje principal, que va entre realidad y ficción. Un chico ocioso, caprichoso y pretencioso. Pero también con vertientes... un mar de ideas que agitan las islas de su psique, van rompiendo la paz, la culpa, el amor, la atracción, la admiración, la resignación, el miedo, el dolor... Tolstói crea bosques con veredas, en las que podemos ver desde los amaneceres, hasta el ocaso.

[Andreea Toader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars!

[Evandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Achei esse livro excepcional. Ainda está muito fresco em minha mente, o que me impede um pouco de dizer o que senti exatamente, ao lê-lo. Já se sente aqui aquele tom de arrependimento, de busca da redenção por uma vida desperdiçada, que se vê em "A morte de Ivan Ilitch". Mas é, acima de tudo, um livro bem escrito, cheio de lugares belamente descritos e de estados interiores profundamente explorados e meditados. E a tradução é fenomenal!

[Bakunin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting portrait of a nobleman growing up in 50's Russia. I enjoyed Childhood as well as Boyhood more than Youth although Youth did get me to reflect on my own experiences at the university. I found Tolstoy's perspective to be candid and at times amusing. Obviously not a great work but nonetheless worth reading!

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Infanzia: 3
Adolescenza: 4
Giovinezza: 2

Questo ragazzino alla fine diventa uno spocchioso ed infido personaggio. Rimangono meravigliosi i brani sulla natura.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading anything by Tolstoy, and so I was hesitant, afraid it would be too dense or difficult to parse through. That wasn’t the case. Childhood, Boyhood, Youth is easy to read, the prose is rich and in some places comforting. Despite being written over one hundred and fifty years ago, it is remarkably relatable. This novel deals with issues of identity, spirituality, emotions, sexuality, classism, poverty and gender roles in 1800’s Russian society.

Childhood, Boyhood, Youth was the first work written by Tolstoy, and as a result it is flawed, but it is also beautiful. Each part was written about different stages of life, and was intended to culminate in the fourth movement Manhood. Unfortunately, the tetralogy was left unfinished, and so the impact of the story as whole is less effective. As a result, CBY is best dissected as a study of its parts, and not as the sum of its parts. For me, I found Boyhood to be the most well written, with Childhood coming in second, and Youth in a very firm last. CBY is a study of memories, emotions and identity that leave the reader with a sense they are watching the narrator grow up. It recalls images of our own childhoods, and the events that shaped us into who we are now.

First works are always interesting to read, because it shows you the authors roots, their beginnings, and with Tolstoy this is no difference. Already at this early stage in his career, it is clear he is a talented writer, but not yet adept at plot and characterization (Especially with his female characters). In some parts it feels clumsy, especially when the first person narration suddenly shifts without preamble –or arguably, necessity. As I have not read any other Tolstoy, I can’t compare this (yet) to his later works.

In this novel, we are following Nikolay Irtenev as he grows up in Russia. This story is mostly fiction, but it is heavily influenced by Tolstoy’s own life, and it’s hard to tell how much of what Nikolay experience is fiction and truth. Many of the characters share names of Tolstoy’s family members and friends. The narrator, Nikolay, is one of Tolstoy’s brothers names.

Tolstoy structured all three parts with brief chapters, leaving little pockets of memories for us to reflect on. It leaves the reader with the sense that they are peering into the narrators past, looking in on crucial moments that shaped him. Why is the narrator the way he is? Well, Tolstoy lays it all out on the page for us. It felt somewhat like that scene in Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince when Harry uses the pensieve to view Dumbledore & Snape’s memories. (Yes, I can relate everything back to HP, it’s a problem I have)

Nikolay in childhood is curious, imaginative. Nikolay in boyhood is labile, anxious, and confused. Nikolay in youth is... well... prideful, pompous, and totally lost, whether he recognizes it or not. While it makes for a difficult read, weren’t most of us like this as we were young? Don’t we all look back on our past selves and think, ‘goodness, what was I thinking? Why did I act that way?’ Haven’t we all at one point or another wanted to reclaim that childhood innocence we once had?

CBY stands the test of time because the issues Nikolay faces –– identity, classism, gender roles, sexuality, parental expectations –– are all relatable today. Many of the situations he ends up in made me recall something similar from my own past. It’s remarkable to me that Tolstoy found a way for readers to find common ground with him, despite the barriers of time and culture.

While I had some issues with CBY, it gets a lot of things right.

What Tolstoy gets right with this first work is a depth of character emotions, that while frustrating, feel real, and relatable despite the passage of time. Nikolay may not always make sound choices, but his emotional response is written with a fresh honesty. Tolstoy doesn’t sugar coat Nikolay’s actions, he doesn’t force readers to like Nikolay. And for the most part, I didn’t like Nikolay, and I’m okay with that. He felt real because of his flaws. However, with a coming of age novel it helps to have a character with some redeeming factors... and Nikolay didn’t have any of that for me. I think that if he had finished the series, perhaps Nikolay would have been redeemed, but as for the ending of youth? We see none of that character progression. It feels regressive.

Overall, I enjoyed my reading of this novel. I enjoyed Childhood and Boyhood far more than Youth, and I wish that the series had been completed. I do think this is a valuable look at a writers beginning, especially for those interested in Tolstoy. As for me, I am reading through all of Tolstoy’s works, and starting with his humble beginnings will hopefully make my experience reading his greater works (War and Peace & Anna Karenina) more powerful. However, I don’t think this is a novel I would read again.

Last Note: One can glean some insight into how Manhood may have ended, by looking at Tolstoy’s own life. After failing at University, Tolstoy gets his life together, begins writing, and becomes a success. A similar fate may have been meant for Nikolay.

childhood: 3
boyhood: 3
youth: 2

[Alex Apetri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Își analizează atât de clar și de dur viața până în primul an de facultate, încât uneori devine chiar inconfortabil de citit.
Recomand.

[lucy✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

“Will the freshness, unconcern, need for love and strength of faith you possess as a child ever return?”

Tolstoy’s novel tracks the growth of Nikolay, spanning from childhood naivety to youthful independence. He illustrates the development of an individual’s sense of self and their understanding of their role within society.

My favourite stage of the novel was childhood because I admired how Tolstoy depicted the nostalgic outlook of Nikolay. He blended the sadness of memory with its comforting presence, and I related to these emotions.

Nikolay as a character was unlikeable. He was both self-important and self-deprecating; I enjoyed Tolstoy’s exploration of this to start with, but became more irritated by the protagonist as the novel progressed. He had an impulsive desire to prove himself to be superior to everyone around him. Despite understanding the intention behind this - Tolstoy shows how privilege breeds this arrogant sense of self - it made the protagonist annoying.

It will be interesting to see how and whether Tolstoy’s exploration of class changes with his later works. Tolstoy did illustrate the impact of social class and privilege on the protagonist, although personally I thought his depiction of servants and lower class characters had space to be developed more.

I’m glad that I’ve finally read a Tolstoy novel and I’m excited to read other works by him.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brand-new, from-scratch translation by Judson Rosengrant of Tolstoy's remarkable trilogy, for Penguin Classics. I heard a chapter of this new translation--chapter 7 of Childhood, the Hunt-- when I was in Russia, in a cabin on the grounds of a monastery in Suzdal, read aloud by the translator. A translation is a very special gift to the world, the gift of tasteful self-effacement, the demand that a work must be truthful on all levels, as close as is humanly possible--to give the reader both the literal sense and the artistic voice. A beautiful, amazing time. Now, six years later, it has just been published, and the definitive translation of Childhood, Boyhood, Youth in this generation. Time to roll up my sleeves and dig in. Like all Tolstoy, it's broken into many short chapters, perfect for a night's reading. Who cares if it's summer in L.A. As I start this, I'm transported back to that January night in that Suzdal monastery, when Judson Rosengrant read us his newly translated chapter: "Wearing a shaggy cap and carrying a knife in his belt and an enormous horn over his shoulder, the master of hounds, nicknamed Turka, rode in front of everyone on a blue roan with a bent nose..."

I'm especially grateful that all of the French and German are translated in this version--nobody mastered languages like the educated Russians of Tolstoy's time. After just having read Gorki's essay on Tolstoy, I'm doubly interested to see what Tolstoy has to say about his own upbringing and the developing mind of childhood--I imagine I'll put this on the shelf next to Nabokov's Speak, Memory. Tolstoy was evidently quite a handful, brilliant and wild and brimming with energy. Can't wait.
***************

[julieta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leer a Tolstoy siempre me deja algo más para reflexionar sobre la vida, sobre como los seres humanos somos tan complejos, vulnerables, y como nuestro intento de integrarnos siempre nos hace un poco falsos. En este libro cuenta el proceso desde la infancia, toda la influencia de la madre en un niño, su muerte, el padre, las hermanas, para de ahí ir conociendo la sociedad, el colegio, los amigos que va haciendo y sus primeros encuentros con el amor (platónico).
Lo que me encanta es su sinceridad para contar lo falso que es uno cuando es joven, estas cosas que con el tiempo parecen tonterías, la necesidad de integrarse, la importancia que nos damos cuando somos chicos. Y el amor! que tampoco conoce en su forma real, sino simplemente conoce ilusiones, que luego pierden importancia rápidamente. Me encanta, cuenta los defectos, las tonterías con una naturalidad y sabiduría, que como siempre, me deja con ganas de leer más de el gran tolstoy.

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading first novels by certain authors this year and Tolstoy being a favorite of mine, I was looking forward to his debut. I did not read this edition but did read a collection of his works with Childhood (1852), Boyhood (1854) and Youth (1856). I wonder how much of this story is reality and how much his youth had an influence on his novels and his life. I found his thoughts so universal to growing up, that if not for the characteristics of this epoch, I felt it could be a story of today. His awkwardness, his conceit and his contradictory shyness where stumbling blocks to his greater plan of life, as well as so many ideas and thoughts made this truly a coming to age novel. I laughed with him and also felt embarrassed during his trials in the optimisation of youth.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmingly sentimental, awfully naive but oh so enjoyable! Without a doubt, this is Tolstoy's first novel and character development wise this book isn't him at his best, especially when it comes to female characters. However, this has the trusted old Russian style of nature description and I really enjoyed how nature and emotions were linked together. The narrator, Nikolai, who we follow from childhood to teenage years, is frustrating at parts but I found his selfishness and pride fun to follow. He didn't, however, really grow as a character which I was expecting and that is why development and plot wise the book fell short for me. All the stars to Tolstoy's writing and nature descriptions, though.

[Cat]

Credo, que provação foi ler este livro!

Tolstoy pode ter sido um grande escritor, ‘Anna Karenina’ pode ser uma excelente história, mas este conjunto de historietas sem qualquer interesse, duma personagem ali a roçar o execrável, falhou completamente no que toca a entusiasmar-me.

Definitivamente um valente ‘não’ para mim. Não vou dizer que foi uma perda de tempo, mas houve momentos em que pensei em pôr o livro de parte. Para todo o sempre.

E um franzir de sobrolho à Relógio D’Água por ter conseguido uma tradução para o português que, em muitos momentos, me deixou sem perceber o que estava escrito. Li algumas parte deste livro em inglês e achei bastante mais fácil de entender.

Foi pena.

[Lectora Empedernida · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 🌟

Estas memorias realmente reúnen tres obras que el autor escribió por separado (Infancia, Adolescencia, Juventud) y en ellas hay ficción pero también mucho de autobiográfico, hallamos a Tolstói en la voz del narrador, Nicolás Petrovitch. A través de este personaje nos muestra parte de su vida, de su persona e inquietudes.

No me ha resultado tedioso o denso de leer, más al contrario, creo que tiene una lectura muy accesible, siendo sumamente interesante en muchos puntos. Eso sí, no esperes un inicio, desarrollo y final, no tiene cierre ya que el autor dejo inconclusas estas memorias.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love and respect Tolstoy's work, especially this book.. it was like he knew what was I thinking and feeling at the same moment I was reading it. His sense of feeling, his unique way of describing nature around him, his honesty.. and.. you just get sucked into his world and his mindset.

All in all, pure and beautiful book. It meant a lot to me.
Recommendations 4 sho! <3

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best treatments of youth I’ve ever encountered. Funny. Self-effacing. Charming. Even if you didn’t love War and Peace or Tolstoy’s other famous novels, you might love these little books.

[Shauny Free Palestine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely find a book that I find painful from start to finish, but sadly, Tolstoy, who is responsible for two of my favourite stories ever, War and Peace, and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, managed to offer me one, with Childhood, Boyhood, Youth.

A boring story, with insufferable characters that reek of privilege, I haven't felt such an unenjoyable experience in literature since The Middle Years, by Henry James. Both feature the most pompous protagonists, with little or nothing to offer.

The difference between the prose here and Tolstoy's later novels is like night and day. Everything and everyone is dreary, longwinded, professing love every five minutes then calling women ugly and stupid, just rancid stuff. For anyone who has read Tolstoy's highly regarded classics will be in for a shock here.

[Nikola Jankovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Možda sam imao prevelika očekivanja. Uz Anu Karenjinu i Rat i mir, dve najomiljenije Tolstojeve knjige su mi Smrt Ivana Iljiča i Porodična sreća. Pa tek onda Vaskrsenje. Računao sam da bi ovaj polu-autobiografski triptih o detinjstvu i mladosti mogao da se "umeša u borbu za najviše pozicije", ali nije uspeo.

Rekao bih da se primećuje da je ovo njegovo prvo delo. Iako se mogu prepoznati delovi koji će u kasnijim romanima i novelama postati bravure, ipak je to često bledo. Ne samo to, već knjiga gubi na privlačnosti kako je čitamo. Detinjstvo je najbolji deo - relativno je kratko, pojedini delovi su sjajni, a i nekako opisuje događaje sa kojima sam se mogao poistovetiti. Dečaštvo je za pročitati ali ništa posebno, dok je Mladost već... pa da, dosadna.

Možda je malo neobično i biće mi krivo što uopšte pomišljam da modernog pisca (koji je uz to trenutno i na listama najprodavanijih naslova!) poredim sa Tolstojem... Ali, skoro sam čitao Knausgardovu Moja borba: Prva knjiga, pa mi se komparacija nudila za vreme čitanja. Jasno je da je Tolstojev rad napisan na tradicionalan, na trenutke i arhaičan način, ali to kod mene obično ne mora da znači da mi se zbog toga nešto manje sviđa. Veći problem je da je Knausgarda jednostavno zabavnije čitati.

[Moshtagh hosein · Rating 4 out of 5]

بخش کودکی لذت بخش تر بود،بخش های دیگر هم کشش داشت و این که شبیه به یک عالم داستان کوتاه هست،برای خریدنش شک داشتم ولی انتخاب خوبی در اومد.