| Edition |
First Pegasus Books cloth edition. |
| Description |
xxi, 309 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-297) and index. |
| Summary |
Describes the relationship between the celebrated Russian author and an obsessed friend, Vladimir Chertkov, a relative to the Tsars and nephew of the secret police, who eventually took over complete control of the writer's life. |
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On the snowy morning of February 8, 1897, the Petersburg secret police were following Tolstoy's every move. At sixty-nine, Russia's most celebrated writer was being treated like a major criminal. Prominent Russians were always watched, but Tolstoy earned particular scrutiny. Over a decade earlier, when his advocacy on behalf of oppressed minorities angered the Orthodox Church and the Tsar, he was placed under permanent police surveillance. Although Tolstoy was wearing his peasant garb, people on the streets had no trouble recognizing him from his portraits. He was often seen in the company of his chief disciple, Vladimir Chertkov. A man of striking appearance, twenty-five years younger, Chertkov commanded attention. His photographs with Tolstoy show him towering over the writer. Close to the Tsars and to the chief of the secret police, Chertkov represented the very things Tolstoy had renounced--class privilege, unlimited power, and wealth. Yet, Chertkov fascinated and attracted Tolstoy. He became the writer's closest confidant, even reading his daily diary, and by the end of Tolstoy's life, had established complete control over the writer and his legacy. Tolstoy's full exchange with Chertkov comprises more than 2,000 letters, making him the writer's largest correspondent. The Russian archives have suppressed much of this communication as well as Chertkov's papers for more than a century. The product of ground-breaking archival research, Tolstoy's False Disciple promises to be a revelatory portrait of the two men and their three-decade-long clandestine relationship. |
| Subject |
Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910 -- Friends and associates.
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Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910 -- Correspondence.
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Chertkov, V. G. (Vladimir Grigorʹevich), 1854-1936 -- Friends and associates.
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Chertkov, V. G. (Vladimir Grigorʹevich), 1854-1936 -- Correspondence.
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Police patrol -- Russia -- Surveillance operations -- History -- 19th century.
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| ISBN |
9781605986401: $28.95 ($32.50 Can.) |
|
1605986402 |
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