Secondary sourceBook1920
Reminiscences of Leo Nicolayevitch Tolstoi
Maxim Gorky · 1920
Maxim Gorky's personal memoir describing his meetings with Tolstoy, published after Tolstoy's death.
A personal memoir by Gorky, who knew Tolstoy and spent time with him in Crimea.
About this source
What it is
This memoir was written by the Russian author Maxim Gorky, recalling his personal encounters with Leo Tolstoy. Part of it was written between 1900 and 1901 while both writers were living in the Crimea, and part is a letter Gorky wrote in 1910. It was first published in Russian in 1919 and translated into English in 1920 by S. S. Koteliansky and Leonard Woolf.
Why it matters
Because Gorky knew Tolstoy personally and spent time with him, this memoir gives a firsthand glimpse of Tolstoy as a person, not just a famous author. It also reflects the close literary circle of the time, which included Chekhov.
Look closer
- Why might notes written at the time Gorky knew Tolstoy feel different from the later 1910 letter?
- What can a personal memoir reveal that a formal biography cannot?
- Why do you think Gorky waited to publish these reminiscences until after Tolstoy died?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leo Tolstoy on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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