Secondary sourceBook1908–1910
The Life of Tolstoy
Aylmer Maude · 1908–1910
A biography of Tolstoy by his friend and English translator Aylmer Maude, written with Tolstoy's cooperation.
This biography of Tolstoy was written by his close friend and translator, with Tolstoy's own cooperation.
About this source
What it is
The Life of Tolstoy is a two-volume biography written by Aylmer Maude between 1908 and 1910, covering Tolstoy's first fifty years and his later years. Maude knew Tolstoy personally, visited him often, and translated several of his works.
Why it matters
Because Maude lived in Russia, knew Tolstoy well, and stayed with him at Yasnaya Polyana, his biography is considered a close contemporary account rather than a distant later study. It shows how people close to Tolstoy understood, and sometimes disagreed with, his views, including on topics like the Doukhobor migration that Maude helped arrange.
Look closer
- Why does Maude say he is both close to Tolstoy and able to be impartial about him?
- What advantages and risks come from a biography written by a personal friend?
- What might a biography by someone less close to Tolstoy look like differently?
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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