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Primary sourceNewspaper article14 November 1888

Tolstoy Essay on Happiness in a Norwegian-Language Newspaper

Leo Tolstoy · 14 November 1888

A Norwegian-American newspaper's 1888 translation of a Tolstoy essay arguing that true happiness depends on free contact with all people.

A translated reprint of Tolstoy's own essay, showing the international spread of his ideas during his lifetime.

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Scanned newspaper page in Norwegian-language Fergus Falls ugeblad, 1888-11-14. Columns of small black-letter text, with the serial story 'Kommandörens Döttre' at top left and several advertisements on the right, including Chicago Dry Goods Store and Santa Claus Soap.
Fergus Falls Ugeblad, 14 November 1888. Library of Congress. Text reproduced here is an AI-generated OCR reading of a translation, not Tolstoy's original words.

About this source

What it is

This is a page from the Fergus Falls Ugeblad, a Norwegian-language newspaper in Minnesota, printed in 1888. It reprints a translated essay by Leo Tolstoy in which he argues that true happiness requires free and loving contact with all people, and that rising in society narrows and lowers the circle of people one can truly connect with. The page is held by the Library of Congress; its text here is a copy of an AI-generated OCR reading, which may contain errors.

Why it matters

This shows how Tolstoy's ideas, originally written in Russian, spread internationally during his lifetime, reaching immigrant communities in the United States through translation. It reflects his growing concern with moral and social questions rather than only fiction.

Look closer

  • Why might this essay have been of interest to Norwegian immigrants in Minnesota?
  • What is lost or changed when an essay is translated into another language?
  • What does Tolstoy's argument suggest about his view of wealth and social status?

This newspaper article 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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