A Lev Tolstoy you have to read it at least once in your life. In any of his works. From his aphorisms to his great novels like one of the most important writers in literature universal. But you have to read it. And in a new anniversary of his birth September 9, 1828 is the best thing to do. So there they go some fragments of his most recognized titles.
Story of a horse (1886)
“I understood very well what they were saying about spanking and Christianity. But it was completely obscure to me, at that time, the word su, from which I could deduce that people established a link between the head of the stables and me. Then I could not understand in any way what that link consisted of. Only much later, when I was separated from the other horses, did I explain to myself what that meant. At that time, I was not able to understand what it meant that I was owned by a man. The words my horse, which referred to me, a living horse, were as strange to me as the words: my land, my air, my water.
Aphorisms
A day will come when men will stop fighting each other, waging war, condemning people to death; a day when they will love each other. And that moment will inevitably come, because in the soul of all men love for their fellow men has been implanted, and not hatred. Let us do what we can to hasten the arrival of that moment.
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If you live among the people, do not forget what you learned alone. And when you are alone, meditate on what you learned from your relationships with people.
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If you live among the people, do not forget what you learned alone. And when you are alone, meditate on what you learned from your relationships with people.
Ana Karenina
«My love becomes at times more passionate and prouder while his is fading; and so we distance ourselves from each other; and we can do nothing to change this situation. For me, he is everything and I demand that he give himself to me completely, instead he tends more and more to distance himself from me. Before our relationships we went to meet each other and now we go irresistibly in opposite ways. And it is impossible for us to change. He tells me, and I have told myself, that I am foolishly jealous. It is not true: I am not jealous: I am unhappy.
The death of Ivan Ilyich
Iván Ilích saw that he was dying and was in a continuous state of despair. Deep in her soul she knew she was dying, but not only did she not get used to it; I just couldn't understand it ... It can't be that life is so meaningless, so disgusting. If it is true that life is so disgusting and so meaningless, then why die and die suffering? No, something is missing here. "Maybe I haven't lived the way I should have," he said to himself, and immediately removed that single solution to the mystery of life and death as something absolutely impossible ... He searched within himself for the customary fear of death and did not find it. .
-Where is she? What death? -There was no fear because there was no death either. Instead of death there was light.
"So that's it," he said suddenly aloud. What a joy!
-Was over! said someone above him.
Ivan Illich heard these words and repeated them in the depths of his soul.
"Death is over," he told himself. It does not exist anymore.
He sucked in the air, stopped in mid-sigh, stretched, and died.
Guerra y paz
Pierre entered the office. Prince Andrei, whom he found greatly changed, was dressed in civilian clothes. He undoubtedly seemed to have improved in health, but he had a new vertical wrinkle on his forehead, between his eyebrows; he talked to his father and Prince Meschersky and argued with energy and passion. They were talking about Speranski: the news of his sudden banishment and alleged betrayal had just reached Moscow.
"Now he is judged and blamed by all those who praised him a month ago and those who were not capable of understanding his aims," Prince Andrei said. It is very easy to judge the disgraced and blame all the errors of others. But I tell you that if something good has been done during this reign, we owe it to him and no one else.
He stopped when he saw Pierre. There was a slight shudder on his face and he instantly assumed a grim expression.
"Posterity will do him justice," he finished, and turned to Pierre. How are you? You keep getting fat! He smiled cheerfully. But the recent wrinkle on his forehead deepened.
Pierre asked him about his health.
"I'm fine," said the prince with a wry smile, and Pierre clearly read in Andrei's smile: "I'm fine, it's true, but nobody cares about my health."