Hadji Murat (Vintage Classics)

This book is a tale within a tale, and I think it is Tolstoy’s best. The foreshadowing of the thistle never gets lost through the change of time and setting. The characters are well-developed, and quickly! To whatever extent possible, this is a fast-paced Tolstoy.There is a glossary of terms after page 115, to use for the Chechen and Caucasian words in the dialog.Every character is true. The story is remarkable, and the translation is literary. Beautiful.

This 120 year old book is all you need to know about the current war in Ukraine. With humanity and a journalist like attention to detail, Tolstoy shows his understanding of the politics and inhumanity of war in Caucasus , Russian imperialist aggression and brutality spanning centuries and the persistence and fragility of the heroic individual trying to survive and save his family. A relevant read.

Everyone seems to focus on this books setting in the Caucasus and its relevance to the modern geopolitical world -- but I think that's a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. This isn't a book about Chechens, Islam, or Terrorism. It's about characters who play out their roles to the best of their ability, yet who, despite their best intentions, cannot escape the predetermined paths layed out before them.Tolstoy paints a picture of people who are the sum of their experiences, and who act based on them. There is no magic spark of free will here -- what you know informs how you act, nothing more. And as we watch these characters interact, it's hard not to empathize with each of them, despite taking actions that run the gamut from honorable to despicable.This is a short read and well worth it, and easily accessible for folks new to Tolstoy. Just make sure to save the Foreward till the end, as its written for people who have read the story before and it reveals some plot points.

I make no claim of being a literary critic; my training and expertise are primarily in mathematics and physics.However, throughout my adult life I have been fascinated by, and drawn to, great Russian literature.Having previously read the massive novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, I find myself wondering how Hadji Murat has, until now, escaped my attention. In my view, it is truly a jewel in Tolstoy's crown. Like a great overture, it begins in subtle nuance and ends in a transcendent crescendo. As the late Richard Feynman said in the context of globular star clusters, "If you can't see gravity here, you have no soul." That may be a contextual stretch, but I believe it to be à propos.I felt both joy and sadness at the novella's conclusion. The implied but unstatedcondemnation of the mindless violence of tsarist Russia is reminiscent of Voltaire's criticism of Leibniz in the persona of Candide's Pangloss. The translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky, as always, provides the reader with a smoothly flowing novella. Having overstepped my limitations as a literary critic, I end by unconditionally recommending this work to those who love great literature.

Not the best of Tolstoy but fascinating all the same. Tolstoy's thorough research and semi-nonfictional writing style make for an absorbing story. In a short book, Tolstoy captures the long-standing Russian - Chechen conflict by recreating the relationship between a late eighteenth century Chechen revolutionary hero and military representatives of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. Tolstoy's attempt to recreate history accurately is remarkably detailed. He provides a sensitive and informative context for better understanding contemporary Russian - Chechen hostility and of the intransigence of conflicts between Islam and the West.

I came to read this indirectly, after Anthony Marra's fine CONSTELLATION OF VITAL PHENOMENA. It was a revelation. Tolstoy is a demanding author, without constant flourishes of great style. But his characters are priceless, from the great to the small. This is the tragic tale of Chechnya in the 19th century, written with great authenticity and sympathy. Its truths are eternal, as people seem to want to savage each other in the name of empire or something.

Well, the bombers weren't freedom fighters. But this, Tolstoy's last novel (and the length of a long short story) is fascinating. His hero was a real freedom fighter against the RussIans inhabiting his territory in the early 19th century. Tolstoy comes to sympathize to some extent with his hero as he exposes the idiocy of the Russians, who in our time murdered tens of thousands of Chechens. I recommend it highly for its literary excellence even as it give us some historical perspective.

this is a good new translation of the classic short late novel by tolstoy. the best thing about it is that it makes a great old story more readily available. for those who appreciate a suspenseful adventure tale with a tragic ending, this is a must. in addition, in an age of "relevance", this caucasian adventure takes place in chechnya. what could be more pertinent?

Good book. Arrived on time . Condition v good.

Good quality printing