The Sebastopol Sketches (Penguin Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Leo Tolstoy (Author), David McDuff (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995 | Series: Penguin Classics

In the winter of 1854 Tolstoy, then an officer in the Russian army, arranged to be transferred to the besieged town of Sebastopol. Wishing to see at first hand the action of what would become known as the Crimean War, he was spurred on by a fierce patriotism, but also by an equally fierce desire to alert the authorities to appalling conditions in the army. The three "Sebastopol Sketches" - December', May' and August' - re-create what happened during different phases of the siege and its effect on the ordinary men around him. Writing with the truth as his utmost aim, he brought home to Russia's entire literate public the atrocities of war. In doing so, he realized his own vocation as a writer and established his literary reputation.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140444688
• ISBN-13: 978-0140444681
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > History > Europe > Ukraine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Afraid to embark on "War and Peace"? Try "Sevastopol" first, April 8, 2000

By 

Igor Otshelnik - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sebastopol Sketches (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

What can I say after this great previous review by a reader from Dayton, OH? It is true, in this book Tolstoy was a little bit obsessed about revealing the characters' vanity and feigned bravery, but he also did not conceal the other side of war experience:

"He truly would have become a hero, if from P. he had gotten straight onto the bastions, but now he needed to go through a great deal of moral tribulations in order to mould into that calm, patient man, in toil and danger, the kind of man we are used to seeing in a Russian officer. But it was already too hard to revive enthusiasm in him." (Sevastopol in August 1855, Chapter 5, last paragraph")

Tolstoy shows here that eventually a lot of Russian officers get used to the danger and nearness of death and consequently become more at peace with themselves and vain no more. So there was objectivity in his reasoning! There was another episode in "Sevastopol in May 1855" about a naval officer who had gone through the same stages to become that "calm, patient" type.

I regard "Sevastopol" as a much better piece of prose than "Childhood, Boyhood and Youth", esp. "May" and "August". The descriptions are sometimes so realistic and characters so alive that one feels his/her personal involvement, you feel like "you're there"! The ugliness of war becomes vividly indelible, our moral obligation for peace and Christian love is put forth with as the only humanly acceptable option and as the previous reviewer noticed, you can see one of the greatest novelists ever, emerging on the literary field.

I really think that "Sevastopol" as well as a number of his other stories about war (The Invaders", "Cutting of the Forest", etc.) were a preparation for his giant "War and Peace". As any talented writer, or artist, rather, Tolstoy grew as he created and so he could not stop until he could fully realize himself and create something equal to his stature, something as beautiful and live as life itself, as opposed to something ugly and terrifying as war and death. All that was accomplished in "War and Peace", so if you like "Sevastopol" and the like, welcome to the world of "War and Peace": you will be fully gratified!

PS By the way, I read "Sevastopol" in Russian, and it was the uncensored (!) version. See, what happened was that in 1855-56 the censors cut out a great deal of the most poignant, critical text, without which the work became a literary cripple. Only years after that was it restored to its original condition. This "Penguin" edition seems to be not only very informative about the background of the work, but the translation is based on the CORRECT original version, and, of course, David McDuff did a wonderful translation job. "Penguin" is not known for durability of its copies, but in this case I highly recommend this particular translation. The difference between the correct and censored versions is outrageous! For example, in "Sevastopol in August" (see "Penguin/David McDuff" version), there is chapter 5 about a cowardly officer from P. In the other translations it is completely cut out! Of course, it is not the translators' fault. I could go on and on about it, but it is not necessary. I just want you to read the right stuff:)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tolstoy at War, June 20, 2001

By 

bibliomane01 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sebastopol Sketches (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

The young Tolstoy took part in the defence of Sebastopol (1854-55) during the Crimean War, and these sketches (parts of which were written under fire) record his impressions of the drama and tumult of war. The first sketch, "Sebastopol in December" was published anonymously and attracted the attention of Tsar Alexander II and Turgenev. It is a short, emotionally patriotic piece recording the author's empathetic reaction to the bravery of the ordinary soldiers and sailors during the siege. "Sebastopol in May" is more ambitious and more ambiguous, recording the experiences of a group of Russian officers during an attack by the Allies on the 4th bastion of the defences, a position dreaded by everyone on the Russian side. There are no heroes in this piece, says Tolstoy, except "truth," as he depicts flawed human beings struggle to reconcile their petty vanities with the "higher" duties that have brought them to that terrible place. The final sketch, "Sebastopol in August," records the fall of Sebastopol through the eyes of the doomed Kozeltsov brothers and features some of the finest battle descriptions I have ever read. Tolstoy published it openly under his own name, and it seems to have helped him finally to choose literature rather than the army for his future career. "The Sebastopol Sketches" is a marvellous book not only for its own merits but also for the insight it gives us into a literary master trying out his wings for the first time.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a witness to many atrocities., October 31, 2000

By 

Eduardo J. Tellez A (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sebastopol Sketches (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1855, Tolstoy was a soldier in the Crimean War and a witness to many atrocities. One that would stay with him was the image of two children killed in a shelling. His experiences during the war made up the contents of his work The Sebastopol Sketches, many of which he drafted on the battlefield.

The book is divide in three short stories stem from Tolstoy's military experience during the Crimean War: "Sebastopol in December," "Sebastopol in May," and "Sebastopol in August 1855."

During this time, the young Tolstoy gave himself over to the decadent life that was common for men of his class, catching a venereal disease as well as drinking heavily and sustaining enormous gambling debts which included the loss of some of his prized property at Yasnaya.

I really enjoy reading this book,Tolstoy's reactions to the fighting at Sebastopol are really crude, if you are interesting in The Crimean War but from the Russian side you may find what you are looking for in this great book