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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Work by a Mature Master, July 20, 2004
When I read Tolstoy?s Anna Karenina years ago, I felt that it should surely be the greatest novel ever written. In my mind, it is still a candidate for that declaration.
But having spent some time studying the life of Tolstoy and having recently read his later work, Resurrection, I like Resurrection even better. To me, it is an even greater accomplishment. Resurrection has all the vibrancy and brilliance of language, detail and characterization as does the earlier works for which Tolstoy is famous. It doesn?t drop off a scintilla in terms for the display of raw literary talent. But it also incorporates some of the deep philosophical, political and social issues that Tolstoy had been struggling with for the previous two decades.
In the end, I tired of Anna Karenina for the exact same reason that caused Tolstoy himself to scorn it. It is not about deep issues, but only the story of a woman of nobility who commits adultery, even if the story is told with a brilliance that no other writer has managed to emulate. Resurrection captures you with its rich story and social panorama, but it goes beyond that. It continues to reverberate in your mind weeks later because of the philosophical and social themes it so successfully weaves into the narrative. In this respect, Resurrection seems comparable to Ayn Rand?s Atlas Shrugged, another literary classic known for the ideas it conveys as much as the story that it tells. Though, having made the comparison, it should be added that Tolstoy is, as always, the greater of the writers.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profound!, July 14, 1999
By A Customer
Tolstoy at his best, Resurrection digs into the soul and causes the reader to consider society, the world at large, and governments in perhaps a new light. It addresses some of mankind's most gripping problems and questions, and also entertains via a well crafted story. A wonderful, unforgetable book and first rate piece of literature that will leave a mark on you, among the very best I've read.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Tolstoy's best. , November 17, 2007
While I love Tolstoy's work, I think that this novel is highly underrated, and is Tolstoy's best novel out of them all. It's a story that could easily be compared with Tolstoy's own personal life, and coming to grips with humility. This story is truly inspiring, and one that will make you rethink the position of governments worldwide, property ownership, and the Christian gospels.
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