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Why did Leo Tolstoy criticize his own earlier novels after his religious conversion?
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Leo Tolstoy
Russian writer Leo Tolstoy is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest novelists. His masterpieces are War and Peace (1865–69) and Anna Karenina (1875–77).
Following his religious conversion, Leo Tolstoy developed a new philosophy of art that led him to reject his own earlier masterpieces, including War and Peace and Anna Karenina, as either counterfeit or bad.1
His criticism was rooted in the following principles:
- Moral Sensibility: In his treatise What Is Art?, Tolstoy argued that true art must communicate a specific, genuine experience to the reader through a process he called infection. He believed that art should be judged by the moral sensibility it imparts to its audience.1
- Rejection of Imitation: He viewed most celebrated works of high art as mere clever imitations of existing styles rather than expressions of real experience, labeling them counterfeit.1
- Didactic Purpose: Post-conversion, Tolstoy prioritized works that were highly didactic and aligned with his new faith, which emphasized tenets such as nonresistance to evil and love for one's enemies.21
Ultimately, Tolstoy came to believe that his earlier novels failed to meet these rigorous moral and spiritual standards, leading him to favor simpler, more direct moral tales and tracts over his previous literary achievements.13