7. Tolstoy’s art and devices

Abstract

In criticism of Tolstoy’s work, many suggest that Tolstoy’s realism was at the expense of artistry or form, but ‘Tolstoy’s art and devices’ explains how Tolstoy used a variety of techniques to ‘infect’ the readers of his fiction and non-fiction with what was in his soul. It also describes the art beneath the surface of Tolstoy’s seemingly faithful rendering of Russian reality. Numerous examples from his work are given to show how Tolstoy depicted the inner life of his characters, and how he used the concept of defamiliarization, similes, the power of comparisons, and hidden symmetries.