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Tolstoy or Dostoevsky
By George Steiner

George Steiner's Tolstoy or Dostoevsky has become a classic among scholars of Russian literature. An essay in poetic and philosophic criticism that bears mainly on the Russian masters, Tolstoy or Dostoevsky deals also with larger themes: the epic tradition extending from Homer to Tolstoy; the continuity of a "tragic world view" from Oedipus Rex to King Lear and The Brothers Karamazov; the contrasts between the epic and dramatic modes, between irreconcilably opposed views of God and of history. Moreover, in this work Steiner shows a great depth and breadth of literary knowledge and criticism that is not limited alone to the Russian writers under discussion, but to writers of all genres and all literary periods. Steiner's book is a must for the student, scholar or general reader who wishes to approach the Russian giants in their full literary and philosophical ambience.

Learn more about the book from Yale University Press.

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