Tolstoy was as much a philosopher as a novelist. From the entries in his early diaries through to the great novels he was constantly searching for a comprehensive vision, equal to the confusion of life . It was in his personal diaries that Tolstoy first attempted a literary psychology to reveal those thoughts and feelings we conceal from ourselves, then inventing the interior monologue to expose the psychology of his characters.

Emphasising the importance of these early characteristics for Tolstoy s development as a writer, this volume, published first in 1975, assesses Tolstoy s...