Reading Guide for The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy

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Introduction to The Cossacks by Leo Tolsoy

The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy is a novella about the experiences of Onenin, a young Russian aristocrat, who decides to join the army and finds himself in a Cossack village during the Caucasian War (1817-1864). The Cossacks was written ten years after Tolstoy's own experiences during the Caucasian War when he followed his officer brother on campaign. The novella explores a number of themes that were to become ever more important to Tolstoy as he developed as a writer: the purpose of life and nature of happiness and the truth of primitive rural life contrasted with the sophisticated culture of Russian urbane society. Tolstoy went on to write two of the most famous novels in history: War and Peace and Anna Karenina, but it was in The Cossacks that he started to find his voice as a writer.

The Cossacks was Tolstoy's first masterpiece. Published in 1863, it is the supreme example of Tolstoy's ability to make the familiar strange: at first glance it appears to be a retelling of the Russian romantic clich? of a young man riding off to the Caucasus, but rather than following the clich? Tolstoy instead examines a number of themes that he would develop in his later works: such as the interaction of different social classes, pacifism, and the nature of happiness and man's purpose in life.

Once you have read one of the many English translations of The Cossacks why not consider the following questions. These can also be used as the basis of a Book Group discussion on the book.

Reading Guide Questions

Tolstoy does not focus the narrative of The Cossacks on one single character. Who do you think is the main character of the book, and why?Natural description forms a big part of the book. What do you think Tolstoy's opinion of nature is? Is Tolstoy a Romantic in the way he describes nature?Like Onenin, Tolstoy came from a rich noble family. How does the character and experiences of a jeune homme like Onenin contrast with that of the Cossacks?What is Tolstoy's attitude to war in The Cossacks, and from what you know of his other writing, how does it fit in with his later beliefs?Would Onenin ever have been happily married to Maryanka?Is Uncle Eroshka a likeable character?What is Tolstoy's purpose in fictionalizing his experiences in the Caucasus?By the end of the story where do you Onenin would rather live: the city or the mountains? Where would you rather live?What is the nature of true happiness in the view of Onenin, Lukashka and Maryanka? What do you think the author believes?

Mark Lord has been an enthusiastic admirer of Leo Tolstoy's writing for many years. You can read more about The Cossacks at his website: http://marklord.info/great-writers-classic-literature/leo-tolstoy/the-cossacks-by-leo-tolstoy/, where you will find a plot summary and more information about Tolstoy's own experiences among the Cossacks.

For a cheap eBook version of The Cossacks why not try this annotated edition: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005U76LOW for an edition available in the US, and http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005U76LOW for an edition available in the UK.

Gothic Fiction: What Is It?

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Gothic fiction and Gothic horror are interchangeable terms. They refer to a style of writing that is heavy on atmosphere and that incorporates romantic elements. Gothic fiction has a unique way of evoking terror that has made it one of the most popular forms of horror in the world. It began in the 18th Century and remains a living genre today.

The Concept

Dark manors, ruined castles, oppressive gray skies and stormy nights are all classic elements in Gothic horror. These stories oftentimes feature deranged scientists or mystics, a curse that follows a family for generations, things that go bump in the night and, quite often, lycanthropes, vampires, ghosts, devils and other monstrous villains. Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe and Edgar Allen Poe are among the most prominent names in Gothic fiction, but there are many more. Other authors who produced notable works in the Gothic tradition include Oscar Wilde, Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, Ambrose Bierce and a host of others. The very first Gothic novel is generally held to be The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, published in 1764.

Gothic fiction tends toward a sense of overwhelming doom and oftentimes has some very dark humor interwoven into the story. The actual villains are sometimes very sympathetic characters and are oftentimes characters who embody an element of irony: the corrupted and wicked clergy; the beautiful nobleman with the ugly soul; the brilliant scientist or occultist who cannot see the obvious error of their ways, these are all characters in various Gothic stories. Weird fiction and Gothic fiction have some elements in common, as well, and Weird Fiction authors, including HP Lovecraft, were not afraid to dip their pens into the blackest of inks on occasion.

Many works of fiction include Gothic elements within their stories but are not specifically Gothic stories in and of themselves. There is also a modern subculture that is referred to as Gothic. Victorian fashion, lots of black clothing and a somewhat sinister elegance are among the hallmarks of this subculture and the aesthetics of the subculture on the whole trace straight back to the aesthetics of the Gothic novel.
Modern Gothic

Gothic horror remains very popular today. Gothic imagery is seen in everything from superhero movies to children's cartoons. Gothic fiction has also had an influence on cultures around the world. Some of the most popular Japanese horror movies, for instance, have decidedly Gothic features to them. Further variations on this literary style have developed over the years, such as Southern Gothic, which comes out of the American South and which includes some of the most highly-regarded stories in this genre.

Read more about classic works of Gothic horror and Weird Fiction at Antique Horrors!