Word: tolstoys
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Except for the close student of Russian literature the chief interest of Maxim Gorky's notes and reminiscences of Tolstoy lies not in their biographical value but in their vivid and moving account of the effect made upon one great intellect by another. The short volume makes no pretense of introducing the newcomer to the life and character of Tolstoy; it is an intimate collection of personal experiences, conversations and impressions intended only to throw a little further light upon the somewhat obscure genius of a man whose works have already won him his place among the world's immortals...
...cannot reconcile this god-like side with his coarse peasant brutality or his willingness to lower himself to the level of other men. "Sometimes he seems conceited and intolerant like a Volga preacher, and this is terrible in a man who is the sounding bell of the world." If Tolstoy had let him, Gorky would have worshipped him; as it was he feared, despised, worshipped all at once, but fundamentally he was ever somewhat overawed by the realization that Tolstoy was a genius and a superman. "I saw him once as perhaps no one has ever seen...
...most part the book is composed of fragments dealing with a wide variety of subjects, stray bits of Tolstoy an philosophy and opinion, little anecdotes, and casual impressions a gathered together with no attempt to make a unified whole. But through it all there runs the ever recurring effort of Gorky to classify Tolstoy and to determine if possible what manner of man he was. With the simplicity and unselfconsciousness of the Russian, Gorky bares his own soul in the hope that the world may see the effect that the great man made upon him. At times he believes that...
...interesting and significant article is one by Mr. L. P. Mansfield, "Beauty and the Beast"--refreshing, if not at times inspiring, in its plea for individuality in these days when there is so much talk about crushing out individuality, for the sake of democratic solidarity. In his admiration of Tolstoy and "the individuality of Russian art," Mr. Mansfield, to be sure, may not seem himself especially individual. Russian art is very much the fashion nowadays. But Mr. Mansfield is entirely right in insisting that the tradition of our college is to preserve individuality. "What we are concerned with, particularly...
Indeed, the average college man is a victim of what Tolstoy termed "the school state of mind",--a state in which every thing scholarly appears a-priori difficult, and the student regards himself not an eager seeker for truth, but a patient forced to receive a distasteful pellet of learning. Probably most men actually apply more alert thought to choosing their clothing and food than to their properly-intellectual tasks...