Ivan Bunin, the first Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, is celebrated for his strict artistic precision. He masterfully continued the classical Russian traditions in prose and poetry, creating a texture of works, sometimes called "Bunin brocade," considered one of the richest in the language. His writings, including short novels, autobiographical works, and story collections, were esteemed as a continuation of literary realism. Bunin embodies the spirit of Russian literary tradition with a distinctive voice.
A Tale of Two Writers
This first annotated translation of Ivan Bunin's The Liberation of Tolstoy is a timely accompaniment to the ongoing revival of the Russian writer, both in his homeland and the West. Written in 1937, more than two decades after Leo Tolstoy's death, The Liberation of Tolstoy --equal parts biography, memoir, and literary study--serves as a dialogue between two great writers on the proklyatye voprosy, or "damned questions," of life.