A Confession

Leo Tolstoy’s A Confession, published in 1882, is an autobiographical work that deals with the philosophical and religious aspects of the meaning of life. Tolstoy’s struggle with how to live a meaningful life forms the core of the narrative. The author charts the development of his ideas about rationality, faith, and purpose in the context of his youth in Russia and his later writing career and family life. Tolstoy’s existential crises documented in the pages of A Confession include moments of depression and suicidal thoughts, which the reader should be prepared for. This guide uses the 1983 edition of the work published by W. W. Norton & Company and translated by David Patterson.

Leo Tolstoy is among the world’s greatest and most important writers. His works, including War and Peace (1867) and Anna Karenina (1878), are routinely ranked among the best novels of all time, and other writers from Gustave Flaubert to Virginia Woolf have sung Tolstoy’s praises. Tolstoy’s acute psychological insight is one of the compelling features of his work, and A Confession provides a fascinating opportunity to follow the author on his psychological journey through deepest despair and joyous clarity.