The Last Station Jay Parini

A Flavour of the Book: “This morning I wanted to go to Stolboro and lie down on the tracks beneath the train on which it was convenient for Leo Nikolayevich to return from Meshcherskoye. What irony if the author of Anna Karenina should ride home over the pullulating body of his own dear wife!”

The Authortrek View: This is an intriguing account of Tolstoy’s last days. Both his wife and his ‘disciples’ are aware that he is close to dying, and each wants to have control of his legacy. Unfortunately, Tolstoy’s wife, Sofya Andreyevna, is quite erratic and is possibly going quite mad… However, this is understandable, as she fears that Tolstoy’s will could favour his followers instead of his family, especially as Tolstoy is quite uncomfortable with his wealthiness when there is so much poverty around him. Six different characters narrate the novel, each of whom Parini has drawn quite well. However, the best part of the novel for me was the extract from Tolstoy’s “What Then Must We Do”. You can tell from this extract just how well Parini has captured Tolstoy’s voice, although I actually preferred Tolstoy’s own prose. Although Tolstoy’s final days are quite dramatic, there is also a fascinating aside, as Parini relates the burgeoning love between the two Tolstoy followers, Bulgakov and Masha. However, I suspect that The Last Station will resonate far more with those who have actually read Anna Karenina and War and Peace than those who have not.

You can read a resume of the book on our Amazon store below. To find out more about the author, please visit our Jay Parini page.

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