George Steiner
George Steiner's ,Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, has become a classic among scholars of Russian literature. An essay in poetic and philosophic criticism that bears mainly on the Russian masters, ,Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, deals also with larger themes: the epic tradition extending from Homer to Tolstoy; the continuity of a "tragic world view" from Oedipus Rex to King Lear and The Brothers Karamazov; the contrasts between the epic and dramatic modes, between irreconcilably opposed views of God and of history.,"A must for the teacher, student, and intellectually serious reader."â€”,Kirkus Reviews,"This is a book that provides new and stimulating insight into the literary masterpieces and thought of the great Russian novelists. Moreover, in this work Steiner shows a great depth and breadth of literary knowledge and criticism that is not limited alone to the Russian writers under discussion but to writers of all genres and all literary periods."â€”,Journal of Religion,"His is a work of personal criticism, often ingenious, always deeply felt."â€”,The New York Times,"Brilliant, provocative, full of insights, this classic study still stands alone and unchallenged in modern criticism as a lucid and erudite study of the contrasting genius of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Steiner's book is a must for the student, scholar, or general reader who wishes to approach the Russian giants in their full literary and philosophical ambience."â€”Robert L. Jackson
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Tolstoy or Dostoevsky: An Essay in the Old Criticism