Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Book Reviews

The Forged Coupon, After the Dance, Alyosha the Pot, & Miscellaneous Stories By Leo Tolstoy General Books (2009) ISBN 10: 1151645923 ISBN 13: 978-1151645920

Reviewed by Israel Drazin - April 1, 2010

In my review of Master and Man, I pointed out the criticism of Leo Tolstoy by Ayn Rand, a notion that I do not accept. I wrote: "Ayn Rand, in her The Art of Fiction, called Tolstoy 'the archetype of a naturalist,' a writer who describes events, but offers 'only one layer of motivation.' The writer who is 'romantic' is better. He looks 'not only at the immediate onion skin, but (examines motivation) as deep as the author can go.' Other critiques disagree and consider Tolstoy one of the world's greatest writers. They may think that Tolstoy does not delve deep into character, but they do not see this as a negative." I will address only Alyosha the Pot in this review.

This story is one of the most pitiful stories ever written. It is much like I. L. Peretz's great short story Bontcha the Silent. Alyosha is a simple but very happy fellow, unlearned, unable even to say prayers. But he was very agreeable; he did everything that people wanted him to do; he never thought of himself. When he fell in love with a cook and his father told him to give her up, he did so, and as usual, smiled in agreement. Readers will pity him as they read the tale's end. And, if they remember Ayn Rand's critique, they will say, "This story is great. Ayn Rand could not have written it better."

Dr. Israel Drazin is the author of fifteen books, including a series of five volumes on the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible, which he co-authors with Rabbi Dr. Stanley M. Wagner, and a series of four books on the twelfth century philosopher Moses Maimonides, the latest being Maimonides: Reason Above All, published by Gefen Publishing House, www.gefenpublishing.com. The Orthodox Union (OU) publishes daily samples of the Targum books on www.ouradio.org

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