Publisher's Synopsis
'Path of Life' was the last book written by Lev Tolstoy. Although the great nineteenth century Russian novelist is known in English-speaking countries for his major novels 'War and Peace', 'Anna Karenina', and 'Resurrection', he is less known for his numerous religious writings, which present a challenging and original point of view. These works have been undervalued, as evidenced by the fact that 'Path of Life' is translated here fully for the first time in English. The reader will notice that Tolstoy anticipated many of the ideas presented in contemporary books on spirituality, such as the observation that our thoughts determine our lives. Because Tolstoy extensively modified the quotations he cited, the author translated all quotations, even those citing well known American and English authors, such as Emerson, Thoreau, Ruskin, and Carlyle directly from the Russian text without seeking to quote the original wording. Most, but not all, unattributed quotations are Tolstoy's. Tolstoy deliberately used simple Russian words and comparisons to convey his meaning. He believed that truth must be expressed simply and clearly.
