Talks with Tolstoi

"Talks with Tolstoi" by Aleksandr Borisovich Golʹdenveĭzer is a diary that tells of the author's close relationship with the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoi. The story shows Tolstoi's ideas about art, beliefs, and doing what's right, as told through the author's personal stories and chats with him. Starting with the author, a young musician, feeling nervous but thrilled to meet Tolstoi, the diary shows Tolstoi's friendly side and his deep thoughts on music and art, like what makes art meaningful. As the story goes on, it tells of a growing friendship, sharing Tolstoi's philosophical ideas about life, religion, and art, along with personal stories of their time together. Readers get to see Tolstoi not just as a great writer but as a deep-thinking person who cared a lot about what life means and what artists do.