Sophia Tolstaya (1844–1919)

"The rocks in her head fitted the holes in his"


This is a difficult book to review, as many people have pointed out, because a a diary meant for only Sofia's eyes that served (as she herself pointed out) as a vent in dealing with her admittedly impossible husband suffers from distortion and bias. It unfortunately was also sporadically set aside as events grew too difficult for even Sofia to write down, particularly as depression and illness left her poorly equipped to write about the turmoil show more of early revolutionary Russia. If one can wade through the hysterical outbursts (which start on page one when Leo very unwisely reveals his bachelor sins to his very unworldly teenage fiancee) the reader can have a rewarding view of the seasons's turnings in 19th century Russia, the sheer work in keeping a manor house running, and a portrait of a mutally dependent, psychologically unhealthy marriage. show less

"The rocks in her head fitted the holes in his"This is a difficult book to review, as many people have pointed out, because a a diary meant for only Sofia's eyes that served (as she herself pointed out) as a vent in dealing with her admittedly impossible husband suffers from distortion and bias. It unfortunately was also sporadically set aside as events grew too difficult for even Sofia to write down, particularly as depression and illness left her poorly equipped to write about the turmoil show more of early revolutionary Russia. If one can wade through the hysterical outbursts (which start on page one when Leo very unwisely reveals his bachelor sins to his very unworldly teenage fiancee) the reader can have a rewarding view of the seasons's turnings in 19th century Russia, the sheer work in keeping a manor house running, and a portrait of a mutally dependent, psychologically unhealthy marriage. show less

"The rocks in her head fitted the holes in his"This is a difficult book to review, as many people have pointed out, because a a diary meant for only Sofia's eyes that served (as she herself pointed out) as a vent in dealing with her admittedly impossible husband suffers from distortion and bias. It unfortunately was also sporadically set aside as events grew too difficult for even Sofia to write down, particularly as depression and illness left her poorly equipped to write about the turmoil show more of early revolutionary Russia. If one can wade through the hysterical outbursts (which start on page one when Leo very unwisely reveals his bachelor sins to his very unworldly teenage fiancee) the reader can have a rewarding view of the seasons's turnings in 19th century Russia, the sheer work in keeping a manor house running, and a portrait of a mutally dependent, psychologically unhealthy marriage. show less

While it seemed like it took me forever to read this book, in the end it was well worth it. I am unfamiliar with the Tolstoys, having never read any of Leo's works, but Sofia's diary was still fascinating. Not only did it provide significant insights into the complex life of Tolstoy and his family, it also gave an insider's views of Russian history between about 1870 and 1920 - the time that experienced the violent transition from the Romanovs to the Bolsheviks. And even if I wasn't show more interested in Leo Tolstoy or Russian history, Sofia's diary still gives testament to a difficult marriage between a persnickety (and that's being extremely kind) "genius" and his rather suppressed wife.
Book received through Goodreads' First Look program. show less