A review by msand3
A Confession by Leo Tolstoy

3.0

Tolstoy’s life is fascinating. His fiction (much of which is autobiographical) is enthralling. But his confession is a rather dull and overgeneralized explanation of why he found God. It’s dull because he treats otherwise interesting philosophical questions in a plain, straight-forward way that lacks the verve of his diaries or his fiction. It is overgeneralized because he assumes that all people fit into certain categories that he has defined for himself, attempting to give his personal journey a universal ring. While many readers did end up connecting with Tolstoy’s account and being inspired by his religious conversion, this essay just left me wanting to either pick up his fiction or turn to more interesting biographical accounts.