Last week I went through my moderately sized collection of Penguin Classics, and it made me think about my love of reading, and especially my favorite author, Leo Tolstoy. To begin with, as I tell people, there is something so wonderful about reading a 'classic'. Knowing that you are following the path of millions of people in meeting extraordinary characters, visiting foreign landscapes, and witnessing memorable scenes, feels rewarding for its communal sense, yet, the literal experience of reading individually makes all internal discoveries uniquely self satisfying.
I honestly began really to love reading when I read Tolstoy. The clarity of his prose, his perception of the human condition, and his ability to express the daily experiences and their larger moral implications are why I love reading him so much.
Tolstoy's heavy-hitters Anna Karenina and War and Peace, are individual masterpieces and are true testaments to the development of modern intellectualism and universal and timeless human experiences. Beyond Tolstoy's most well-known books are his short stories and theological writings. Resurrection, a dark story of moral repercussions following impulsive momentary lust, has been compared to 'the other Crime and Punishment'.
My love for Tolstoy and Penguin Classics has given me so much fulfillment in so many ways. Books are living things, with pulses, and individual destinies. They are the best gifts.
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