My Confession
Leo Tolstoy
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"My Confession" is a brief autobiographical story of Leo Tolstoy's struggle with a mid-life existential crisis of melancholia. It describes his search for answers to the profound questions "What will come of my life?" and "What is the meaning of life?", without answers to which life, for him, had become "impossible." Tolstoy reflects on the arc of his philosophical life until then: his childhood abandonment of his Russian orthodox faith; his mastery of strength, will, power, and reason; and how, after he had achieved tremendous financial success and social status, life to him seemed meaningless. After despairing of his attempts to find answers in science, philosophy, eastern wisdom, and his fellow men of letters, he describes his turn to the wisdom of the common people and his attempts to reconcile their instinctive faith with the dictates of his reason. The main body of the text ends with the author reaching a compromise: faith, he realizes, is a necessity, but it must be constrained by reason. However, an epilogue that describes a dream he had some time after completing the body of the text suggests that he has undergone a radical personal and spiritual transformation. (Summary from Wikipedia) (2 hr 41 min)
Chapters
Chapter 01 | 9:28 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 02 | 9:49 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 03 | 10:35 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 04 | 11:12 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 05 | 13:45 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 06 | 16:57 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 07 | 12:13 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 08 | 6:34 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 09 | 11:39 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 10 | 8:39 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 11 | 6:42 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 12 | 10:43 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 13 | 8:28 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 14 | 6:30 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 15 | 9:15 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 16 | 9:00 | Read by Expatriate |
Reviews
Interesting and thought-provoking material
A LibriVox Listener
Very grateful for the reading. My only gripe with it is that it was sometimes very monotonous and felt a bit unmotivated.
A fascinating ride.
he_is_risen
Tolstoy’s fierce pursuit of the truth and his ability to communicate the extremes of his logic are what makes this book exciting, especially once he reaches the end of his logic and must make a critical decision.
good stuff
adam
A look into the struggles of the soul of this great mind and he eventual triumph of the heart. Well read.
Josh
This is a clear reading of a good text. The authors dispassionate tone matches the attitude of Tolstoy's approach.
interesting
arnulfo perez
The reading is clear but the rythm and tone is not appropriate for the text
Evan Murray
True faith is the truest of salvation. incredible book. This book definitely deserves better production.
Great reading
Cameron
A vivid and relatable journey. Thank you.
A LibriVox Listener
the absolute best part is read like crap