The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Last Year

· Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Various
Audiobook
11 hr 32 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

A New York Times Notable Book

As Leo Tolstoy’s life draws to a tumultuous close, his tempestuous wife and most cunning disciple are locked in a whirlwind battle for the great man’s soul. Torn between his professed doctrine of poverty and chastity and the reality of his enormous wealth and thirteen children, Tolstoy dramatically flees his home, only to fall ill at a tiny nearby rail station. The famous (and famously troubled) writer believes he is dying alone, unaware that over a hundred newspapermen camp outside awaiting hourly reports on his condition.
 
Jay Parini moves deftly between a colorful cast of characters to create a stunning portrait of one of the world’s most treasured authors. Dancing between fact and fiction, The Last Station is a brilliant and moving literary performance.

About the author

Jay Parini is a poet, a novelist, a biographer, and a professor at Middlebury College. Among his seven novels are The Last Station (the movie version of which will feature Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, and James McAvoy), Benjamin's Crossing, and The Apprentice Lover. Parini also wrote The Art of Teaching (2005), based on his columns in The Chronicle of Higher Education, to which he still frequently contributes. He has appeared on various programs for National Public Radio, C-SPAN, and PBS.

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