Tolstoy’s Diaries 1847–1910, ed. by R. F. Christian

From the age of eighteen until his death, Tolstoy kept a diary detailed with observations on himself, others, and all of life. His growth and development, his desire for honesty, his care for others, his conclusions, self-doubts, and struggles informed his works. “I’m doing nothing and thinking about the landlady,” he writes. “Do I have the talent to compare with our modern Russian writers? Decidedly not.”