Ilya Tolstoy

Reminiscences of Tolstoy by His Son Ilya Tolstoy

"[...] REMINISCENCES OF TOLSTOY. IN one of his letters to his great-aunt, Alexandra Andreyevna Tolstoy, my father gives the following description of his children: The eldest [Sergei] is fair-haired and good-looking; there is something weak and patient in his expression, and very gentle. His laugh is not infectious; but when he cries, I can hardly refrain from crying, too. Every one says he is like my eldest brother.[...]". This is a very enjoyable read and is written more from the viewpoint of a son rather than most memoirs regarding Tolstoy were written by persons outside of the family that had some personal motifs to prove.