Circle of Reading

March

5 weekly readings

11

Poor People

Bednye lyudi

Victor Hugo, retold by L. N. Tolstoy

A story by Victor Hugo (1802-1885), retold by Tolstoy in his characteristic simplified style. The tale illustrates how the poor, despite their own hardships, instinctively respond to the needs of othe

12

Unity

Edinenie

Part I: Arthur Schopenhauer; Part II: Ivan Turgenev

A two-part weekly reading on the unity underlying all existence. Schopenhauer (1788-1860) expounds his metaphysical view that all beings share a common inner essence, making compassion the foundation

14

Non-Resistance to Evil by Force

Neprotivlenie zlu nasiliem

Adin Ballou (1803-1890)

This essay by American Christian pacifist Adin Ballou expounds on Christ's teaching of non-resistance to evil. Ballou was a Universalist minister and founder of the utopian Hopedale Community in Massa

15

The Coffee-House of Surat

Suratskaya kofeynaya

Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (translated by L. N. Tolstoy)

This philosophical tale by the French author Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (1737-1814) was translated and adapted by Tolstoy. The story uses a parable about people arguing over the sun to illustrate how r

16

Korney Vasiliev

Korney Vasil'ev

Leo Tolstoy

An original story by Tolstoy written in 1905 for *The Circle of Reading*. This morality tale explores the destructive consequences of jealousy, violence, and harbored hatred, as well as the possibilit