Unpack Your Adjectives: Life Lessons from 11 Works by Russian Classics

A journalist from The Telegraph and a comedian Viv Groskop, in difficult times, found in works of Russian classics not only comfort, but also practical advice that helped her overcome life’s challenges. In her book “Self-Development by Tolstoy,” she shares her personal experience and examples from Russian literature, demonstrating how books can help with any problems. “Anna Karenina” helps understand an identity crisis, Ivan Turgenev’s play “A Month in the Country” helps survive an unhappy love, and “The Master and Margarita” helps you deal with harsh trials.

In Groskop’s book, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anna Akhmatova, Anton Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol, and others appear not as grand monuments, but as people who also experienced suffering and doubt, felt many emotions, yet managed to preserve their dignity and remain true to themselves. “Self-Development by Tolstoy” offers a fresh look at familiar plot lines and helps explain why, in Russian, the concepts of “soul” and “fate” are so important.