A Confession (Version 2)


Read by Paul Rizik

(4.3 stars; 31 reviews)

Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church. Summary by Paul Rizik.
(2 hr 7 min)

Chapters

Chapter 1 6:58 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 2 7:33 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 3 8:53 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 4 9:34 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 5 12:04 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 6 13:40 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 7 9:15 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 8 4:59 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 9 9:16 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 10 6:32 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 11 5:15 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 12 8:22 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 13 6:20 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 14 4:51 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 15 7:22 Read by Paul Rizik
Chapter 16 6:56 Read by Paul Rizik

Reviews

Such a dense tale


(2.5 stars)

A deep book like this should be read with time to reflect on what is written. Now, when HEARING it, the same rule has effect. Read too fast for my tastes (and probably for yours as well)!

Kindred Spirit


(4 stars)

One man's search for meaning...read a bit quickly for my slow mind to keep up, but well-done, nevertheless. Thank you for this, both author and reader.


(2 stars)

It's read clearly, but the reader is FAR too fast. A Tolstoy book is always a complex read with difficult ideas, and a reader should always read more carefully, deliberately, and with consideration of the reader's need to process the ideas presented.