What Is Art? (Unabridged)

Written by Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by Digital Voice Marcus G

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

In "What Is Art?", Tolstoy defines art not by its beauty or form, but by its ability to communicate feelings. He believes the artist intentionally evokes a feeling within themselves, then expresses it through various means (words, music, paintings, etc.) so others can experience the same feeling.

Tolstoy sees art as a powerful tool for uniting humanity by allowing us to share emotions and understand each other on a deeper level. However, he differentiates between "good" and "bad" art based on the feelings it transmits. According to him, good art promotes positive and universal values like compassion and love, while bad art transmits harmful or negative emotions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Falcon Press
• Release date: Mar 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798868740763

Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian author of novels, short stories, novellas, plays, and philosophical essays. He was born into an aristocratic family and served as an officer in the Russian military during the Crimean War before embarking on a career as a writer and activist. Tolstoy’s experience in war, combined with his interpretation of the teachings of Jesus, led him to devote his life and work to the cause of pacifism. In addition to such fictional works as War and Peace (1869), Anna Karenina (1877), and The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Tolstoy wrote The Kingdom of God is Within You (1893), a philosophical treatise on nonviolent resistance which had a profound impact on Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He is regarded today not only as one of the greatest writers of all time, but as a gifted and passionate political figure and public intellectual whose work transcends Russian history and literature alike.