The Landlord's Morning

"The Landlord's Morning," or "Утро помещика" in Russian, was published in the twelfth issue of the journal "Отечественные записки" (Otechestvennye Zapiski) in 1856. This work constitutes a published portion of Tolstoy's unfinished "Novel of a Russian Landowner," with mentions in his diary dating back to 1852 and work continuing into 1857. The account centers on the nineteen year old Prince Nekhlyudov, who, having left university, arrives at his village estate for the summer, confronting the impoverished existence of his peasants.

Nekhlyudov perceives it as his duty to care for his serfs, finally deciding to abandon his university studies to manage his estate and improve their lives. The story studies the difficult relationship between peasants and landowners, serving as a vehicle for Tolstoy to express his views on serfdom, a central social issue of the time. Nekhlyudov visits several peasant households, encountering their many problems and their inherent skepticism toward his proposed reforms, which often clash with their traditional ways and immediate needs.

This critical reader's edition presents a modern translation of the original manuscript, crafted for the modern reader with clean, modern language and simplified sentence structures that clarify his difficult Russian phrasing and specific antiquated references. Supplementary material enriches the text with autobiographical, historical, and linguistic setting, including an afterword by the translator on Tolstoy's personal history, impact, and intellectual legacy, an index of the philosophical concepts he employs, giving attention to Existentialism and influence by Schopenhauer, a complete chronological list of his published writings, and a detailed timeline of his life, showing the personal relationships that shaped his philosophy.