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LEXANDER PUSHKIN, Russia's greatest poet and the inspirer of the two best works of Gogol, the father of Russian realism, may perhaps be regarded as the direct cause of Count Tolstoï's greatest novel. A relative happened to be visiting at Yasnaya Polyana, and had been reading a volume of Pushkin. Count Tolstoï picked up the work and opened it casually. Some one entered as he was glancing over the pages, and he exclaimed, "Here is something charming! This is the way to write! Pushkin goes to the heart of the matter."

Count Tolstoï was so impressed by Pushkin's directness that he immediately felt like emulating him. He asked to be kept free from interruptions, shut himself into his library, and began "Anna Karenina."

The publication of it began in the Russky Viestnik or Russian Messenger in 1875; but it was frequently interrupted. Months and even years elapsed before it was concluded; yet it kept public attention. Not even the break of several months between two of the parts was sufficient to cool the interest of its reader. After the appearance of the first part he wrote a friend:—

"You praise 'Anna Karenina,' and that is very pleasant to me; the more so as I hear much in its favor; but I am sure that there never was an author more indifferent to his success than I am in this case."

A year later he wrote:—

"For two whole months I have forborne to stain my hands with ink or to burden my heart with thoughts. Now, however, I turn once more to that dull commonplace 'Anna Karenina,' moved solely to rid my desk of it—to make room for other tasks."