Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is the author of War and Peace (1869), Anna Karenina (1877), The Death of Ivan Illyich (1886), Family Happiness (1859), and other classics of Russian literature. Translator Dustin Condren received an MA and ABD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Stanford University. His recent translations include Anton Chekhov's short dramatic works, which have been performed in theatres in New York City and San Diego. He lives and works as a translator and language instructor in Brooklyn, NY.
""Dustin Condren captures, in this fresh idiomatic translation, the dazzlingly audacious achievement of The Gospel in Brief, Tolstoy's daring synthesis the New Testament accounts of Jesus."" -- Edward E. Ericson, Jr., editor of The Solzhenitsyn Reader ""A fascinating and thoroughly unorthodox rewriting of the Gospels and restatement of Christianity."" -- Booklist ""This is the first English translation in more than a century; Condren worked from Tolstoy's original version and restored material deleted in previous translations. The result is not unlike Hermann Hesse's 'Siddhartha' - the story of a life that illustrates a path."" -- Los Angeles Times ""Newly translated by Dustin Condren, Tolstoy's Gospel in Brief offers us a Jesus stripped of the overlay of Christian dogma and ancient metaphysics: his Jesus confronts readers with a real challenge and a call to change their lives."" -- George Pattison, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, and canon of Christ Church Cathedral ""The Gospel in Brief lives at the center of Leo Tolstoy's thinking about the meaning of life. ... Beautifully translated by Dustin Condren. ... Although little known, this book remains hugely important."" -- Jay Parini, author of The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Last Year ""A fresh translation destined to introduce a new generation to a fuller understanding of Tolstoy's mind."" -- Kirkus Reviews