Alyosha Gorshok

"Alyosha Gorshok," known in Russian as "Алёша Горшок," was written in 1905 and first appeared in print in 1911, after Leo Tolstoy's passing. This short story, sometimes translated as "Aljoscha der Topf" in German, recounts the life of Alyosha, a simple village youth who earned his nickname "Gorshok" (Pot) as a child after an accidental mishap with milk. His existence was characterized by uncomplaining obedience, as he consistently fulfilled the requests of his relatives, even surrendering his earnings as a yardman to his father. This work, one of Tolstoy's later literary endeavors, garnered high esteem from contemporaries, with figures such as D. S. Mirsky hailing it as "one of Tolstoy's most perfect creations" and Alexander Blok describing it as "the most brilliant thing I have read."

The story presents a quiet commendation of the unassuming individual, exploring the concept of inner peace achieved through a life of modesty and acceptance. Alyosha's thwarted desire to marry Ustinja, a young cook, and his subsequent calm acquiescence to his father's prohibition, underscore a central theme: the quiet fortitude found in embracing one's fate without complaint. His final utterance before succumbing to a fall, "Now everything is good," encapsulates a philosophical stance on contentment that transcends external circumstances and unfulfilled aspirations. This work, therefore, serves as a literary meditation on the nature of happiness, suggesting its presence not in grand achievements or personal desires, but in a serene acceptance of life's unfolding.

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