Kholstomer

Interesting Facts

• «Kholstomer» is a novella narrated from the perspective of a horse, an unusual technique for literature of that time.
• Tolstoy uses the image of a horse to explore themes of social inequality and injustice, showing how society judges people and animals by external traits.
• The novella was written in 1863 but first published only in 1886, as Tolstoy hesitated for a long time before publishing it.
• The main character, the old gelding Kholstomer, recounts his life, allowing the author to delve deeper into the theme of human cruelty and the futility of material values.
• Tolstoy uses the contrast between the inner world of the horse and the external world of humans to highlight the moral and philosophical ideas he wanted to convey to the reader.