Sunday, July 25, 2004
Helpmeet
Tolstoy's wife Sonya did not approve of his study of ancient languages. Henri Troyat, Tolstoy, tr. N. Amphoux (Garden City: Doubleday, 1967), quotes her as follows:
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"It's not for nothing that Greek is a dead language; it puts the mind in a coma." (p. 345)
He had become infatuated with Hebrew, which was to help him to a better understanding of the Gospels, and was taking lessons from Rabbi Minor. "Leo is learning the Hebraic language, to my intense regret," said Sonya. "He is wasting his energy on foolishness." (p. 451)
