The Tolstoy Estate

"Control of material, perfect pacing, absolute grasp of war’s absurdities as well as its tragedies—what’s not to admire! Steven Conte’s writing is direct and compelling—the chapter describing a forty-hour shift of operations on the wounded is a masterclass of relentless horror and humour. But The Tolstoy Estate is much more than just a war story and, indeed, much more than a triumph of writerly techniques, although the abrupt change of perspective in the middle really is a triumph. This novel is also a love story and, with most of the action taking place at Yasnaya Polyana, the former estate of the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, it’s also a love-through-literature story. But now I come to think of it, the word ‘admire’ sounds as chilly as the Russian winter into which Conte pitches the reader. We did admire this novel—it’s absolutely admirable. But we loved it, too. I’m not sure. Even three swallows don’t make a summer. But if Pip Williams, Kate Grenville and Steven Conte set the standard, we can expect more literary treats to emerge from Australia in the years to come. Part of our best books of 2021 series."