i know that tolstoy, in some sense, would have hated the idea of whose winning and whos not. And johns is right that tol stoy didn't really like dickens. But i think there was something what i want to try and do rather than win. Ish don't give a toss who wins, because i love them bothWhat i do care about and what i feel that count leo would care about. For charles dickensti, tama. For leo tolStoy. How many have you read tolstoys? Put up your hands. Not bad, but non a majority. I tell you why. Our time
Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if you drop one. But whose legacy is more enduring? Whose vision truer and more relevant today? Should you embark on War and Peace or Our Mutual Friend? To battle it out, in 2018 Intelligence Squared brought two celebrated writers, John Mullan for Dickens and Simon Schama for Tolstoy, to our stage. They called on a cast of star actors, including Tom Hiddleston, to bring their arguments to life with readings from the authors’ finest works. The debate was chaired by author, playwright and broadcaster Bonnie Greer. This is the first instalment of a three-part episode.
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