Resurrection

One of Tolstoy&#39;s greatest books, Resurrection traces the conflict of pride and affection between Katusha, a prostitute charged with murder, and her first lover, Nekhludov, who serves on the jury at her trial. Prince Nekhludov recognizes her as the innocent young girl he once loved, se&shy;duced, and abandoned. Through his attempts to alter the course of her fate, Nekhludov discovers the hypocrisy of his own atone&shy;ment&mdash;and begins the journey to personal resur&shy;rection.</p>The setting of Resurrection is the Russian un&shy;derworld. Tolstoy turns a critical eye on the law, the penal system, and especially the Church. With its theme of fallen man and a non-Christian process of regeneration, the novel presents a panorama of Russian life at the end of the nineteenth century&mdash; shot through with spiritual intensity and material dep&shy;rivation.</p>