He cried for his dog Milka, for the loss of childhood, for love, for the death of his mother, for losing a nursery rhyme, for failing an exam, for visiting a brothel, for slipping into madness. Tolstoy, a man said to have spent a lifetime in tears, reportedly cried as a child and carried that openness into adulthood. In the pages of a new graphic biography, Russian illustrator Katia Gushina traces this sensibility, weaving a portrait of the famed writer through a blend of biography, comic art, and collage.
100 reasons Tolstoy cried is the provocative title of the volume edited by a curator, presented today at 7:00 PM at the Pynchon & Co bookshop in Alicante. The opening exhibition features pages from the book, inviting spectators to glimpse the emotional terrain that shaped Tolstoy.
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, stood apart from many of his contemporaries who learned to hide their tears. The biographer asserts that Tolstoy “cried without restraint”, a trait he sought to document and celebrate in this project. The book blends real moments with fictionalized scenes to reflect the belief that crying can be a meaningful emotional expression rather than a sign of weakness.
The illustrator and author of the book is Katia Gushina.
In this approach, Gushina sketches a concentrated biography that follows a hundred personal moments. Events from Tolstoy’s life are recast as a drawn narrative, while the translator Fernando Otero renders the text into Spanish for this edition.
“Tolstoy defended his most emotional side and treated tears as a value grounded in what happened to him and what appears in his writings,” notes Paco Linares, who programs the Pynchon bookstore. “There is some editing, a dash of exaggeration, and a few other elements to give the pieces more energy.”
Exposure
Linares will attend the ceremony alongside the Impedimenta editor, Enrique Redell, who helped drive the project and made the trip to Alicante possible for the event.
When the team received the book, they requested an exhibition of drawings and were delighted by the proposal. The work has been printed, framed, and will remain on view through the end of August. At the event, the book itself will be presented along with behind‑the‑scenes insights into the production. It becomes a journey through Tolstoy’s artistic output, with several parallel activities celebrating Tolstoy, illustration, and the world of comics.
Two pages from the book are on display in this example, which aims to merge art and literature. “Tolstoy is one of the great Russian classics, and Katia is a renowned cartoonist in her country,” a curator remarks.
The current geopolitical situation prevents the author from joining the presentation in person. Linares explains that a videoconference link will be tried, though he notes uncertainties about connectivity. The illustrator has sent a video describing his working process and how the drawn biography was captured, which will be shared during the presentation.
Book cover.
Katya Gushina, born along the Volga, published her first book in 2017 after completing graphic design studies in Moscow. Her second book, Moscow–Vladivostok, appeared a year later, a bright sketch of travels across Trans-Siberia. She currently resides in Moscow and is preparing work for her next project, a playful nod to Gorky that imagines a flight of the imagination.
New programming line
The presentation is intended to inaugurate a broader exhibition program and signal a new rhythm for the bookstore’s events. “This will be a signature moment in a new phase for the shop, with more illustration shows, talks, and complementary activities,” explains Linares. “The goal is to transform the bookstore into a small but vibrant exhibition hub in the city, showcasing high‑quality works.”
Already in the works are another photography show and a feature by a prominent cartoonist who will take a front-row seat and spark conversation.