The Childhood of Tyoma

First published over a century ago (1892), the autobiographical story «The Childhood of Tyoma» is still close to young readers. What is the secret of its popularity? Why do modern children follow the adventures of the main character, Tyoma, with great interest, empathizing with his sorrows and anxieties, rejoicing in his small victories as a young gymnasium student, dreaming alongside him, and feeling disappointed? It all lies in the sincerity and truthfulness of this work, in which, as the author wrote, «there is not a shadow of fiction… everything is without concealment and embellishment».