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Available
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Publication
Roma, La biblioteca di Repubblica
Description
Hailed as one of the world's supreme masterpieces on the subject of death and dying, The Death of Ivan Ilyich is the story of a worldly careerist, a high court judge who has never given the inevitability of his death so much as a passing thought. But one day death announces itself to him, and to his shocked surprise he is brought face to face with his own mortality. How, Tolstoy asks, does an unreflective man confront his one and only moment of truth? A thoroughly absorbing and, at times, terrifying glimpse into the abyss of death, it is also a strong testament to the possibility of finding spiritual salvation. Translated from the original Russian by Louise and Aylmer Maude.
User reviews
LibraryThing member ctpress
Two men sitting on a train alone during the night - the main character, Pozdnyshev, lay bare his soul and tells about the reason why he killed his wife - and the event that lead up to it - and why he got away with it. The narrator is the one who hear this brutally honest story.
The main themes of
As a story alone it's shocking, filled with indignation and rage - mainly towards the institution of marriage and the idea of romantic love - but also towards the emancipation of women.
The unfortunate thing is that Tolstoy had to write a "postludium" - sort of a tract telling us readers what moral ideas he wanted to communicate with his story. I would almost say: Don't read it. It will maybe spoil the whole story. I disagreed with almost everything Tolstoy said in this postscript - and it really wasn't necessary - only made me more confused - Tolstoys dismissal of romantic love, the evil of sex, his denial of marriage as an institution, his gloomy look on women in general is not really worth to bother about.
The main themes of
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this menage-a-trois are the eternal battle of the sexes - and jealousy within marriage - and infidelity (perhaps). As a story alone it's shocking, filled with indignation and rage - mainly towards the institution of marriage and the idea of romantic love - but also towards the emancipation of women.
The unfortunate thing is that Tolstoy had to write a "postludium" - sort of a tract telling us readers what moral ideas he wanted to communicate with his story. I would almost say: Don't read it. It will maybe spoil the whole story. I disagreed with almost everything Tolstoy said in this postscript - and it really wasn't necessary - only made me more confused - Tolstoys dismissal of romantic love, the evil of sex, his denial of marriage as an institution, his gloomy look on women in general is not really worth to bother about.
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LibraryThing member Clara53
Beethoven's "Kreutzer Sonata" is full of emotion, so no wonder it serves as a sort of a turning point in this novella whose story is so heart-rending. The distraught protagonist pours his heart out to a stranger on the train - giving his own pessimistic definition of "love", proclaiming the mockery
I think this novella is monumental in the amount of meaning it carries as to its criticism of Russian society of that era. (To get a better feel of the storyline I had the famous sonata playing quietly in the background as I was reading). Tolstoy is more known for his longer and epical novels, so it was interesting to see him "squeeze" so much meaning in this short novella. But it was obviously what he observed and wanted to express. I wish I can get my hands on the Russian version one day - this is not to say that the translation (by Louise and Aylmer Maude) was not adequate, for it was.
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of marriage within his class level in Russian society, and how his own poisonous relationship with his wife develops and is doomed from the start. The emotional torment permeates the novella and denouement is disastrous.I think this novella is monumental in the amount of meaning it carries as to its criticism of Russian society of that era. (To get a better feel of the storyline I had the famous sonata playing quietly in the background as I was reading). Tolstoy is more known for his longer and epical novels, so it was interesting to see him "squeeze" so much meaning in this short novella. But it was obviously what he observed and wanted to express. I wish I can get my hands on the Russian version one day - this is not to say that the translation (by Louise and Aylmer Maude) was not adequate, for it was.
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LibraryThing member greeniezona
OH BOY, DO I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK. Most especially, about the choice to include it in a series titled Great Loves. Despite the fact that the narrator begins his tale with a rant on how awful love is -- I would argue that there is very little love on display in this book. Rather, a
Despite all that (which did frequently get on my nerves), this is still Tolstoy, so it's still somehow fascinating and compelling even as I often wanted to hold the main character's face under water. (And yes, it seems clear that he is the character Tolstoy identifies with.) I was drawn along, rooting for the wife and for the man to gain any inkling of his inherent ass-hattedness, even though it is clear from the very beginning of his tale that neither will happen.
A compulsive but frustrating but train-wrecky NOT-A-LOVE-STORY.
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great deal of possessiveness, and also the stifling nature of heteronormativity. Despite all that (which did frequently get on my nerves), this is still Tolstoy, so it's still somehow fascinating and compelling even as I often wanted to hold the main character's face under water. (And yes, it seems clear that he is the character Tolstoy identifies with.) I was drawn along, rooting for the wife and for the man to gain any inkling of his inherent ass-hattedness, even though it is clear from the very beginning of his tale that neither will happen.
A compulsive but frustrating but train-wrecky NOT-A-LOVE-STORY.
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LibraryThing member PZR
Well, what a strange little book this turned out to be from the master.
Is it a good read? Yes, it is. Structured around a series of short chapters and incidents, it's just right for the shot-away modern attention span (surely, the novella is the perfect form for our age?) You know what's coming,
The obsessive nature of the protagonist and the bizarre philosophy to which he adheres put me in mind of Raskolnikov. Well, it was after all the century of grand ideas, culminating not long after in that Republic of Ideas, the USSR. These peculiarities made Troukhatchevsky a less tragic, less sympathetic figure than otherwise he might have been. Even the counter-philosophies were rather difficult to take, from a 21st Century perspective. The theme of jealousy and its un-reason, on the other hand, remain powerfully and universally relevant, all the more so when developed by one of the great writers.
Is it a good read? Yes, it is. Structured around a series of short chapters and incidents, it's just right for the shot-away modern attention span (surely, the novella is the perfect form for our age?) You know what's coming,
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almost from the outset, because the protagonist, Troukhatchevsky, tells you so. And yet, by delaying the crucial moment and delaying it, Tolstoy builds unbearable tension. In other words, the story telling is as masterful as you would expect, as are the characterisation and fine detailing. The obsessive nature of the protagonist and the bizarre philosophy to which he adheres put me in mind of Raskolnikov. Well, it was after all the century of grand ideas, culminating not long after in that Republic of Ideas, the USSR. These peculiarities made Troukhatchevsky a less tragic, less sympathetic figure than otherwise he might have been. Even the counter-philosophies were rather difficult to take, from a 21st Century perspective. The theme of jealousy and its un-reason, on the other hand, remain powerfully and universally relevant, all the more so when developed by one of the great writers.
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
The story is set on a train in Russia where the passengers are debating about the future of marriage. One passenger who had been silent speaks up. He is Pozdnyshev, who is infamous for killing his wife who he suspected of infidelity. The rest of this short novel is told by Pozdnyshev who recounts
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the story of his marriage and how it led to him murdering his wife. He shares his views on how the act of marriage subjugates the woman and hardly differs from prostitution. He is incredibly extreme and zealous on his views about lust and the hypocrisy of marriage. Based on his final act of killing his wife who he suspects of having an affair, but is never positive, it seems clear that Pozdnyshev is crazy. What I found disturbing was the afterword in the book written by Tolstoy, where he discusses his own views on women and marriage and he is as extreme as Pozdnyshev. This is the same man who wrote War and Peace and Anna Karenina? The Kreutzer Sonata was written near the end of Tolstoy's life after a late conversion to Christianity. What a different type of novel compared to his other works. I have loved both War and Peace and Anna Karenina, especially the altruistic behavior of many of his characters. Wow - what a different take by the same author. Show Less
LibraryThing member fuzzy_patters
The narrator of this story tells us about a conversation he has with a man on a train who introduces himself as the infamous man who has been in all of the papers for murdering his wife. He proceeds to explain to the narrator why he committed the murder and how the very nature of love and sexual
It was easy to empathize, if not exactly sympathize, with the murderer and his wife, and there were many facets of their relationship that I feel are true of every male/ female relationship. Tolstoy does an excellent job of telling us just how messed up our relationships are by using this character and the extreme nature of the way his marriage ended. Every note of Tolstoy's Sonata struck a chord with me as the reader and the book left me reexamining the very nature of my beliefs about love and marriage. While I didn't necessarily agree with the murderer's beliefs, it did make me reconsider some things.
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attraction between men and women inevitably leads to heartbreak and anger.It was easy to empathize, if not exactly sympathize, with the murderer and his wife, and there were many facets of their relationship that I feel are true of every male/ female relationship. Tolstoy does an excellent job of telling us just how messed up our relationships are by using this character and the extreme nature of the way his marriage ended. Every note of Tolstoy's Sonata struck a chord with me as the reader and the book left me reexamining the very nature of my beliefs about love and marriage. While I didn't necessarily agree with the murderer's beliefs, it did make me reconsider some things.
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LibraryThing member pnorman4345
A rant that goes on and on about the horrible consequences of lust, reflecting the tendency of religion to warp sex.
LibraryThing member weeksj10
Here Tolstoy wraps a lecture on the role of "carnal love" in our society, into a poignant story of a husband who kills his wife for cheating on him. In it he presents many good arguments as to the challenges of being married, as well as the illusions of love. Although I don't necessarily agree with
I did have one issue with the story: the main character was constantly condemning actions of humans as being animal-like, swinish, and beastly. However, he also continually returns to the argument that humans should act more naturally, as the animals do. This continued contradiction was helpful in developing the nature of the character and his "madness," but it was annoying to read none the less.
Overall I liked it, not my favorite Tolstoy, but still great.
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all of the ideas in this book (in fact I only agree with a few) I still think that it is important to be presented with the argument in order to better develop personal opinions. I did have one issue with the story: the main character was constantly condemning actions of humans as being animal-like, swinish, and beastly. However, he also continually returns to the argument that humans should act more naturally, as the animals do. This continued contradiction was helpful in developing the nature of the character and his "madness," but it was annoying to read none the less.
Overall I liked it, not my favorite Tolstoy, but still great.
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LibraryThing member AlCracka
Man, this is a vicious little thing. It grabbed me and shook me like a dog catching a squirrel.
My homegirl Heather suggested that it'd make a good companion read to Dom Casmurro, which was a brilliant idea. It's an awesome double feature.
Be ready to put the Kreutzer Sonata on as soon as they
My homegirl Heather suggested that it'd make a good companion read to Dom Casmurro, which was a brilliant idea. It's an awesome double feature.
Be ready to put the Kreutzer Sonata on as soon as they
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start playing it, around page 100 or so. It totally enhances the climax of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
A novella. Tolstoy uses this novella to express his ideals of marriage, love, sex and his promotion of abstinence. Pozdynyshev overhears a conversation about love and divorce and becomes so agitated that he interjects himself into their conversation and challenges their ideas of love and he states
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that the only right state is abstinence. After they leave he tells his story of how he came to kill his wife to an unnamed passenger. Pozdyyshev became so jealous of his wife that he killed her. Tolstoy evolved a new Christianity based on his own interpretation of the Gospels. He did not believe that Jesus created marriage but the church created marriage. Show Less
LibraryThing member wilsonknut
The Kreutzer Sonata is one of Tolstoy’s later works and revolves around his moral beliefs about lust, love, and marriage. To the point: a conversation takes place on a train between passengers about love and marriage. One passenger, Pozdnyshev, becomes agitated and says (I paraphrase), love and
This is Tolstoy, so the story is well-crafted and all the other key words and catch phrases that describe excellent writing. What I found interesting is that Pozdnyshev blames society’s loose morals for setting him up for failure in his marriage. As a young man he partied. He slept around, drank, etc. He goes on to say his former purely pleasure driven relations with women, which for the most part were secretly accepted by society if not openly condoned, ruined his relationship with his wife.
"Yes, my relations with women were lost forever. Pure relations with women, from that time forward, I could no longer have. I had become what is called a voluptuary; and to be a voluptuary is a physical condition like the condition of a victim of the morphine habit, of a drunkard, and of a smoker.
Just as the victim of the morphine habit, the drunkard, the smoker, is no longer a normal man, so the man who has known several women for his pleasure is no longer normal. He is abnormal forever. He is a voluptuary. Just as the drunkard and the victim of the morphine habit may be recognized by their face and manner, so we may recognize a voluptuary. He may repress himself and struggle, but nevermore will he enjoy simple, pure, and fraternal relations toward woman. By his way of glancing at a young woman one may at once recognize a voluptuary; and I became a voluptuary, and I have remained one."
I find the idea interesting in light of today’s obsession with sexuality and porn. The book is an insight into Victorian morality (Can it be Victorian if it’s Russian?,) and it can actually be read as an early feminist text.
Is it worth reading? If you’re interested in the aforementioned topics and want a quick Russian literature read, yes. If you want action and intrigue and don’t care what people thought about sex, love, and marriage in the olden days, no.
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marriage are a bunch of crap. He then recounts in detail how and why he killed his wife in a jealous fit.This is Tolstoy, so the story is well-crafted and all the other key words and catch phrases that describe excellent writing. What I found interesting is that Pozdnyshev blames society’s loose morals for setting him up for failure in his marriage. As a young man he partied. He slept around, drank, etc. He goes on to say his former purely pleasure driven relations with women, which for the most part were secretly accepted by society if not openly condoned, ruined his relationship with his wife.
"Yes, my relations with women were lost forever. Pure relations with women, from that time forward, I could no longer have. I had become what is called a voluptuary; and to be a voluptuary is a physical condition like the condition of a victim of the morphine habit, of a drunkard, and of a smoker.
Just as the victim of the morphine habit, the drunkard, the smoker, is no longer a normal man, so the man who has known several women for his pleasure is no longer normal. He is abnormal forever. He is a voluptuary. Just as the drunkard and the victim of the morphine habit may be recognized by their face and manner, so we may recognize a voluptuary. He may repress himself and struggle, but nevermore will he enjoy simple, pure, and fraternal relations toward woman. By his way of glancing at a young woman one may at once recognize a voluptuary; and I became a voluptuary, and I have remained one."
I find the idea interesting in light of today’s obsession with sexuality and porn. The book is an insight into Victorian morality (Can it be Victorian if it’s Russian?,) and it can actually be read as an early feminist text.
Is it worth reading? If you’re interested in the aforementioned topics and want a quick Russian literature read, yes. If you want action and intrigue and don’t care what people thought about sex, love, and marriage in the olden days, no.
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LibraryThing member amerynth
"The Kreutzer Sonata" is a fascinating short novella by Leo Tolstoy. This is a quick and easy read but also pretty interesting.
The tale focuses on two passengers on a train -- one man talks about how he killed his wife in a jealous rage while promoting the idea of sexual abstinence. There's a lot
The tale focuses on two passengers on a train -- one man talks about how he killed his wife in a jealous rage while promoting the idea of sexual abstinence. There's a lot
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here to examine in this short work. Show Less
LibraryThing member mkhongms
Not a memorable work.
LibraryThing member et.carole
Human sexuality ??? wife murder ?? another thrilling and controversial Tolstoy short story
LibraryThing member paroof
A book about love, marriage, jealousy and passion. Simply stunning.
LibraryThing member sarah_rubyred
I may not have completely understood The Kreutzer Sonata, but it made me kind of angry and bored at the same time. For one the protaganist had so much anger for his wife it was very hard for me to identify with him. I also felt the blame he placed on society for his mistakes was, though possibly
The other short stories, however, were almost like fairy tales, and were much more enjoyable.
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more deserved at that time, still exaggeratory. Otherwise surely men would be killing their wives for their sexual deception all over the place? The other short stories, however, were almost like fairy tales, and were much more enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member proustitute
Praised by many as Tolstoy's best short story—or novella, really—I'm shocked that I've never read this until now, if only for the reason that Tolstoy's best inevitably means one of the best novellas ever written. And The Kreutzer Sonata is definitely that; it's also one of the beginning texts
In a mere hundred or so pages, Tolstoy attacks everything: the oppressive system of gender inequality; the class system; capitalism, money, and the ignorance in which children are reared; marriage; religion; medicine; the legal system—in short, every subject under the sun is scrutinized and unashamedly bashed to pieces here, in a novella that renders the act of confession as the only means of redemption in a world of lost faith, principles, and morals, a motif that pairs this rather well with Camus's La chute, whose own narrator seems oddly reminiscent at times with Tolstoy's in Kreutzer.
One can see why this was banned and why there was such a scandal when Tolstoy published this in 1889, and many of its subjects and concerns are still sadly relevant today.
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of existentialist literature, and I can imagine Camus and even Proust reading this with relish. In a mere hundred or so pages, Tolstoy attacks everything: the oppressive system of gender inequality; the class system; capitalism, money, and the ignorance in which children are reared; marriage; religion; medicine; the legal system—in short, every subject under the sun is scrutinized and unashamedly bashed to pieces here, in a novella that renders the act of confession as the only means of redemption in a world of lost faith, principles, and morals, a motif that pairs this rather well with Camus's La chute, whose own narrator seems oddly reminiscent at times with Tolstoy's in Kreutzer.
One can see why this was banned and why there was such a scandal when Tolstoy published this in 1889, and many of its subjects and concerns are still sadly relevant today.
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Awards
Language
Original language
Russian
Original publication date
1889
Other editions
La sonata a Kreutzer by Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj (Paper Book)