The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories

by Leo Tolstoy, David McDuff (Translator), David McDuff (Editor)

Overview

'The Kreutzer Sonata' is the self-lacerating confession of a man consumed by sexual jealousy and eaten up by shame and eventually driven to murder his wife. The story caused a sensation when it first appeared and Tolstoy's wife was appalled that he had drawn on their own experiences together to create a scathing indictment of marriage. 'The Devil', centring on a young man torn between his passion for a peasant girl and his respectable life with his loving wife, also illustrates the impossibility of pure love. 'The Forged Coupon' shows how an act of corruption can spiral out of control, and 'After the Ball' examines the abuse of power. Written during a time of spiritual crisis in Tolstoy's life, these late stories reflect a world of moral uncertainties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141907550
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	09/26/1985
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	3 Months

About the Author

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), the Russian prose writer, is chiefly remembered for his novels, War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

David McDuff has also edited Dostoyevsky's House of the Dead for Penguin Classics.

Date of Birth:

September 9, 1828

Date of Death:

November 20, 1910

Place of Birth:

Tula Province, Russia

Place of Death:

Astapovo, Russia

Education:

Privately educated by French and German tutors; attended the University of Kazan, 1844-47

Table of Contents

Family HappinessThe CossacksThe Kreutzer SonataHadji Murád

Editorial Reviews

"Tolstoy is the greatest Russian writer of prose fiction." - Vladimir Nabokov

"It showcases the questioning, unsettling and perfectly crafted prose of the author of Anna Karenina and War and Peace." - The Good Book Guide

"In Roger Cockrell's fluid rendering in English, the story shines and glimmers beautifully." - RTÉ

From the Publisher