The Kreutzer Sonata (Penguin Great Loves)
by Leo Tolstoy
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Book Summary Information
Author: Leo TolstoyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-12-18
ISBN: 0141034815
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of The Kreutzer Sonata (Penguin Great Loves)
Book Review: 5 Stars for Story, 1 for Edition
Summary: 3 Stars
"The Kreutzer Sonata" is one of Leo Tolstoy's greatest short stories and thus one of the greatest ever. It is well worth buying by itself, but the fact that it is included in so many collections makes justifying a standalone very difficult. Everyone should read this, though not necessarily here.
Though very different from the more famous "Death of Ivan Ilych," "The Kreutzer" is at least as good. Extraordinary in every respect, it is remarkable even for sheer daring; it is not only a stunningly detailed account of wife murder told by the murderer himself but openly condemns many of Western society's most sacred institutions. It was also unprecedentedly frank about sexuality in an era when, we must remember, statues were covered and it was not socially permissible to mention legs or ankles. No one would even publish it in Russia, and it was banned in America and denounced by Theodore Roosevelt. It would be but a historical curiosity if it did nothing more than arouse a prudish world's ire, but it is in fact still shocking. As so often in such cases, what should have shocked passed mostly unseen, but time has made its true points clearer. That they were not picked up on more is truly astounding, because Tolstoy seems to have anticipated the problem and compensated - some might say overcompensated - by greatly increasing didacticism. Indeed, highly influenced by fellow Russian great Fyodor Dostoevsky and in distinct opposition to prior works, he practically abandons dramatization in what is essentially a long monologue. He uses the device of a long train ride to make such a thing seem plausible, and the train stops every dozen pages or so to remind us that other things are going on, but the Dostoevskian character Pozdnyshev's tirade is the clear focus. This was clearly a substantial risk, and some may say such a drastic method prevents truly great literature in the strictest sense, but Tolstoy was clearly long past writing for entertainment. Very few writers could pull such a thing off without disaster, but he manages for several reasons. Most obvious and perhaps most important is the unorthodoxy of his arguments, but this would very soon grow tired if they were not well told - which they are. Subtler but perhaps at least as important is how Tolstoy somehow creates sympathy for the character almost against our will; though conventionally despicable - not to mention simply outrageous by the era's standards -, we feel perversely drawn. He lacks the evil charm of Shakespeare's Richard III but has something more fundamental - that indefinable spark of humanity that we cannot deny, however otherwise revolted. Like Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," the story unearths the bestial forces hidden just beneath an ostensibly civilized surface. Much as we may wish to condemn Pozdnyshev, he has many valid points, and whether or not we can bring ourselves to agree, there is an indisputable humanity to his character, actions, and thoughts that, if we look hard enough, we will see in ourselves.
Without going into the story, such as it is, it is sufficient to say that "The Kreutzer" advances the more radical parts of Tolstoy's philosophy that he was unwilling or unable to attempt a few years before in "The Death." Specifically, it takes up St. Paul's abstinence call and essentially writes off marriage. That the work was banned on sexual grounds when it in fact demonizes sex may seem strange - not to mention the irony that it was banned with self-righteous piety despite being a truly Christian, Biblically sound work by a real Christian -, but it is easy to see how superficial readings could give the wrong impression. The story is indeed in some ways even more shocking in our sex-heavy culture; it condemns sex not as a pleasure to be virtuously avoided but as inherently depraved - a filthy animal act unworthy of civilized beings. Pozdnyshev is unafraid to take the argument all the way to its logical conclusion, saying it is better to let humanity cease than to perpetuate itself so disgustingly. It is easy to come up with intellectual arguments against such a stunning claim - and of course all too easy to come up with more visceral ones -, but the case is put forth so forcefully that few could deny there is much to it. This is in any event not the only polemical element; Pozdnyshev's long misanthropic rant is full of unconventional complaints about the corrupt hypocrisy of nearly every aspect of society. Not the least interesting applications, especially today, are those relating to women's issues. Ingersoll criticized the story for supporting female subjugation, but Tolstoy truly believed its proposals would liberate women. He had long been disgusted by the ignorance in which women were kept, especially in regard to sexuality, which he thought made them easy prey for hedonistic men. The story strives to correct this and other social iniquities.
All told, whatever one thinks of "The Kreutzer," it is one of literature's most thought-provoking works, especially considering its length; it deals with more serious issues and has more radical proposals than most full novels. It circulated widely in Russia and elsewhere despite bans and lack of publication and was often read aloud, sometimes by Tolstoy, provoking extensive debate - this last it continues to do now that it is widely available. Henry David Thoreau is the only major writer who even rivals Tolstoy in challenging society's most deeply ingrained beliefs and traditions with candor, strength, and art, and "The Kreutzer" is essential for this and other reasons, wherever one chooses to read it.
Summary of The Kreutzer Sonata (Penguin Great Loves)
Love can be surprising. Love can be heartbreaking. Love can be an art. But love is the singular emotion that all humans rely on most . . . and crave endlessly, no matter what the cost. United by this theme of love, the nine titles in the Penguin Great Loves collection include tales of blissful and all- encompassing, doomed and tragic, erotic and absurd, seductive and adulterous, innocent and murderous love. A deeply moving addition to the Penguin Great Ideas and Great Journeys series, each gorgeously packaged book will challenge all expectations of love while celebrating the beauty of its existence.
All books in this series: Cures for Love
Doomed Love
The Eaten Heart
First Love
Forbidden Fruit
The Kreutzer Sonata
A Mere Interlude
Of Mistresses, Tigresses and Other Conquests
The Seducer's Diary
All books in this series: Cures for Love
Doomed Love
The Eaten Heart
First Love
Forbidden Fruit
The Kreutzer Sonata
A Mere Interlude
Of Mistresses, Tigresses and Other Conquests
The Seducer's Diary
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