ISBN:

978-9941-466-34-2

Category:

New Translations

Pages:

220

Format:

14.8x21

Cover:

Soft

Price:

12.00

Buy

Translated from Russian by Lili Mchedlishvili

 

The present publication includes three novellas by Leo Tosltoy – The Death of Ivan Ilyich, The Kreutzer Sonata and After the Ball.

 

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), with its psychological depth, complex thoughts and analysis of the philosophical problems of life and death, is one of the widely acknowledged masterpieces in the world literature. The main character Ivan Ilyich Golovin is the face of that era, completely deprived of individuality, who blindly follows the traditional codex of ranks, lives according to the rules established in the high society. His interests are very prosaic, he isn’t interested in the common good, is totally indifferent towards people. He even marries not out of love but because of the benefits that the marriage carries, because for him it is more important that his bosses, high officials, think that his choice is acceptable.

 

The Kreutzer Sonata is known as one of the challenging novellas of the 1840s, which describes a personal tragedy of a married couple. The author worked on it for almost two years (1887-1889), writing eight versions before the final one.

 

In 1903 Tolstoy wrote a short story After the Ball, which is a notable phenomenon in his late career with its stylistic perfection, compositional completeness, and serene epic narrative. The author once again addresses the idea of ‘spiritual birth’, human morals and the perfection of personality.