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The Kreutzer Sonata cover art

The Kreutzer Sonata

By: Leo Tolstoy
Narrated by: Jonathan Oliver
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Editor reviews

Less a story than a philosophical tract, this tale is told to a chance listener on a railway journey by a man who has murdered his wife and been exonerated on the grounds that she was unfaithful and deserved it. Tolstoy writes the murderer Pozdnyshev as distraught, given to uttering a strange emotional cry, which Jonathan Oliver renders brilliantly. Oliver's Pozdnyshev, high-strung and tormented, is convinced that his crime was caused by the nature of modern marriage and that any true Christian, married or not, must live celibate or risk his mortal soul. Since Pozdnyshev strikes the listener as delusional, but Tolstoy's afterword makes clear that he is the author's mouthpiece, this makes for a strangely dissonant experience, if a marvelous piece of acting.

Summary

One of Tolstoy’s most important shorter works, The Kreutzer Sonata presents a problematic view of the relationship between the sexes and promotes abstinence as the solution.

Pozdnyshev jealously observes the intimacy that emerges between his wife and a violin player. Haunted by The Kreutzer Sonata, over which they bonded, it plays round and round in Pozdnyshev’s head, driving him to distraction and to an unquenchable rage.

The Kreutzer Sonata is a psychologically fascinating novella, offering interesting insights into the power play between the sexes.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks
Classics
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A dated philisophical novel

This novel questions the state of marriage, love and religion of a bygone era. I feel as though it may have been thought provoking at the time, but it fails to have an impact now. I found this book self indulgent as the story fails to grasp me while going on lengthy tangents on the philosophies of the main character.

The one thing of note in this is the performance of the narrator, but I can't recommend this book to anyone.

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