Scan barcode
mankamon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
4.0
This was good, I liked two Tolstoy novellas I have read much better than the more popular epic monsters. This one is alive with a sort of energy I never expected from him. And this book even faced censorship! Both Russia and USA thought it was indecent. Well, outside DH Lawrence, it is most sex-centric book I have read that doesn't use the word 'sex'. Roosevelt even called him immoralist for writing the book.
Actually Tolstoy's fault lies in opposite direction. He is telling you how sex is a bad thing. He is telling everyone that we should offer sexual abstinence, even if it means humanity must perish - influenced by Christianity. He is the perfect example of the corrupted Christian that Nietzsche talked about in his Antichrist. (Last book I read.) I am not a fan of his epic books, but you could love the author who wrote them - compassionate, jumping in mind of one character from that of other, refusing to pass the judgement. Here he is just struck in mind of one character who judges everyone - including hinself.
Now if you read the book knowing author's intentions, the book is spoiled. But read the book for itself ignoring author's intentions, you have a good novella - the protagonist is preaching but you don't have to take his summons, his opinions are influenced by his life, you just read his story and be entertained by how his pessissm Colorado everything he sees. And there is that element about hypnotic effect of music which is best thing about the novella.
Actually Tolstoy's fault lies in opposite direction. He is telling you how sex is a bad thing. He is telling everyone that we should offer sexual abstinence, even if it means humanity must perish - influenced by Christianity. He is the perfect example of the corrupted Christian that Nietzsche talked about in his Antichrist. (Last book I read.) I am not a fan of his epic books, but you could love the author who wrote them - compassionate, jumping in mind of one character from that of other, refusing to pass the judgement. Here he is just struck in mind of one character who judges everyone - including hinself.
Now if you read the book knowing author's intentions, the book is spoiled. But read the book for itself ignoring author's intentions, you have a good novella - the protagonist is preaching but you don't have to take his summons, his opinions are influenced by his life, you just read his story and be entertained by how his pessissm Colorado everything he sees. And there is that element about hypnotic effect of music which is best thing about the novella.
nico072's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
petabuc's review against another edition
4.0
Cosa dire, un libro che provoca sensazioni. Quasi disprezzo per il punto di vista dell'autore sulla condizione umana (vagamente mitigato dalla data di pubblicazione) alternato a implacabile entusiasmo per una prosa magistrale e per un racconto che suscita emozioni, sbalzi d'umore e immedesimazione. Va letto, ma attenzione a non cadere in una personale battaglia contro l'autore e le sue convinzioni troglodite.
ibrareads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Before reading this book I knew how much Tolstoy was criticized and attacked for it when it got published, being labelled a misogynist among other names. After reading, I have to say I disagree with the criticizers.
There is nothing remotely misogynistic about this novel at all. In fact, Tolstoy doesn't just attack women for the "excesses of sensuality", but he also attacks men, stating that the abundance of food and the physical idleness a lot of men have is a leading cause of debauchery and "excesses of sensuality". Furthermore, just because Pozdnyshev ends up killing his wife in an 'honour/rage' killing, doesn't mean Tolstoy is supporting that. In fact, at the end of the novel Pozdnyshev REGRETS what he did and begs forgiveness, not just from his dying wife but even from the narrator who he tells the story to on the train. Tolstoy was merely pointing out the fact that in Russia at the time, men could get away with committing such heinous crimes.
zoska's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hnnhkbk's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pozdnyshev is the og incel in a loveless marriage, the more things change the more they stay the same 🤪
anyajulchen's review against another edition
4.0
Es el primer escrito de Tolstoi que leo, así que quizás mi crítica sea algo común en él, pero esa insistencia de colocar sus propias críticas en la voz del protagonista, y de manera poco sutil, hicieron el texto algo aburrido. Es decir, si, es una historia increíble y bastante llamativa, pero la cuestión de los celos queda un poco subyugada bajo las lecciones morales que agrega el escritor.
rooftopz's review against another edition
2.0
this is NOT the right book to read on Women's Month lol.... This review is coming from someone who has Anna Karenina as one of her favorite books of all time btw.
After learning more about Tolstoy's life (specifically his marriage with Sophia), I can't help but find striking parallels in their relationship with the characters in the story. It's simply so disappointing to think that Tolstoy, who once projected his love and character through Levin in AK (who was my favorite character btw), transforms into this heartless and irrational man. I MISS HAPPY TOLSTOY.
While I do acknowledge that an annoying main character is not equal to a bad book/bad writer, the line between fiction and reality is beginning to blur, and I'm scared. I'm scared that there are men out there in the world who think like this. I'm scared that I'm going to be in a loveless marriage wherein my husband, who might appear to love me at first, shall one day detest me and find me as a vile creature (then kill me JK). I'm scared that women are really perceived this way by men.
The ending was just pure frustration. And I do not think we should covet our partners guys but why is he filled with so much anger (and eventual regret) when he had no love for her to begin with? It was so obvious that he never loved her, and it was only the 1. idea of marriage and 2. her beauty (which was mainly emphasized in the beginning), that motivated him to continue the relationship. I understand that finding out that the love of your life cheating on you will consume you with an inexplicable amount of rage, but was she ever someone he truly loved? It was so focused on HATE and JUDGEMENT.
I don't know what Tolstoy envisioned for us readers when he wrote this. Did he want us to be careful with who we marry? or perhaps, to not marry at all? Does he want us to prevent our partners from meeting other people? It's weird... and I do feel disappointed with this book. I just wish there could be something that would let me cling to it or at least show a little ounce of empathy for MC... but I am just left here with nothing but anger.
After learning more about Tolstoy's life (specifically his marriage with Sophia), I can't help but find striking parallels in their relationship with the characters in the story. It's simply so disappointing to think that Tolstoy, who once projected his love and character through Levin in AK (who was my favorite character btw), transforms into this heartless and irrational man. I MISS HAPPY TOLSTOY.
While I do acknowledge that an annoying main character is not equal to a bad book/bad writer, the line between fiction and reality is beginning to blur, and I'm scared. I'm scared that there are men out there in the world who think like this. I'm scared that I'm going to be in a loveless marriage wherein my husband, who might appear to love me at first, shall one day detest me and find me as a vile creature (then kill me JK). I'm scared that women are really perceived this way by men.
The ending was just pure frustration. And I do not think we should covet our partners guys but why is he filled with so much anger (and eventual regret) when he had no love for her to begin with? It was so obvious that he never loved her, and it was only the 1. idea of marriage and 2. her beauty (which was mainly emphasized in the beginning), that motivated him to continue the relationship. I understand that finding out that the love of your life cheating on you will consume you with an inexplicable amount of rage, but was she ever someone he truly loved? It was so focused on HATE and JUDGEMENT.
I don't know what Tolstoy envisioned for us readers when he wrote this. Did he want us to be careful with who we marry? or perhaps, to not marry at all? Does he want us to prevent our partners from meeting other people? It's weird... and I do feel disappointed with this book. I just wish there could be something that would let me cling to it or at least show a little ounce of empathy for MC... but I am just left here with nothing but anger.