The Power of Darkness

Name: The Power of Darkness
Author: Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy,

78 pages
English
ePUB (mobile friendly)
Available on iOS & Android

eBook - ePub

Available until 27 Dec |Learn more

The Power of Darkness

Leo Tolstoy,

About this book

The Power of Darkness (1886) is a play by Leo Tolstoy. Forbidden for decades in Tolstoy's native Russia, the five-act play was first staged in Paris, where it earned praise from some of France's leading critics. Noted for its brutal depiction of violence and desperation, the play is concerned with the universal religious and philosophical themes that inspired such masterpieces as War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877). Peasant life is often portrayed in art as peaceful and romantic, in touch with the rhythms of the natural world and coursing with spirituality. In The Power of Darkness, Tolstoy refuses such empty symbolism, choosing instead to tell a story of greed, murder, and betrayal that has everything to do with the political reality faced by its impoverished characters. Fearful of what will happen to their farm when her aging husband Peter dies, Anisya seduces her farmhand Nikita, whose lack of education and opportunity—as well as a moral emptiness—make him a willing accomplice. Betraying Marinka, a young orphan girl he manipulates for pleasure, Nikita joins Anisya in dispossessing her stubborn husband. Tragic and disturbing, The Power of Darkness is a story of man at war with nature, and therefore at war with himself. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy's The Power of Darkness is a classic work of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Yes, you can access The Power of Darkness by Leo Tolstoy in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Drama. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.