The Kreutzer Sonata

By: Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the world’s greatest novelists, Leo Tolstoy was also the author of a number of superb short stories, one of his best known being “The Kreutzer Sonata.” This macabre story involves the murder of a wife by her husband. It is a penetrating study of jealousy as well as a piercing complaint about the way in which society educates men and women in matters of sex - a serious condemnation of the mores and attitudes of the wealthy, educated class.

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was born in Russia. His parents, who died when he was young, were of noble birth. He served in the army in the Caucasus and Crimea, where he wrote his first stories. He is especially known for his masterpieces, War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877).

Public Domain (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

So disturbing...

Such a disturbing work. Will change your opinion of Tolstoy forever, especially since he believed some this stuff about sex and marriage.

Passionate reading

In “The Kreutzer Sonata”, Tolstoy has given us a disturbing and believable portrait of a man whose bitterness, misogyny, and jealousy will eventually lead him to murder his wife. The authorities consider it a crime of passion, and because of that he faces no punishment. He believed his wife was having an affair, and to him and others, that excuses all. He lacks any self-awareness of the contempt and disgust on his part that played a role in making their marriage so unhappy.

The story is anything but “sex-positive.” On the contrary, Tolstoy writes about sex with an almost scatological ferocity. It isn't apparent from this particular edition of the story, but it seems that Tolstoy shared more of his protagonist’s attitude toward sex, and toward women, than was good for him. He apparently shared his protagonist’s belief that total abstinence from all sexual contact, for all people everywhere, was a necessary step in building a just society. He made this explicit in an appendix that is sometimes included with the story (though not here). He overlooked a much simpler solution that was ready to hand: don't be a jerk.

Simon Prebble narrates the story with grace but also with strong passion: I believed him as a character driven to murder by his own demons. He is sometimes downright frightening, especially as the story reaches its climax. But even with that, Prebble’s voice somehow conveys the sense that he's enjoying the task of reading it.

Tolstoy is a genius, of course

Tolstoy's novella The Kreutzer Sonata is disturbing and will make you question the author's views of women. However, the writing is so impeccably written that you cannot help but find yourself immerse in the world of his main character. He is a suspicious, jealous, methodical, and crazed man who is confessing the murder of his wife. Because of its first person narrative and direct style, the book is an intimate look inside the mind of this man. It makes the story feel more claustrophobic and voyeuristic -- and emphasizes the nature of the crime. It is an uncomfortable read, and I believe that made it more powerful.

I know that the story mirrors a bit too closely some of Tolstoy's own views on marriage and women, but I did not find the book to be too autobiographical or reflective of the writer. I was able to read the book without thinking about Tolstoy, and although I am a proud feminist I was able to set aside my modern views and enjoy the book for what it is.

Masterful, brilliant, a must read!

If you are contemplating reading this book, do it. Not since reading the Iliad do I recall feeling such powerful emotions.
This short story builds and builds tension and extracts from the reader so much emotion, that I was left in awe.
The performance is top notch, Prebble almost sings it like a bard, and performs it like a Greek tragedy.
This is a powerful story that I soon won’t forget. Leo Tolstoy and Homer are equals, and I understand the weight that statement carries.

so good!

nice and short, very well read. a great story about love, jealousy, and revenge. and the human condition.

Very good short story

Tale of a man's jealousy over his wife's affections for another man. Tremendous reading, enjoyed it.

Magnificent story and reading!

Worthwhile for any lover of great literature. Uniquely Russian, it is a woeful but powerful tale for all fascinated by the human condition.

Classic, dramatic, and profound

The story is powerful and insightful, even for its time. Simon Prebble did a fantastic job with this novel!

Tolstoy

A 19th century story about a well to do man's misogynistic view on women and their role in society based on his jealousy and insecurities in his marriage. Told over a train ride in Czarist Russia.

Powerful story, well told

Tolstoy paints an incredibly powerful picture of what damage jealousy can do. He gets inside the mind of a terrible misogynist. The narrator is terrific. He tells the story with dramatic energy. Highly recommended.