Book Description

A new translation into modern American English directly from the original Russian manuscript. This edition contains an Afterword by the translator, a timeline of Tolstoy's life and works, and a glossary of philosophic terminology used throughout Tolstoy's literature and philosophy. "The Devil" by Leo Tolstoy, also known as "Devil," is a thought-provoking novella that grapples with profound moral and philosophical questions. Published posthumously in 1911, it was written in 1889 and given an alternate ending in 1909. "The Devil" deals with the consequences of sexual feelings, as does Tolstoy's "Kreutzer Sonata", written at the same time.The novella is a tragedy. Eugene Irtenev inherits a debt-laden estate and immerses himself in its management. Feeling lonely, he engages in a paid affair with a local peasant woman, Stepanida, but eventually marries Liza Annenskaya, a middle-class girl. Despite a seemingly stable life, including a newborn daughter and a prospering estate, the re-emergence of Stepanida in their household rekindles Eugene's passion for her. Torn between guilt and desire, Eugene contemplates murdering Stepanida, his wife, or himself. Ultimately, he chooses the third, leaving his family baffled by his despair, as he never confided in them about his inner turmoil. Compare this work to Dostoevsky's classic Demons, which similarly describes the parasitic nature of socio-political ideologies like Socialism and Post-Modernism, and the destructive nature of Epicureanism when Stoic dispassion is abandoned.