A review by bookbelle5_17
The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I gave this rating obviously, but i don't know how I feel about this novella.  It's a story of a man relating to our narrator how he grew to hate his wife and allegedly caught her cheating with a musician and decided to murder her.  It is a Tolstoy so the writing is brilliant and an enrapturing look at this mad man's downfall.  There is clearly a message of anti marriage or anti sex for pleasure.  After this experience with his wife, the man telling the story of punishing her, he hates woman believing them all to be manipulative  bitches.  I spent the whole story being anger and finding the man an idiot.  The story comes off as very cynical and probably wouldn't read it again.  Its a fascinating story but it is a dark story and can has a discomforting vibe.

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