The devil (tolstoy)

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Lev Tolstoy in 1889.
Artist: Jan Vilímek

The Devil ( Russian Дьявол , Djawol ) is a novella by Lev Tolstoy , which, written in ten days, was completed on November 19, 1890. The text was published posthumously in Volume 1 of LN Tolstoy's Posthumous Artistic Works in Moscow . In 1982 the novella in Vol. 12 Powesti and Stories 1885–1902 of the 22-volume Tolstoy edition was published by Verlag für Künstlerische Literatur - also in Moscow.

The story contains autobiographical references to the liaison between the author and the farmer Aksinija Basykina.

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The 26-year-old civil servant Yevgeny Irtenev gives up his job, leaves the city and takes over the Semyonovskoye estate. It turns out that the late father had run down this family property during his lifetime and, on top of that, ran into debts. The organization of the Semyonovskoye situation proves to be difficult and financially expensive. So the older brother, an officer, has to be paid the inheritance. And then there is another problem entirely. In the city the young officer had had an affair with one or the other woman. In Yevgeni's opinion, that hadn't been offensive. He had told himself that he needed it because of his health. Now in the country there is no such possibility.

As summer approaches, the old forest ranger Danila knows what to do. He brings Yevgeni to Stepanida Pechnikova, a young, healthy farmer's wife. Yevgeny is always enjoying himself in the forest between the trees in the bushes and afterwards gives the pretty Stepanida money. Stepanida's relatives are happy to see and accept the money; encourage the woman to continue. Soon the whole village knows about it and envies the Pechnikovs. Stepanida's husband, the coachman Sidor Pechnikov, works in the city. Although the horned one smells a fuse after a while, nothing happens. Stepanida remains free like a soldier's wife.

That first summer in the country is drawing to a close. In autumn Yevgeny is busy in the city, falls in love with the young Lisa Annenskaya and forgets about Stepanida. After the wedding, Yevgeny says that it is love with Lisa. The inclination is reciprocated by the wife.

Lisa - a good, but not a brilliant match - gives Yevgeny her money and thus helps him out of the worst. For this, the property will be overwritten.

When Stepanida gives birth to a boy, Yevgeny continues to worry. He always paid that summer and Stepanida had apparently been with her husband from time to time.

Lisa, who is now pregnant, has a miscarriage after an accident - she jumped out of the car at full speed because of a shy horse. Eventually, pale, skinny, and weak Lisa becomes pregnant again. Evgeni meets the radiant, powerful farmer's wife Stepanida again by chance and the old passionate desire flares up again in the young, healthy, strong squire Yevgeny and soon burns brightly. Yevgeny imitates Stepanida. Shortly before the goal of his wishes, chance prevents the longed-for tryst twice. Jewjeni doesn't know yet. He confesses the need to his uncle. He advises a summer stay in the Crimea . Said and done. Lisa gives birth to a healthy girl - Mimi - there.

After two months, back home in Semyonovskoye, Yevgeny succeeds in everything. The field promises a high-yield harvest. The economy is slowly but surely improving. Yevgeny meets Stepanida, seeks her closeness and says: “… there is no God! There is only one devil. And that is it. ”But he does not want to become a victim of his animal instincts. So he gives himself the ball.

German-language editions

  • The devil. German by Arthur Luther . P. 132–192 in: Gisela Drohla (Ed.): Leo N. Tolstoj. All the stories. Sixth volume. Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1961 (2nd edition of the edition in eight volumes 1982)

Web links

annotation

  1. ↑ In a second surviving final version - the Tolstoy research dates its origin to the spring of 1890 - Yevgeny shoots his lover three times in the back. The woman dies. Yevgeny comes before the jury , treated as a mentally deranged, with a mild judgment and returns home as an alcoholic .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Russian. Посмертные художественные произведения Л. Н. Толстого / под ред. В. Г. Черткова, Т. 1. In German: Legacy Artistic Works of LN Tolstoy. Editor: WG Tschertkow , Vol. 1
  2. ↑ Prof. Dr. Wladimir Jakowlewitsch Linkow (Russian Владимир Яковлевич Линков, entry at istina.msu.ru anno 2016): Commentary on the text at RVB.ru (Russian)
  3. ↑ Russian Аксинья Базыкина (1836–1919)
  4. ↑ Russian Slavic Research Center of the University of Hokkaidō , Sapporo , author: Jussuke Sato in T. Nakamura (ed.): Лев Толстой: сквозь рубежи и межи (for example: Lev Tolstoy: Crossing boundaries ). 88-page .pdf, page 17 under item 3 of Chapter Толстовские героини и непреодолимые "границы." (About: Tolstoy heroines and insurmountable limits )
  5. ↑ Edition used, p. 191, 14th Zvu