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| Source: Wikipedia.org "Kreutzer Sonata" by Rene Francois Xavier Prinet, 1901 |
What could be more
appropriate or wonderful than Kiss
for the letter K?
In 1889 Leo Tolstoy
created a novella entitled Kreutzer Sonata, in which forbidden discussions
of sexuality, love and lust, morality and immorality emerge.
Marriage, divorce, and love were examined in a conversation on a train with Pozdnyshev and other passengers.
Marriage, divorce, and love were examined in a conversation on a train with Pozdnyshev and other passengers.
He later marries and time
goes by with relative happiness and children.
He discovers his wife has started using contraceptives. There is a schism in the relationship and his
wife begins a relationship with a violinist (whose name is 15 letters
long).
This is the first movement of the sonata, lasting about 7 minutes.
Well, then....
They begin practicing
this challenging sonata, with the wife accompanying the violinist. Pozdnyshev discovers them in a passionate
kiss and kills the wife. The violinist
flees.
The Russian
Government prohibited Tolstoy's story to be published.
Portions of the story made their way to the United States where these chapters were published in the newspaper.
Portions of the story made their way to the United States where these chapters were published in the newspaper.
Not able to suppress free speech, President Theodore Roosevelt forbid
the U. S. Post Office to deliver any newspaper containing the story.
He called Tolstoy “…a sexual, moral pervert.”
He called Tolstoy “…a sexual, moral pervert.”
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| Leo Tolstoy, 1828-1910 |
The title chosen by
Tolstoy was based upon Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9, (which is another story in itself)!
All this happened as
the result of an illicit kiss between a married woman and her lover.
A kiss is a powerful
thing.
Wow, how times have changed!
ReplyDeleteA tragic story... Can you imagine the president telling the PO NOT to deliver newspapers that contained and "objectionable" story? There'd be riots! The illustration you use of The Kiss was used for advertising the Perfume, Tabu, which my mother used to wear.
ReplyDeleteWhat would one do today if one caught one's life width here lover? Say, "Carry on!" perhaps? Intersting how imagination become reality. Tolstoy was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs
No one would blink an eye to such things now a days
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a story! Lots of drama!
ReplyDeleteA kiss is a powerful thing! The violin is beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteI imagine that Tolstoy is spining in his grave if he can see the changes. Mind you, he won't be alone. Perhaps this accounts for some of the turbulence in the world. All those spinners...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the story, Susan. Wow, fifteen-letter name, that, somehow, got stuck in my head. Tolstoy was a great storyteller for that time, but am having a heck of a time trying to go through his Anna Karenina today. Yeah, he probably wouldn't have liked any of this, but the truth is ... a kiss is a very powerful thing, indeed. :)
ReplyDeleteSuddenly I've taken an interest in this author. Lol
ReplyDeleteI love Leo Tolstoy! And Kreutzer Sonata was one of my favorite novellas by Tolstoy.
ReplyDeleteI wrote about it here. His wife did not really have an affair with the musician, but her husband thought she did. It is never clear if she truly had an affair. I think they were just friends. Tolstoy wanted to delve into the nature of friendships between men and women among other things. Here's my essay:
http://southernpacificreview.com/2012/02/12/leo-tolstoy%E2%80%99s-novellas/
Yes! You are absolutely correct! My source was a condensed version of the Tolstoy writing, leaving room for speculation. Tolstoy, with much of his volume of work, was intent on focusing upon the conflict of sexual expectations.
DeleteThanks for your input. I will check out your essay, and encourage bloggers to do the same. Tolstoy was brilliant.
You know, I've never read Tolstoy. I should probably get on that. Anyone who Roosevelt called a sexual, moral pervert has got to be fun.
ReplyDeleteNice. You're almost halfway through the alphabet :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting how emotions control our thinking, behavior and actions.
ReplyDeleteI've never read Tolstoy, it doesn't seem like my kind of book.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been the Twenty Shades of Grey of it's time.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting and informative post! A kiss can definitely be a powerful thing.
ReplyDeleteMadeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
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