The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy.
Chapter 1
Short Fiction
This chapter serves as a title page and translator credit listing for a collection of Leo Tolstoy's short fiction.
Chapter 2
The Raid
The narrator, a volunteer, joins a Russian military expedition into the Caucasus. He observes the preparations and march with Captain Hlopov, discussing the nature of courage. During the raid on a village, he witnesses the initial excitement of battle, the brutal looting and destruction by the troops, and his own growing disillusionment with the spectacle of war.
Chapter 3
The Wood-Felling
A group of Russian soldiers in the Caucasus, on a military expedition, converse around a campfire. They discuss their disillusionment with the romanticized image of the Caucasus, their reasons for serving, their fears before combat, and their alienation from life back in Russia. The chapter captures the boredom, anxiety, and moral weariness of military life, punctuated by the sudden reality of enemy fire.
Chapter 4
Recollections of a Scorer
The narrator, a billiard-room attendant named Petrushka, recounts the final days and suicide of a young nobleman, Prince Nekhliudof. He describes Nekhliudof's descent into debt, humiliation, and despair, culminating in his writing a poignant suicide note that laments the waste of his youth, intellect, and noble aspirations before shooting himself.
Chapter 5
Sevastopol
The chapter follows the Kozeltsóf brothers as they travel to the besieged city of Sevastopol. The younger brother, Volódya, is initially filled with romantic, heroic fantasies about war but is confronted by the mundane and sordid reality of military life upon meeting a corrupt commissariat officer. The narrative culminates in the harrowing, chaotic Russian retreat from the city, depicting the destruction, death, and the soldiers' profound sense of loss, shame, and bitterness as they abandon the fortress.
Chapter 6
Meeting a Moscow Acquaintance in the Detachment
The narrator, an officer in a Russian artillery detachment in the Caucasus, describes a quiet evening in camp. After a game, a disgraced former acquaintance from Moscow society, Guskov, approaches the officers. Through their awkward, private conversation, Guskov reveals his fall from grace—exiled to serve as a private soldier after some 'unfortunate and stupid affair'—and his profound humiliation and isolation within the army.
Chapter 7
The Snowstorm
The narrator and his companions, including the driver Ignat and the boy Alyoshka, set out on a sledge journey across a desolate Don Cossack steppe at night. They are quickly engulfed by a fierce snowstorm, lose the road, and drive in circles, encountering a train of wagons and debating their location. The narrator drifts into a fearful, half-frozen sleep, experiencing vivid, surreal dreams about their potential fate.
Chapter 8
A Russian Proprietor
Nineteen-year-old Prince Nekhliudof leaves university, determined to dedicate himself to improving the lives of the 700 peasants on his estate. He writes to his aunt, Countess Biéloretskaïa, defending his noble but naive plan, which she criticizes as foolish and egotistical. Undeterred, he moves to the country and establishes a systematic routine. The chapter follows him on a Sunday as he interacts with villagers, including the nurse and the Dutlof family, revealing the complex realities of rural life and the gap between his idealistic intentions and the peasants' practical concerns.
Chapter 9
Lucerne
The narrator witnesses a poor Tyrolean minstrel perform for a crowd of wealthy tourists outside the Schweitzerhof Hotel. Despite the enjoyment provided, not a single listener offers him money, and many treat him with coldness and ridicule. This event prompts a passionate internal critique from the narrator, who contrasts the crowd's professed civilization and philanthropy with their profound lack of basic human sympathy and poetic feeling, questioning the true value of modern progress, equality, and wealth.
Chapter 10
Albert
At a late-night ball in Petersburg, the discontented Delesof encounters a disheveled, impoverished musician named Albert. Albert is initially barred from entering but is eventually allowed in, where he dances awkwardly and falls. Later, he plays the violin with such profound, soul-stirring emotion that it deeply moves Delesof and the other guests. Despite his evident genius, Albert is in a wretched state, dependent on alcohol and charity. Delesof, captivated by his talent, offers to take Albert into his home to help him, though Albert seems more focused on his immediate needs for drink and music.
Chapter 11
Two Hussars
The chapter introduces Count Fyódor Toúrbin, a young hussar officer, as he arrives in a provincial town during the nobility elections. He is charismatic, impulsive, and lives with a carefree, spendthrift hussar spirit. He quarters himself in a hotel and later at the house of Anna Fyódorovna, whose family had connections to his late father, Count Fyódor Ivánitch Toúrbin. The narrative contrasts the romanticized past era of the father with the present generation, as seen through the eyes of Anna Fyódorovna and her brother, an old cavalryman.
Chapter 12
Three Deaths
The chapter contrasts the deaths of three beings: a wealthy, consumptive lady who dies in comfort but with spiritual emptiness; a poor, consumptive coach driver, Fyodor, who dies with resignation in a hut; and a tree, felled to make a cross for the driver's grave. It explores the differing attitudes towards death across social classes and the natural world.
Chapter 13
Family Happiness
The narrator, a young woman named Masha, describes a dark, grief-stricken winter following her mother's death. She feels her youth is being wasted in solitude until the arrival of their neighbor and guardian, Sergéy Mikháylych, who was a friend of her father's and of whom her mother had once approvingly said, 'I should like you to marry a man like him.' The chapter then shifts to depict the early, blissful period of her marriage to him, characterized by mutual adoration, a secluded country life, and integration into his family's traditional household managed by his mother, Tatyána Semënovna.
Chapter 14
Polikoúshka
The proprietress and her steward, Egór Miháylovitch, debate which serf to send as a recruit. The steward wishes to protect the Doútlof family and send the disreputable domestic serf Polikoúshka, but the mistress, moved by pity for Polikoúshka's family, resists. The discussion reveals the arbitrary power of the landowner and the precarious lives of the serfs. The mistress ultimately decides to send Polikoúshka on a different errand—to collect a large sum of money from a merchant—as a test of his reformed character, a decision he proudly reports to his anxious wife, Akoulína.
Chapter 15
The Porcelain Doll
The narrator writes a letter to Tánya describing a bizarre and unsettling transformation: his wife Sónya periodically turns into a small, cold porcelain doll, complete with a fixed pedestal. While disturbing at first, he grows accustomed to her porcelain state, finding a strange happiness in it, even as he worries about the implications for their expected child. The letter ends with the news that the porcelain Sónya has been accidentally broken.
Chapter 16
The Decembrists
The chapter opens with a sweeping, ironic description of Russian society in 1856, following the Crimean War—a time of perceived progress, public debate, and national self-congratulation. The narrative then shifts to the arrival of an old nobleman, his wife Natálya Nikoláevna, their daughter Sónya, and son Sergyéy at a Moscow hotel. A second fragment details a protracted legal dispute from 1815-1817 between the landowner Iván Apýkhtin and the peasants of Izlegóshcha over a large parcel of land, showcasing the complexities and corruptions of the serf-era judicial system.
Chapter 17
Adaptations and Imitations of Hindu Fables
A collection of short, didactic fables featuring animals, objects, and people, each illustrating a moral lesson about human folly, conflict, perspective, and the sources of suffering.
Chapter 18
From the New Speller 214
A collection of short fables and parables, each illustrating a moral lesson. Stories include animals like the Eagle and Sow tricked by a Grimalkin, a wise and foolish peasant searching for treasure, a man who destroys his house to fuel his oven, and many others teaching about folly, greed, deception, and the consequences of one's actions.
Chapter 19
The Great Bear
During a great drought, a little girl selflessly seeks water for her sick mother. After miraculously finding a pitcher of water, she prioritizes giving it to a thirsty dog, her mother, and a stranger over drinking it herself. Each act of selflessness transforms the pitcher—from wood to silver to gold—culminating in the water becoming an endless stream and seven diamonds rising to form the constellation of the Great Bear.
Chapter 20
The Foundling
A poor woman's daughter, Másha, finds a tiny, crying baby wrapped in rags at their door. Despite their poverty, Másha convinces her mother to let her keep the child, feeding and caring for it.
Chapter 21
The Peasant and the Cucumbers
A peasant sneaks into a garden to steal cucumbers and, while fantasizing about the wealth he will build from selling them, he inadvertently alerts the watchmen by shouting out loud part of his daydream, leading to his capture and beating.
Chapter 22
The Fire
During harvest, a grandmother and her three young grandchildren are left alone in a hut. The grandmother falls asleep, and the three-year-old girl, Másha, accidentally sets fire to sheaves in the vestibule with hot coals. When the fire spreads, the eight-year-old boy, Ványa, bravely enters the smoke-filled house, awakens his grandmother, and then rescues his younger siblings, Másha and the toddler Kiryúsha, by helping them escape through a window.
Chapter 23
The Old Horse
The narrator, as a boy, recalls an old village man named Pímen Timoféich and a shared family horse named Raven. After his brothers ride Raven hard, the narrator's turn comes, and he tries to force the exhausted horse to run by whipping it severely. The valet intervenes, comparing the worn-out, twenty-year-old horse to the ancient Pímen Timoféich. This comparison makes the narrator see Raven's suffering, leading to a moment of pity and remorse. He gets off the horse, kisses it, and begs forgiveness, a lesson in compassion that stays with him into adulthood.
Chapter 24
How I Learned to Ride
The narrator, as a young boy, recounts his first experience learning to ride a horse at a riding-school. Despite his father's warning that he would fall, he insists on joining his brothers. Initially frightened and struggling to mount the pony Ruddy, he eventually rides without being held. He falls off when the inattentive master praises him, but, unhurt and ashamed to cry, he gets back on and soon learns to ride well without fear.
Chapter 25
The Willow
A peasant plants willow cuttings to make a hedge. Over many years, through repeated damage from sheep, lightning, and human use, only one tree survives and grows. It becomes a landmark for the village, providing shade and attracting bees. After the village is abandoned, the tree persists until children accidentally set it on fire while starting a fire to keep warm, ultimately killing it.
Chapter 26
Búlka
The narrator describes his bulldog, Búlka: his distinctive appearance, gentle but stubborn nature, and remarkable strength, exemplified by his tenacious grip on a bear. The story culminates in Búlka's incredible loyalty, as he escapes confinement and races twenty versts through intense heat to rejoin his departing master at the first station.
Chapter 27
Búlka and the Wild Boar
The narrator recounts a boar hunt in the Caucasus with his dog Búlka. Búlka gets separated from the pack but eventually finds and attacks the boar, sustaining a severe injury. The narrator shoots and kills the boar, then tends to Búlka's grievous wound, sewing up his belly. After a long recovery, Búlka survives.
Chapter 28
Pheasants
A descriptive chapter detailing three methods of hunting pheasants in the Caucasus: with a 'hobby' (a camouflaged screen), by 'scaring up' with a dog that makes the bird fly into a tree, and 'from underdogs' using a setter to track and flush the birds.
Chapter 29
Milton and Búlka
The narrator describes his two dogs: the intelligent setter Milton, used for hunting pheasants, and the formidable Búlka, whom no other dog dares to fight. During a hunt, Búlka insists on following and repeatedly interferes with Milton's tracking. Despite the narrator's attempts to stop him, Búlka ruins the chase by rushing ahead. Milton cleverly solves the problem by feigning interest in false trails to mislead Búlka, allowing him to follow the correct scent and successfully guide the hunt.
Chapter 30
The Turtle
The narrator recounts a hunting trip with his dog Milton, who finds and pursues a small turtle. The narrator observes the turtle's defensive behavior and physical structure, describing how its shell is formed from fused ribs on the outside of its body. Milton's frustrated attempts to bite the turtle lead to a comical retaliation, and he eventually buries it.
Chapter 31
Búlka and the Wolf
The narrator, preparing to leave the war-torn Caucasus at night, hears a pig being attacked. He and others rush out, and he fires at a wolf jumping a fence, but his gun misfires. His dogs, Milton and Búlka, chase the wolf. Búlka is slightly wounded in the encounter. The group debates whether the creature was a wolf or a witch, and the narrator treats Búlka's wound with gunpowder to cauterize it, fearing rabies.
Chapter 32
What Happened to Búlka in Pyatigórsk
The narrator travels to Pyatigórsk with his dog Búlka. He describes the pleasant setting of the city and its hot springs. A city-wide dog cull is ordered due to overpopulation, and prisoners are tasked with killing the dogs. Búlka, having had his collar removed, is attacked by a prisoner with a hook but manages to escape with an injury and hide under the narrator's bed.
Chapter 33
Búlka’s and Milton’s End
The narrator recounts the simultaneous deaths of his two dogs. Milton, a hunting dog, is killed by a wild boar while on a hunt with an inexperienced Cossack. Búlka, after being bitten by a wolf weeks earlier, begins to show signs of rabies—licking objects and people compulsively before snapping at them—and then disappears, presumed to have gone into the forest to die.
Chapter 34
The Gray Hare
A gray hare's nocturnal journey is described, from its cautious emergence and crossing of a busy winter highway to its playful interactions with other hares at a threshing-floor, before it returns to its lair at dawn.
Chapter 35
Ermák
The chapter recounts the story of the Cossack ataman Ermák Timoféich, hired by the wealthy Stroganóv merchants to conquer lands beyond the Ural Mountains from the Siberian Tartar king Kuchum. It details the Stroganóvs' expansionist ambitions, Ermák's recruitment of his Cossack band, their arduous journey across mountains and rivers, and their initial military successes against Tartar settlements. The narrative builds toward the confrontation with Kuchum's kingdom, culminating in Ermák's final, fatal ambush by the Tartars and his mysterious disappearance into a river.
Chapter 36
Natural Science Stories
A collection of short, instructive stories explaining natural phenomena. It begins with a tragic incident where villagers die from 'bad air' (likely carbon dioxide) in a well, illustrating the properties of gases and asphyxiation. The narrative then shifts to a poetic explanation of the sun as the source of all heat and motion on Earth. It concludes with two zoological tales: a fable about an overconfident young owl and a hare, and a historical account of Galvani's accidental discovery of galvanism through experiments with electricity and frog legs.
Chapter 37
A Prisoner in the Caucasus
Officer Zhílin, wishing to visit his aging mother, leaves his Caucasus fortress with a convoy. Against better judgment, he and fellow officer Kostílin ride ahead and are captured by Tartars. Zhílin is taken to a mountain village, sold to Abdul, and held for ransom. He refuses to write for an exorbitant sum, bravely accepting his fate. He befriends Abdul's daughter Dina, who secretly brings him food. Zhílin spends his days observing and planning an escape, digging a tunnel from his barn prison. After a failed escape attempt with the cowardly Kostílin, who slows them down, they are recaptured and harshly punished. Zhílin is placed in a deep pit but is again secretly aided by Dina, who lowers a pole to help him escape. He flees through the night, evading pursuit, and finally staggers to safety with a group of Cossack soldiers. Kostílin is later ransomed, near death, after a month.
Chapter 38
God Sees the Truth, but Waits
Ivan Aksyonof, a young merchant, is falsely accused of murdering a fellow merchant during a journey to a fair. Despite his innocence, circumstantial evidence leads to his conviction and exile to Siberia for 26 years. His faith sustains him in prison, where he becomes known for his meekness. Years later, the real murderer, Makar Semyonitch, arrives at the prison. Aksyonof recognizes him but, after a profound internal struggle, chooses forgiveness over vengeance.
Chapter 39
The Bear-Hunt
The narrator and his comrade, guided by the peasant Damian, track a wounded bear through a deep-snow forest. After a complex tracking effort where the bear doubles back to confuse its trail, the hunters organize a circle of beaters. The narrator takes his stand and, after an initial missed shot, is charged by the bear at close range. The chapter ends with the bear attacking the narrator, its teeth closing on his face.
Chapter 40
What Men Live By
A shoemaker, Simon, finds a naked stranger by a shrine and, moved by compassion, brings him home despite his wife Matryóna's initial resentment. The stranger, Michael, becomes their apprentice. Over six years, Michael learns three divine lessons: what dwells in man (Love), what is not given to man (knowledge of his own needs), and what men live by (not self-care, but love). He reveals himself as an angel, punished for disobedience but redeemed through these lessons, and ascends to heaven.
Chapter 41
Memoirs of a Lunatic
The narrator recounts his ongoing spiritual crisis following the 'horror of Arzamas.' He attempts to resume his ordinary life through routine, prayer, and distraction, but a growing indifference to worldly affairs and a disgust with social injustice take hold. Key moments include a terrifying episode of being lost in a winter forest, which deepens his religious seeking, and a decisive rejection of buying an estate due to its exploitation of peasants. The chapter culminates in a moment of epiphany during a church service, where he perceives the illusory nature of worldly suffering and fear, leading him to give away his money and embrace a new, 'mad' state of being.
Chapter 42
A Spark Neglected Burns the House
A petty dispute over a lost egg escalates into a bitter, multi-generational feud between peasant neighbors Iván Stcherbakóf and Limping Gabriel. The conflict consumes their resources through lawsuits and violence, culminating in Gabriel burning down Iván's house, which spreads and destroys half the village. On his deathbed, Iván's father forces him to recognize his own role in the strife and to forgive. Iván heeds this advice, conceals Gabriel's guilt, and the two families reconcile, rebuilding their lives as peaceful neighbors.
Chapter 43
Two Old Men
Two pilgrims, Efím and Elisha, journey towards Jerusalem. While Efím remains rigidly focused on the destination, Elisha is repeatedly distracted by human need. He stops to help a starving family, using his pilgrimage money to buy them food, a horse, and a cart, ultimately abandoning his own journey. Efím completes the pilgrimage but finds no spiritual peace. Upon returning home, he learns Elisha's family is joyful and prosperous, and he sees a vision of Elisha in his apiary, radiant like the holy fire in Jerusalem, revealing that true pilgrimage was fulfilled through selfless charity.
Chapter 44
Where Love Is, God Is
Martin Avdéitch, a cobbler grieving the loss of his son, finds despair and turns from God. After a pilgrim advises him to live for God and read the Gospels, Martin's life transforms. He finds peace and joy in scripture. One night, reading about Christ's visit to the Pharisee, Martin dreams he is told to expect a visit. The next day, while waiting, he warmly receives a series of visitors: an old soldier, a poor woman with a baby, and an old woman and boy. In serving them with food, warmth, and kindness, he later realizes he has served Christ himself.
Chapter 45
The Story of Iván the Fool
The chapter details the contrasting reigns of the three brothers. Simon the Soldier and Tarás the Stout use military might and money to control their kingdoms, but are ultimately ruined by the old Devil's machinations. Iván the Fool, now a king, rejects money, salaries, and formal justice, choosing to live and work simply with his people. The old Devil attempts to corrupt Iván's kingdom with gold, but fails because the fools see no use for money, value work and barter, and offer charity 'for Christ's sake,' which the Devil cannot accept.
Chapter 46
Evil Allures, but Good Endures
A kind master is so beloved by his slaves that the Devil, vexed by their harmony, tempts a slave named Aleb to provoke the master's anger. Aleb makes a bet with the other slaves and deliberately breaks the leg of the master's prized ram. Instead of punishing Aleb, the master forgives him, grants him freedom, and attributes his own patience to a higher master, causing the Devil to be defeated.
Chapter 47
Little Girls Wiser Than Men
On Easter, two young girls, Malásha and Akoúlya, meet in a village lane and play in a puddle. Akoúlya's new frock gets splashed, leading to anger, a scuffle between the girls, and then a full-blown quarrel between their mothers and the gathered villagers. As the adults nearly come to blows, the girls, having forgotten their dispute, work together to dig a channel for the water. Their innocent play and cooperation shames the quarreling adults, who disperse, illustrating the biblical lesson that one must become like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Chapter 48
Ilyás
The story of Ilyás, a Bashkir man who rises from modest beginnings to become the wealthiest man in his district, only to lose everything in his old age. He and his wife, Sham-Shemagi, become laborers for their neighbor Muhammad-Shah. When questioned by guests about his fall from fortune, Ilyás and his wife explain that they have found true happiness and peace in their simple life of service, free from the cares, sins, and disputes that plagued them when they were rich.
Chapter 49
Croesus and Solon
The proud and wealthy King Croesus, believing himself the happiest of men, questions the visiting philosopher Solon. Solon argues that true happiness cannot be judged until death and names a contented, obscure Athenian as the happiest. Dismissed by Croesus, Solon's wisdom is later proven when Croesus loses his son, his kingdom, and faces execution, finally understanding Solon's lesson. His lament moves Emperor Cyrus, who spares him.
Chapter 50
The Three Hermits
A Bishop, sailing to a monastery, hears of three hermits living on a remote island. Intrigued, he insists on being rowed ashore to meet them. He finds three ancient men living in silent simplicity. When asked how they pray, they recite a simple, unorthodox phrase. The Bishop, moved by their piety but convinced of their ignorance, spends an entire day laboriously teaching them the Lord's Prayer. After he departs, satisfied with his work, he sees the hermits miraculously running across the water to catch up to the ship because they have already forgotten the prayer, asking him to teach them again. The Bishop, humbled, tells them to continue with their own prayer and acknowledges their direct connection to God.
Chapter 51
The Imp and the Crust
An imp fails to tempt a poor, contented peasant into sin by stealing his bread, as the peasant blesses the thief. To redeem himself, the imp, disguised as a laborer, teaches the peasant to grow surplus grain and distill spirits. The resulting drunkenness transforms the peasant and his neighbors, revealing their latent beastly natures of cunning, ferocity, and swinishness, thus delivering their souls to the Devil.
Chapter 52
How Much Land Does a Man Need?
The chapter opens with a debate between two sisters about the merits of peasant versus tradesman life, which prompts the peasant Pahóm to boast that with enough land he would fear no devil. The Devil, overhearing, vows to tempt him with land. The narrative then follows Pahóm's escalating greed for land, culminating in a deal with the Bashkirs where he can claim as much land as he can walk around in a day for a thousand roubles, provided he returns to his starting point by sunset. On the day of the walk, Pahóm pushes himself to encircle a vast tract, but in his rush to return, he collapses and dies at the starting point, answering the story's title with the amount of land needed to bury him.
Chapter 53
A Grain as Big as a Hen’s Egg
A giant grain of corn is discovered and presented to a King. His wise men cannot explain it. The King questions three generations of an old peasant family. The oldest grandfather explains that in his youth, such grain grew everywhere because people lived by their own labor on free land, without money or private property, and did not covet what others produced. He contrasts this with the present, where dependence on others' labor has led to physical and moral decline.
Chapter 54
The Godson
The godson lives as a hermit, watering charred stumps to atone for his sins and gaining fame. He confronts a boastful robber but fails to change him. Realizing his own life has become motivated by praise, he retreats further into solitude. Over many years, through three key encounters, he learns that true change in others only comes when he himself acts without self-interest, casts away fear of death, and acts from genuine pity. The robber is finally converted, and the godson dies having atoned for his sins.
Chapter 55
The Repentant Sinner
A man who lived in sin for seventy years only repents on his deathbed, quoting the thief on the cross. His soul, full of love and faith, goes to the gates of heaven but is initially barred by the Accuser who recounts only his sins. The sinner successfully pleads his case by appealing to the human failings and subsequent mercy experienced by the Apostle Peter and King David, reminding them of their own weaknesses. Finally, he appeals to John the Divine's own teachings on love, compelling John to embrace him and welcome him into Paradise.
Chapter 56
The Candle
During the time of serfdom, a cruel peasant-turned-superintendent, Michael Simeonovitch, tyrannizes the serfs on a nobleman's estate, forcing them to work excessively even on holy days. The desperate peasants secretly plot against him. On Easter Monday, the superintendent forces them to plough a field. One serf, Peter Mikhayeff, ploughs while singing hymns with a candle burning brightly on his plough, an act of peaceful defiance. When the superintendent learns of this, he is deeply troubled. Later, while trying to ride to the field, he accidentally impales himself on a fence and dies. The nobleman, learning of the superintendent's cruelty, frees the serfs.
Chapter 57
The Death of Ivan Ilyitch
Ivan Ilyitch's illness worsens, straining his marriage and isolating him. A visit to a celebrated doctor mirrors the cold, procedural justice of his own court, offering no comfort, only a grim prognosis. At home, his pain and despair deepen as he confronts the falsity of his life and the terrifying reality of approaching death.
Chapter 58
Kholstomír
The chapter presents the story of the piebald horse Kholstomír, told from his own perspective. It details his early life, his castration which leads to profound alienation and melancholy, and his subsequent decline through various abusive owners. The narrative is framed by a visit from the ruined military man Nikíta Sierpukhovskoï to a wealthy host, where the contrast between Sierpukhovskoï's despair and the host's oblivious happiness is starkly drawn, mirroring Kholstomír's own fall from grace.
Chapter 59
Walk in the Light While There Is Light
Julius, a wealthy young Roman, is in crisis due to his dissolute lifestyle and a quarrel with his father. A stranger advises him to embrace manhood by marrying and taking on responsibilities, which he does. Later, he encounters his old friend Pamphilius, now a Christian, who explains the Christian community's beliefs. Pamphilius describes their life of shared labor and faith, framing existence as service to God, where true pleasure follows duty. Julius is moved but skeptical, and despite an invitation, he returns to his own life without visiting the community.
Chapter 60
The Kreutzer Sonata
The narrator, Pózdnyshev, continues his confession on the train, detailing the misery of his married life. He describes a cyclical pattern of intense 'love' followed by periods of animosity, which he now sees as two poles of the same animal feeling. He and his wife lived in a fog of mutual hatred, chained together like convicts, poisoning each other's lives while busying themselves with social and domestic duties to avoid seeing the truth. He rails against the hypocrisy of society regarding sexuality, arguing that men are educated into profligacy while women are deliberately kept ignorant and then caught through physical allure. He recounts the petty disputes that escalated into violent hatred, culminating in the final, fatal quarrel sparked by a trivial remark about a dog, which led him to wish her dead.
Chapter 61
The Devil
Eugène Irténev, a young landowner, struggles with intense sexual desire. He initially resolves not to have relations with peasant women in his own village, but rationalizes the act as necessary for his health. He arranges a secret liaison through his forester, Daniel, with Stepanída, a married peasant woman. After the encounter, he feels temporary relief and vigor, but the affair reignites later when he sees her again, leading to renewed torment and a sense of being irrevocably trapped by his passion.
Chapter 62
Françoise
Sailors from the ship Notre-Dame-des-Vents, returning to Marseilles after four years at sea, go ashore for a night of debauchery. The lead sailor, Célestin Duclos, meets a woman in a brothel who, through cautious questioning, reveals she knows his name and that another woman nearby is waiting for him. This leads to a shocking recognition: the other woman is his sister, Françoise. In a drunken, emotional outburst, Duclos realizes the women they are with are all 'someone's sister,' leading to a violent, grief-stricken collapse.
Chapter 63
The Empty Drum
Emelyán, a poor labourer, marries a beautiful and wise woman. The King desires her and, on his servants' advice, sets Emelyán impossible tasks to kill him, hoping to take his wife. With his wife's magical help, Emelyán completes each task: first exhausting manual labor, then skilled work, then building a cathedral in a day, and finally creating a river with ships. Defeated, the King sends Emelyán on a quest to 'there, don't know where' to fetch 'that, don't know what.' Guided by his wife's grandmother, Emelyán follows a ball of thread to a distant city, where he discovers a drum—an object men obey more than their parents. He steals the empty drum, returns, and when the King rejects it, Emelyán smashes it by the river, fulfilling the prophecy and regaining his wife.
Chapter 64
A Dialogue Among Clever People
Guests at a wealthy home engage in a serious conversation, all agreeing their lives are ungodly and focused on self and family, not God or neighbors. A youth resolves to renounce his property and live with the poor, but his father and others argue such change is impractical due to inexperience, family obligations, or entrenched habits. Each demographic—youth, married man, elderly man—finds reasons why they personally cannot enact the godly life they all profess to desire, leading to the conclusion that while talk is easy, action is impossible.
Chapter 65
The Coffeehouse of Surat
In a coffeehouse in Surat, a Persian theologian who has lost his faith in God questions his African slave about God's existence, sparking a debate among patrons of various faiths—including a Brahmin, a Jew, a Catholic missionary, a Protestant minister, and a Turk—each claiming exclusive knowledge of the true God and path to salvation. A silent Chinese student of Confucius is asked to weigh in and responds with a parable about blind men arguing over the nature of the sun, illustrating how limited human perspectives and pride lead to futile conflict over divine truth.
Chapter 66
The Young Tsar
The young Tsar, troubled by his duties, falls asleep and is visited by a mysterious guide. The guide takes him on a spiritual journey, showing him visions of the harsh realities of his rule: prisoners in a squalid jail, a man shot dead by frontier guards for smuggling, and a family suffering from alcoholism fueled by state-sanctioned liquor sales. These visions confront the Tsar with the human cost of his policies.
Chapter 67
Master and Man
Vasíli Andréevich and his servant Nikíta, caught in a worsening snowstorm, take brief shelter at a peasant hut. While warming themselves, they witness a family conflict over dividing the household. Despite the dangerous conditions and the hosts' unspoken concern, they decide to press on with their journey. The chapter focuses on their struggle against the elements, Vasíli's anxious internal monologue, and the stark contrast between the warm, communal life inside and the lethal, isolating cold outside.
Chapter 68
Three Parables
The chapter presents three parables critiquing contemporary society's adherence to harmful traditions and falsehoods. The first parable likens the spread of a weed to the persistence of a flawed doctrine (nonresistance to evil), which people continue to 'mow' (follow superficially) instead of 'pulling up by the roots' (truly understanding and applying it). The second parable compares adulterated food in the marketplace to the counterfeit and harmful art and science of the day, which the narrator, like an honest housekeeper, tries to expose, only to be attacked by the merchants (intellectuals). The third parable describes travelers lost in a bog, arguing over whether to press on blindly, scatter in all directions, or pause to deliberate, with the lone voice advocating for reason being ridiculed by the panicked majority.
Chapter 69
Too Dear!
In the tiny kingdom of Monaco, a man is sentenced to death for murder. The state, lacking an executioner and guillotine, finds the cost of importing them from France and Italy too high. The sentence is commuted to life imprisonment, but the cost of guarding and feeding the prisoner is also deemed excessive. After dismissing the guard, the authorities try to persuade the man to leave, but he refuses, arguing his reputation is ruined. The kingdom ultimately settles the matter by offering him a pension to emigrate, which he accepts, living comfortably just across the border.
Chapter 70
Father Sergius
The chapter introduces Father Sergius, a revered monk and former brilliant officer, Prince Stepán Kasátsky. It details his difficult daily life receiving visitors seeking miracles, including a merchant with his ailing daughter. Through flashback, it recounts Kasátsky's youth, military promise, and passionate devotion to Tsar Nicholas I, culminating in his shocking decision to renounce his worldly career and enter a monastery. The narrative also foreshadows a future test of his faith when a beautiful, bored divorcee, Makóvkina, decides to visit his hermitage on a whim.
Chapter 71
The Overthrow of Hell and Its Restoration
An allegorical tale depicting the devil Beelzebub's initial defeat upon the death of Jesus, whose clear and liberating teaching seemed poised to destroy Hell forever. Centuries later, Beelzebub discovers Hell has been restored. A cunning devil explains how he subverted Jesus's teaching by fostering doctrinal disputes, promoting belief in miracles over substance, and ultimately inventing the concept of 'the Church,' leading men to believe in a distorted version of the original message and thus falling back under demonic influence.
Chapter 72
Three Questions
A king seeks answers to three questions he believes are essential for success: the right time for every action, the most necessary people, and the most important thing to do. Dissatisfied with the conflicting answers from learned men, he visits a wise hermit. While helping the hermit dig, they encounter and care for a wounded man. The next day, the wounded man reveals he was the king's enemy, intent on revenge, but the king's kindness saved his life and turned him into a loyal friend. The hermit explains that the king's actions provided the answers: the most important time is 'Now,' the most necessary person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is to do good for that person.
Chapter 73
After the Dance
Ivan Vasilievich recounts how his life was changed in a single morning. He describes a night of bliss at a ball, where he was deeply in love with the beautiful Varinka and charmed by her father, a stately colonel. After the ball, in the early dawn, he stumbles upon a brutal military punishment: a Tartar deserter is being flogged through the ranks, and the man supervising the torture is the same colonel, Varinka's father. The horrific sight, and the colonel's cruel demeanor, shatters Ivan's worldview and love, preventing him from pursuing a military career as he had intended.
Chapter 74
Esarhaddon, King of Assyria
King Esarhaddon, having conquered King Lailie, plans his execution. An old mystic appears and, through a magical immersion in water, forces Esarhaddon to experience life as Lailie—from his royal duties and joys to his defeat, capture, and impending brutal execution. Esarhaddon then experiences life as a mother ass whose colt is killed by hunters. Awakening, he learns that the entire ordeal lasted only a moment. The old man explains the unity of all life: harming others is harming oneself. Transformed, Esarhaddon frees his prisoners, abdicates his throne, and becomes a wandering preacher.
Chapter 75
Work, Death, and Sickness
A South American Indian legend recounts God's successive attempts to teach humanity happiness. First, God introduces the necessity of work to foster cooperation, but people form competing groups. Then, God makes the time of death unknown to discourage greed and conflict, but the strong use this to subjugate the weak. Finally, God sends sickness to inspire mutual pity and care, but it leads to further separation, with the wealthy isolating the sick and the poor overworked. Left to themselves, humanity only recently begins to understand that happiness lies in shared work, unity in the face of death, and loving care during sickness.
Chapter 76
Alyosha the Pot
The story follows Alyosha, a simple, cheerful, and perpetually overworked peasant boy nicknamed 'the Pot'. From childhood labor to working as a yard-porter for a merchant's family, he accepts his hard life without complaint. His world changes when he develops a tender, reciprocal relationship with the cook, Ustinia, and they wish to marry. The merchant and Alyosha's father forbid it, and Alyosha obediently submits. Soon after, he falls from a roof, is fatally injured, and dies with a sense of acceptance and wonder, finding a strange comfort that the marriage did not happen.
Chapter 77
The Posthumous Papers of the Hermit, Fedor Kusmich
The chapter presents the purported diary of the hermit Fedor Kusmich, who is rumored to be the faked-death Emperor Alexander I. In his confession, he details his profound guilt over his past life: he believes he murdered his father, caused countless deaths in wars, and lived as a hypocritical, pleasure-seeking ruler. He describes his spiritual torment, his failed attempts at prayer for show, and his loathing for his wife. The narrative culminates in his account of escaping his imperial life in Vaganrog by switching identities with a soldier who died under torture, allowing him to begin a life of penitence in Siberia.
Chapter 78
A Prayer
A mother grieves over the death of her three-year-old son, Kostya. In her anguish, she questions God's will and the efficacy of prayer. In a dream-like state, she converses with her nurse Molly, who appears as an angel, offering theological explanations for unanswered prayers, arguing that God cannot grant conflicting requests or remove human suffering without undermining free will and moral growth.
Chapter 79
Kornéy Vasílyef
Kornéy Vasílyef, a prosperous cattle-dealer, returns to his village after a long absence. On the journey, the one-eyed driver Kouzmá insinuates that Kornéy's wife, Martha, is having an affair with their new labourer, Justin. Kornéy arrives home to find Justin present and witnesses an intimate moment between him and Martha. Consumed by jealousy and anger, Kornéy confronts and brutally beats Martha, nearly killing her. He then flees, abandoning his family and fortune. Years later, he returns as a destitute, unrecognized pilgrim to his own home, where Martha, now living with their grown son Fédka, harshly turns him away. Only his mute nephew shows him kindness. Overcome with remorse and a strange sense of peace, Kornéy returns to a neighboring village, falls ill, and dies, asking a woman to tell his wife he wished to make peace.
Chapter 80
Strawberries
A hot June day contrasts the lives of the gentry and the peasants. At the estate of Nicholas Semyónovitch, a Liberal Petersburg visitor engages in lengthy political debates while the family worries over their son Gógo's stomach ailment, blamed on strawberries. Meanwhile, peasant girls like Ólga and her family work, pick strawberries to sell, and navigate their own simple, strenuous lives. The chapter juxtaposes the idle, intellectual concerns of the landowners with the immediate, physical realities of the rural poor.
Chapter 81
Why?
The chapter details the deepening sorrows of Albína and Joseph Migoúrski in exile. After the devastating deaths of their two children, Albína is consumed by grief and the unanswerable question 'Why?'. Their misery is compounded by the arrival of Rosolówski, a fellow exiled Pole, who recounts his own suffering and fuels Migoúrski's revolutionary fervor. Albína, desperate to save her husband from his wretched existence, secretly arranges his escape by hiding him in a box on a tarantass. However, their plan is betrayed by their Cossack driver, Daniel Lifánof. Migoúrski is arrested, tried, and sentenced to exile for life in Siberia, which Albína chooses to share. The chapter critiques the oppressive rule of Nicholas I and the hollow praise of his court.
Chapter 82
God’s Way and Man’s
The chapter contrasts the cold, dutiful cruelty of a General-Governor who signs a revolutionary's death warrant with the ideological debates among imprisoned revolutionaries. It follows Mezhenétsky, a revolutionary, as he endures solitary confinement and argues with fellow prisoners (like Román) about tactics—whether to focus on terrorizing the government or on long-term socialist education of the proletariat. An old sectarian prisoner, Semyón, represents a contrasting path of spiritual faith and non-violence.
Chapter 83
There Are No Guilty People
The chapter opens with a vignette of peasant life, detailing the hardships of Mitri Sudarikov after the death of his horse. It then shifts to a first-person narrative from an elderly man who feels intense anguish over the injustice and oppression of the poor by the rich, but feels trapped within the very society he condemns. He resolves to use his unique position to expose the truth of these social relations. The final section introduces Alexander Ivanovich Volgin, a comfortable bank clerk staying at a wealthy landowner's estate.
Chapter 84
The Wisdom of Children
A series of vignettes depicting conversations among children and between children and adults, exploring themes of justice, property, hypocrisy, charity, art, and science through the simple, direct, and often morally incisive questions of the young.
Chapter 85
Two Wayfarers
Serge Vasilievich Borzin, a young intellectual, decides to traverse Russia on foot to understand the destiny of the Russian people. As he prepares to depart, he is joined by Nicholas Petrovich Serpov, an eccentric former monk and soldier, who becomes his unexpected companion for the journey.
Chapter 86
Khodinka 332
On the eve of the coronation fête for Tsar Nicholas II, the aristocratic Alexandra 'Rina' Golitsin insists on joining the common people at Khodinka field rather than viewing the event from a privileged pavilion. Meanwhile, the working man Emelian Tagodin prepares for the day, dreaming of lottery prizes. The chapter depicts the festive, hopeful gathering at dawn, which descends into a deadly crush as rumors of early gift distribution spark a panic. Rina is caught in the stampede, injured, and stripped of her belongings before being rescued by Emelian, who finds her unconscious. The tragedy unfolds amidst the official celebration, highlighting the stark divide between social classes and the brutal consequences of crowd chaos.
Chapter 87
The Memoirs of a Mother
The narrator recounts a late-night conversation with Marie Alexandrovna, who reminisces about her children's tutor, Peter Nikiforovich. She describes his profound moral influence, his ascetic lifestyle rooted in self-sacrifice and love, and his unspoken devotion to her. The conversation reveals her deep, possibly romantic, affection for him and how his death left a void. She also discusses her strained relationships with her grown children, her secret writings (diaries and memoirs) about her experiences as a mother, and her conflicted feelings about religious guidance versus her own judgment.
Chapter 88
Father Vasily
A peasant arrives before dawn to fetch Father Vasily to administer last rites to his dying wife. The priest, after his morning prayers and a moment of self-reflection on his own faults, sets off on the rough journey. The narrative provides background on Father Vasily's life: his past academic promise, his self-sacrificial decision to become a village priest to support his family, and his marriage. During the journey, he attempts conversation with the grieving peasant and later with a tipsy acquaintance, Theodore, revealing the hardships of peasant life. The chapter ends with his return home to domestic tension sparked by a letter from his son and his wife's anger over his charity.
Chapter 89
Three Days in the Village
The narrator reflects on the plight of the rural poor and homeless who come begging daily. He argues that it is the inherent kindness and religious consciousness of the peasantry, not government institutions, that prevents widespread violence against the wealthy. He describes encounters with various types of beggars: insistent, literate men embittered by revolutionary ideas; meek, unfortunate souls brought low by circumstance; and political exiles, all revealing the deep social despair and inequality rooted in the land question.
Chapter 90
Singing in the Village
The narrator observes the village's farewell ritual for five young conscripts. The scene begins with merry singing and accordion music as the lads visit homes, but is punctuated by the raw, ritualized lamentations of their mothers and sisters. The narrator's detached curiosity turns to profound shame and horror when he learns that the tall, fine lad is the son of Prokófey, a peasant marked by misfortune, and realizes the universal, cruel deception being perpetrated on the Russian people.
Chapter 91
Traveller and Peasant
A dialogue between a Traveller and a Peasant debating Christian pacifism, civil disobedience, and the morality of state power. The Traveller argues that taking oaths, serving as a soldier, and paying taxes for war violate Christ's commandments to 'swear not at all' and 'do no murder.' He advocates for non-participation in state violence, suggesting that true obedience is to God, not human authorities. The Peasant is skeptical, citing practical necessity and fear of punishment, but is gradually led to question the role of the church and the state.
Chapter 92
A Talk with a Wayfarer
The narrator, in a joyful morning mood, encounters a peasant from Kaluga waiting by a village. They discuss the peasant's smoking habit, with the narrator encouraging him to quit. The conversation shifts when the narrator suggests thinking of one's soul as a remedy for dullness, which profoundly moves the peasant, who agrees on the soul's primacy. The narrator is deeply touched by the encounter.
Chapter 93
From the Diary
The narrator, visiting his friend Tchertkóff, takes a walk and meets a young, self-sufficient peasant ploughing a field. They converse about the peasant's life, his work, his temperance, and his upcoming marriage. The narrator is deeply impressed by the young man's character and moral fortitude, offering him temperance literature and reflecting on the 'fertile soil' such a person represents for sowing good seeds.
Chapter 94
The Forged Coupon
The story begins with a conflict between Fedor Smokovnikov, a proud, freethinking official, and his son Mitya, who needs extra money to pay a debt. Fedor angrily refuses, giving only the standard allowance. In resentment, Mitya and a friend forge a coupon to get cash from a shopkeeper. This act sets off a chain of corruption, theft, and moral decay, impacting characters like the shopkeeper Eugene Mihailovich, the peasant Ivan Mironov (falsely accused and cheated), and the yard-porter Vassily, whose perjury in court solidifies his belief that moral laws are meaningless and that one should only pursue self-interest.
Chapter 95
My Dream
The chapter follows Lisa, a young woman disillusioned with high society, who enters into a passionate but ultimately degrading affair with a married Swede while visiting her aunt in Finland. After becoming pregnant and being abandoned, she lives in poverty with her child. Her father, Prince Michael Ivanovich, initially disowns her in shame but is eventually persuaded by his sister-in-law to visit her. Overcome by pity and remorse at seeing her suffering, he forgives her and reconciles, recognizing his own pride and coldness as the greater fault.
Chapter 96
Endnotes
A collection of explanatory footnotes providing cultural, historical, and textual context for terms and references found throughout the preceding stories. The notes clarify Russian military ranks, customs, religious practices, social structures, and historical events.
