by Leo Tolstoy
First published 2003
Pozdnyshev sits alone in a train compartment, haunted by a murderous act. Years earlier, his marriage dissolved into a toxic spiral of sexual suspicion and rage. When his wife begins studying music with a charismatic violinist, Pozdnyshev becomes convinced of their intimate betrayal. As tensions escalate, his paranoia transforms into a calculated plan of revenge. What begins as marital discord spirals into a shocking act of violence that will forever alter his life. A searing exploration of sexual obsession, masculine rage, and the destructive power of unchecked jealousy.
Genres: fiction, drama, classic-literature, literary-fiction, psychological-thriller, 19th-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: toxic-relationship, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Moscow, Russia
Period: 1812
129 pages · Paperback · Random House Publishing Group
Content warnings: domestic-violence, murder, sexual-content, violence