The Power of Darkness (1886) is a play by Leo Tolstoy. Forbidden for
decades in Tolstoy's native Russia, the five-act play was first staged
in Paris, where it earned praise from some of France's leading critics.
Noted for its brutal depiction of violence and desperation, the play is
concerned with the universal religious and philosophical themes that
inspired such masterpieces as War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina
(1877). Peasant life is often portrayed in art as peaceful and romantic,
in touch with the rhythms of the natural world and coursing with
spirituality. In The Power of Darkness, Tolstoy refuses such empty
symbolism, choosing instead to tell a story of greed, murder, and
betrayal that has everything to do with the political reality faced by
its impoverished characters. Fearful of what will happen to their farm
when her aging husband Peter dies, Anisya seduces her farmhand Nikita,
whose lack of education and opportunity--as well as a moral
emptiness--make him a willing accomplice. Betraying Marinka, a young
orphan girl he manipulates for pleasure, Nikita joins Anisya in
dispossessing her stubborn husband. Tragic and disturbing, The Power of
Darkness is a story of man at war with nature, and therefore at war
with himself. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally
typeset manuscript, this edition of Leo Tolstoy's The Power of
Darkness is a classic work of Russian literature reimagined for modern
readers.
