Publisher's Synopsis
The Storm by Aleksandr Nicolaevich Ostrovsky is a play that explores the themes of love, betrayal, and social class in 19th century Russia. The story follows the lives of a wealthy merchant family, the Kabanovs, who reside in a small town on the banks of the Volga River. The matriarch of the family, Katerina, is married to a weak and unfaithful husband, Tikhon, and is constantly belittled and mistreated by her mother-in-law, the domineering Marfa.Amidst this unhappy household, Katerina falls in love with Boris, a dashing young clerk who is visiting the town on business. The two begin a passionate affair, but their happiness is short-lived as Marfa discovers their secret and threatens to expose them. In a desperate attempt to escape her miserable life, Katerina and Boris plan to run away together, but their plans are foiled by Tikhon and Marfa.As the play unfolds, the characters are forced to confront the consequences of their actions and the rigid social norms that govern their lives. The Storm is a powerful and poignant drama that explores the complexities of human relationships and the destructive power of societal expectations.KATERINA. Yes, I am well.... It would be better if I were ill, it's worse as it is. A dream keeps creeping into my mind, and I cannot get away from it. I try to think--I can't collect my thoughts, I try to pray--but I can't get free by prayer. My lips murmur the words but my heart is far away; as though the evil one were whispering in my ear, and always of such wicked things. And such thoughts rise up within me, that I'm ashamed of myself. What is wrong with me? There's some trouble, something before me! At night I do not sleep, Varia, a sort of murmur haunts me; someone seems speaking so tenderly to me, as it were cooing to me like a dove.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.