Aleksandr Nikolaevich Ostrovsky (Books)

Aleksandr Nikolaevich Ostrovsky Books

Alexander Ostrovsky stands as a paramount figure in Russian drama, widely regarded as the foremost representative of the Russian realistic period. His works offer profound insights into the societal fabric of his time, deftly capturing its social and psychological complexities. Ostrovsky masterfully weaves critiques of societal ills with rich language and compelling characters, ensuring his plays resonate with enduring power and relevance.

Absolute Classics - 2: Ostrovsky: Plays Two

The Forest; Artistes & Admirers; Wolves & Sheep; Sin & Sorrow; The Power of Darkness

375 pages
14 hours of reading

Includes the plays The Forest, Artistes and Admirers, Wolves and Sheep and Sin and Sorrow Four of Ostrovsky’s finest plays. The best known of these, The Forest (1871), has two young lovers in thrall to their tyrannical elders, who are prevented from marrying until a pair of strolling actors come to their rescue. In Artistes and Admirers (1881), a comedy of theatre life, a dedicated young actress renounces both love and fortune in order to pursue her sacred calling. In the comedy Wolves and Sheep (1875) Ostrovsky returns to a favourite theme, the double-dealing and hypocrisy of the Russian landowning classes, while the melodrama Sin and Sorrow (1863) explores the tragic consequences of a bored provincial wife’s brief affair.