The Kreutzer Sonata – Leo Tolstoy

"Music makes me forget my real situation. It transports me into a state which is not my own."

On a train journey, Pozdnyshev confesses to the murder of his wife. He details the disintegration of his marriage, blaming societal attitudes toward sex and the 'animal excesses' of lust. He describes how his wife's musical partnership with a violinist ignited his jealousy, leading to a fatal explosion of rage inspired by Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata.

Tolstoy's controversial novella is a radical attack on sexual desire and the institution of marriage. It argues for celibacy and spiritual purity, presenting a disturbing, obsessive vision of human relationships.