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Breaking-point
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This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
- GenresRussian LiteratureRussia
415 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1910
1 person is currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Mikhail Artsybashev
126 books27 followersMikhail Petrovich Artsybashev (Russian: Михаил Петрович Арцыбашев) was a Russian writer and playwright, and a major proponent of the literary style known as naturalism. He was the great grandson of Tadeusz Kościuszko and the father of Boris Artzybasheff, who emigrated to the United States and became famous as an illustrator.
Artsybashev was born in Khutor Dubroslavovka, Akhtyrka Uezd, Kharkov Gubernia (currently Sumy Oblast, Ukraine). His father was a small landowner and a former officer. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was only 3 years old. He attended school in Okhtyrka until the age of 16. From 1895 to 1897 he was an office worker. He studied at the Kharkov School of Drawing and Art (1897–1898). During this time he lived in poverty, and was often unable to buy art supplies. In 1897 he attempted suicide. In 1898 he married Anna Vasilyevna Kobushko, with whom he had his son Boris. The couple separated in 1900.
In 1898 he relocated to Saint Petersburg, where he worked as a freelance journalist, and published humorous stories. In 1901 he was expelled from the city for taking part in a demonstration. He wrote his first important work of fiction, the story Pasha Tumanov in 1901, but was unable to publish it until 1905 due to its being banned by the censor.
He considered his novel The Death of Ivan Lande (1904) to be his best work, but his major success was the novel Sanin (1907), which scandalized his Russian readers and was prohibited in many countries. He wrote Sanin in 1903, but was unable to publish it until 1907, again due to censorship. The protagonist of the novel ignores all social conventions and specializes in seducing virgin country girls. In one notorious scene, a girl tries to wash embarrassing white stains off her dress after sexual intercourse with Sanin. The novel was written under the influence of the philosophy of Max Stirner, and was meant to expound the principles of Individualist anarchism.
He moved to Moscow in 1912. In 1917-18 he published his anti-Bolshevik work Notes of a Writer. In 1923 Artzybashev was granted Polish citizenship and emigrated to Poland, where he edited the newspaper For Liberty! (За свободу!). He was known as an irreconcilable enemy of the Bolshevik regime, and Soviet critics dubbed the novels of his followers saninstvo and artsybashevchina (both terms are considered derogatory). He died in Warsaw on March 3, 1927.
Artsybashev was born in Khutor Dubroslavovka, Akhtyrka Uezd, Kharkov Gubernia (currently Sumy Oblast, Ukraine). His father was a small landowner and a former officer. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was only 3 years old. He attended school in Okhtyrka until the age of 16. From 1895 to 1897 he was an office worker. He studied at the Kharkov School of Drawing and Art (1897–1898). During this time he lived in poverty, and was often unable to buy art supplies. In 1897 he attempted suicide. In 1898 he married Anna Vasilyevna Kobushko, with whom he had his son Boris. The couple separated in 1900.
In 1898 he relocated to Saint Petersburg, where he worked as a freelance journalist, and published humorous stories. In 1901 he was expelled from the city for taking part in a demonstration. He wrote his first important work of fiction, the story Pasha Tumanov in 1901, but was unable to publish it until 1905 due to its being banned by the censor.
He considered his novel The Death of Ivan Lande (1904) to be his best work, but his major success was the novel Sanin (1907), which scandalized his Russian readers and was prohibited in many countries. He wrote Sanin in 1903, but was unable to publish it until 1907, again due to censorship. The protagonist of the novel ignores all social conventions and specializes in seducing virgin country girls. In one notorious scene, a girl tries to wash embarrassing white stains off her dress after sexual intercourse with Sanin. The novel was written under the influence of the philosophy of Max Stirner, and was meant to expound the principles of Individualist anarchism.
He moved to Moscow in 1912. In 1917-18 he published his anti-Bolshevik work Notes of a Writer. In 1923 Artzybashev was granted Polish citizenship and emigrated to Poland, where he edited the newspaper For Liberty! (За свободу!). He was known as an irreconcilable enemy of the Bolshevik regime, and Soviet critics dubbed the novels of his followers saninstvo and artsybashevchina (both terms are considered derogatory). He died in Warsaw on March 3, 1927.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 23, 2022
Прихотливы судьбы книг. Какие-то книги были невероятно популярны в свое время, но с течением времени и часто с помощью властей многие становятся забытыми. Такая судьба постигла Поля Бурже, в какой-то мере Томаса Вулфа. Такая же судьба у Михаила Арцыбашева. Написано, безусловно, талантливо. Городок в степи очень похож на чеховский мещанский провинциальный мирок, те же типажи, те же отношения. Но существенное отличие от Чехова, что Арцыбашева волнуют вопросы отношения полов, в особенности, плотской любви, и философские вопросы смысла жизни и смерти. Но одно дело, когда вопрос жизни и смерти рассматривается на единичном случае, уделяя пристальное внимание движениям души, побудительным силам, другое дело, когда в городе наступает по определению автора «эпидемия» самоубийств. Начало двадцатого века характеризовалось расцветом декадантства, идей упадничества. Но декадантство уделяло огромное внимание символам, красоте внешней формы. У Арцыбашева форма изложения вполне реалистична, общим является только идея никчемности жизни, пессимизма и бесконечной тоски. Герои много спорят на экзистенциальные темы, особенно инженер Наумов, и доводят друг друга до самоубийства или не препятствуют наложению рук на себя. Именно это мне и не понравилось.
August 25, 2015
"La última línea"
Aproximadamente en el año 1897 en una tranquila y silenciosa ciudad llamada Akhtyrka ocurrió un hecho importante - el atentado al suicidio. "El joven que se pegó un tiro se llamaba Artsybashev y lo hizo a causa de un drama familiar. El estado de la víctima era grave, desahuciado, la ropa había entrado en la herida, temen la septicemia." (De E. Agafonov, "Recordando a M. P. Artsybashev") Sin embargo, él sobrevivió, y en algunos años su nombre se hizo conocido prácticamente para todos: Artsybashev fue el escritor más popular de Rusia a comienzos del siglo XX.
"La última línea" es la segunda novela del autor. Como sugiere el título, el tema principal de la novela es la muerte. El autor no anda con cumplidos con el lector y "mortifica" sobre nuestros ojos 10 personas: tres fallecen de muerte natural y siete se suicidan (la experiencia juvenil le ha servido indudablemente para el trabajo sobre la novela). A Artsybashev no le interesan los detalles sangrientos, aunque debo decir que él describe la muerte maravillosamente, tal como es: terrible, abominable, sucia; le interesa cómo la persona llega a este punto. El objeto de la investigación de Artsybashev, el escritor-psicólogo, es el alma humana. El análisis de los personajes es magistral: los retratos estupendos, tan vivos en sus sufrimientos, en sus dudas, en el amor, en el tedio, en el deseo de morir; amé a todos los protagonistas. Cada héroe tiene un prototipo tomado por Artsybashev de las obras conocidas de otros escritores: Iván Ivánovich es parecido a Iván Iliich de la novela de Lev Tolstoy ˝La muerte de Iván Iliich ˝, Liza Tregulova es similar a "pobre Liza" de Karamzin, el ricachón Arbúzov tiene parecido con Rogozhin de ˝El idiota˝ de Dostoyevsky etc. Mi personaje preferido en este libro es el doctor Arnoldi que es comparable con Ionych de Chéjov. Cuando le preguntan: "Doctor, y bien, ¿se va a pegar un tiro?", él responde cansado: "¿Para qué pegarse un tiro? Hace tanto que ya estoy muerto." En algún momento de la lectura me he acordado de "La Náusea" de Sartre: el mismo desconsuelo, el mismo tedio, el mismo pantano. Pero si Sartre deja una luz al final del túnel al héroe, Artsybashev es honesto: ninguna esperanza, ningún indicio de la felicidad, ninguna alusión a otro destino, solamente la muerte.
- así termina la novela.
Este libro les va a gustar a los hombres existencialistas, nihilistas, misántropos. A aquellas personas que se ahogan en la atmósfera de la mediocridad y de la mentira, que sienten el desconsuelo de la vida, que reflexionan sobre la muerte, que se sienten muertas o cansadas de vivir.
P. S. En su autobiografía Akira Kurosawa menciona a su hermano menor. Era un muchacho melancólico, le gustaba la literatura rusa y consideraba al libro "La última línea" el mejor del mundo. Se identificó con las ideas de Naúmov (el personaje de la novela) y expresó su intención de quitarse la vida a su familia. Akira se rió y dijo que "la gente que habla de matarse, no se mata". Él se suicidó, tenía 27 años. (Akira Kurosawa, Something Like an Autobiography)
Aproximadamente en el año 1897 en una tranquila y silenciosa ciudad llamada Akhtyrka ocurrió un hecho importante - el atentado al suicidio. "El joven que se pegó un tiro se llamaba Artsybashev y lo hizo a causa de un drama familiar. El estado de la víctima era grave, desahuciado, la ropa había entrado en la herida, temen la septicemia." (De E. Agafonov, "Recordando a M. P. Artsybashev") Sin embargo, él sobrevivió, y en algunos años su nombre se hizo conocido prácticamente para todos: Artsybashev fue el escritor más popular de Rusia a comienzos del siglo XX.
"La última línea" es la segunda novela del autor. Como sugiere el título, el tema principal de la novela es la muerte. El autor no anda con cumplidos con el lector y "mortifica" sobre nuestros ojos 10 personas: tres fallecen de muerte natural y siete se suicidan (la experiencia juvenil le ha servido indudablemente para el trabajo sobre la novela). A Artsybashev no le interesan los detalles sangrientos, aunque debo decir que él describe la muerte maravillosamente, tal como es: terrible, abominable, sucia; le interesa cómo la persona llega a este punto. El objeto de la investigación de Artsybashev, el escritor-psicólogo, es el alma humana. El análisis de los personajes es magistral: los retratos estupendos, tan vivos en sus sufrimientos, en sus dudas, en el amor, en el tedio, en el deseo de morir; amé a todos los protagonistas. Cada héroe tiene un prototipo tomado por Artsybashev de las obras conocidas de otros escritores: Iván Ivánovich es parecido a Iván Iliich de la novela de Lev Tolstoy ˝La muerte de Iván Iliich ˝, Liza Tregulova es similar a "pobre Liza" de Karamzin, el ricachón Arbúzov tiene parecido con Rogozhin de ˝El idiota˝ de Dostoyevsky etc. Mi personaje preferido en este libro es el doctor Arnoldi que es comparable con Ionych de Chéjov. Cuando le preguntan: "Doctor, y bien, ¿se va a pegar un tiro?", él responde cansado: "¿Para qué pegarse un tiro? Hace tanto que ya estoy muerto." En algún momento de la lectura me he acordado de "La Náusea" de Sartre: el mismo desconsuelo, el mismo tedio, el mismo pantano. Pero si Sartre deja una luz al final del túnel al héroe, Artsybashev es honesto: ninguna esperanza, ningún indicio de la felicidad, ninguna alusión a otro destino, solamente la muerte.
«Una luz azulada ha penetrado en la habitación y con los ojos pálidos examinaba tímidamente todos sus rincones. La ventisca se ha calmado, la tierra estaba cubierta por la nieve, todo se hallaba igual, blanco y puro. Los árboles en el jardín permanecían inmóviles, cubiertos por montones de nieve blanca. La habitación de Chizh se encontraba silenciosa y vacía. Las paredes desnudas miraban fría y severamente, y el silencio siniestro estaba metido entre ellas.
El pequeño estudiante colgaba sobre el gancho de la percha al lado de su minúsculo capote. Un par de los pequeños chanclos, viejos y rotos, estaba en el suelo cerca."
- así termina la novela.
Este libro les va a gustar a los hombres existencialistas, nihilistas, misántropos. A aquellas personas que se ahogan en la atmósfera de la mediocridad y de la mentira, que sienten el desconsuelo de la vida, que reflexionan sobre la muerte, que se sienten muertas o cansadas de vivir.
P. S. En su autobiografía Akira Kurosawa menciona a su hermano menor. Era un muchacho melancólico, le gustaba la literatura rusa y consideraba al libro "La última línea" el mejor del mundo. Se identificó con las ideas de Naúmov (el personaje de la novela) y expresó su intención de quitarse la vida a su familia. Akira se rió y dijo que "la gente que habla de matarse, no se mata". Él se suicidó, tenía 27 años. (Akira Kurosawa, Something Like an Autobiography)
March 8, 2018
"À l'extrême limite" présente un portrait extrêmement pessimiste de la condition humaine qui dépasse finalement les limites du bon gout. Isaac Bashevis Singer a considéré Artsybachev comme un des écrivains importants de la Russie au début du vingtième siècle. Pourtant ce roman est minable. On comprend pourquoi il est tombé dans l'oubli.
"À l'extrême limite" aborde la question s’il existe un sens à la vie ou si l'être humain possède seulement un sens de survie. L'auteur fait la tour de la table des réponses proposées en Russie à la veille de la première grande guerre mondiale. Il y une comédienne qui a consacré sa vie à l'art et un universitaire qui a dédié sa vie à la recherche. Un jeune homme croit que le suicide sera la meilleure chose à faire dans la vie. Il y a un tombeur de femmes qui n'hésite pas à servir des moyens violents quand il ne réussit pas à atteindre son but avec ses mensonges. Il y a un alcoolique et un jeune enthousiaste pour l'action socio-démocratique. Ce qui surprend, c'est qu'il n'y a pas de communiste dans le roman. Le protagoniste principal est un médecin qui essaie de diriger les autres dans leurs parcours.
Le bon docteur fait partie d'un cercle intellectuel qui le met en contact avec la jeunesse. Malheureusement, il ne connaîtra pas le moindre succès dans ses efforts de bien orienter les jeunes. Le pire fiasco résultera d'une des séductions réussie par le Don Juan. La fille deviendra enceinte. Son séducteur rompra la relation immédiatement. L'alcoolique qui éperdument amoureux de la fille va provoquer un militaire en duel quand le militaire traite la fille de prostituée. La fille convainc le militaire de rater son tir. L'alcoolique qui est un imbécile même quand il est en état de sobriété est insulté par le geste noble du militaire. Au lieu de rater son tir à son tour, il le tue et perd l'amour de la femme qu'il aime.
Le docteur réussit mieux avec les malades qu'il soigne aux termes de leurs vies. Après le duel désastreux, le roman finit avec quelques très beaux chapitres consacrés aux derniers jours de l'actrice. Le docteur et la comédienne réussissent à communiquer l'amour qu'ils ont l'un pour l'autre. La fin plutôt sucrée du roman s'accorde assez mal avec toutes les choses laides qui l'ont précédée. "À l'extrême limite" est finalement une œuvre très minable.
"À l'extrême limite" aborde la question s’il existe un sens à la vie ou si l'être humain possède seulement un sens de survie. L'auteur fait la tour de la table des réponses proposées en Russie à la veille de la première grande guerre mondiale. Il y une comédienne qui a consacré sa vie à l'art et un universitaire qui a dédié sa vie à la recherche. Un jeune homme croit que le suicide sera la meilleure chose à faire dans la vie. Il y a un tombeur de femmes qui n'hésite pas à servir des moyens violents quand il ne réussit pas à atteindre son but avec ses mensonges. Il y a un alcoolique et un jeune enthousiaste pour l'action socio-démocratique. Ce qui surprend, c'est qu'il n'y a pas de communiste dans le roman. Le protagoniste principal est un médecin qui essaie de diriger les autres dans leurs parcours.
Le bon docteur fait partie d'un cercle intellectuel qui le met en contact avec la jeunesse. Malheureusement, il ne connaîtra pas le moindre succès dans ses efforts de bien orienter les jeunes. Le pire fiasco résultera d'une des séductions réussie par le Don Juan. La fille deviendra enceinte. Son séducteur rompra la relation immédiatement. L'alcoolique qui éperdument amoureux de la fille va provoquer un militaire en duel quand le militaire traite la fille de prostituée. La fille convainc le militaire de rater son tir. L'alcoolique qui est un imbécile même quand il est en état de sobriété est insulté par le geste noble du militaire. Au lieu de rater son tir à son tour, il le tue et perd l'amour de la femme qu'il aime.
Le docteur réussit mieux avec les malades qu'il soigne aux termes de leurs vies. Après le duel désastreux, le roman finit avec quelques très beaux chapitres consacrés aux derniers jours de l'actrice. Le docteur et la comédienne réussissent à communiquer l'amour qu'ils ont l'un pour l'autre. La fin plutôt sucrée du roman s'accorde assez mal avec toutes les choses laides qui l'ont précédée. "À l'extrême limite" est finalement une œuvre très minable.
January 18, 2019
“ I say, what do we live for ? ”
“ I don’t know… . ”
“ But you yourself, why do you live ? ”
“I’ve simply grown tired… . I’m tired.
Yes, that’s true… . A human being can grow so weary that he will go on and on and even forget to rest, till he falls down, never to rise again.”
"We’re all such strangers to one another !.. We don’t even know how to caress and comfort each other ! Every one is lonely, each is unhappy in his own way and cannot share his woe with others."
"His soul held neither hope nor rebellion nor despair… He had been accustomed to his shrinking loneliness for so long that it even afforded him a painful pleasure. It embittered him to be forced to think and always to think, even though his thoughts seemed so dull and superfluous, and he could not cease from remembering everything, though the memories were full of sorrow."
"There are no sorrows, everything is useless. It is futile to begin a new day, to dress, to eat and drink, to speak, to think. Not that he became repulsive from all this … no, it is merely that it is so pointless."
"She’s only unhappy. When people in her position, tired out and harassed, are still normal and calculating, they are either ruined characters or fools."
“ Well, any one can do that; he fired a bullet into his mouth, and now you say he was right. Well, that’s an easy way out. A man must fight and keep up his courage, go forward.”
“ Easy ? ” The elderly officer closed his eyes ironically. “ You try it “
"We’re all such strangers to one another !.. We don’t even know how to caress and comfort each other ! Every one is lonely, each is unhappy in his own way and cannot share his woe with others."
"And how many of those, who today were saved from death, would die tomorrow, only to endure the throes and terrors of death once too often."
“ I don’t know… . ”
“ But you yourself, why do you live ? ”
“I’ve simply grown tired… . I’m tired.
Yes, that’s true… . A human being can grow so weary that he will go on and on and even forget to rest, till he falls down, never to rise again.”
"We’re all such strangers to one another !.. We don’t even know how to caress and comfort each other ! Every one is lonely, each is unhappy in his own way and cannot share his woe with others."
"His soul held neither hope nor rebellion nor despair… He had been accustomed to his shrinking loneliness for so long that it even afforded him a painful pleasure. It embittered him to be forced to think and always to think, even though his thoughts seemed so dull and superfluous, and he could not cease from remembering everything, though the memories were full of sorrow."
"There are no sorrows, everything is useless. It is futile to begin a new day, to dress, to eat and drink, to speak, to think. Not that he became repulsive from all this … no, it is merely that it is so pointless."
"She’s only unhappy. When people in her position, tired out and harassed, are still normal and calculating, they are either ruined characters or fools."
“ Well, any one can do that; he fired a bullet into his mouth, and now you say he was right. Well, that’s an easy way out. A man must fight and keep up his courage, go forward.”
“ Easy ? ” The elderly officer closed his eyes ironically. “ You try it “
"We’re all such strangers to one another !.. We don’t even know how to caress and comfort each other ! Every one is lonely, each is unhappy in his own way and cannot share his woe with others."
"And how many of those, who today were saved from death, would die tomorrow, only to endure the throes and terrors of death once too often."
May 18, 2023
Boredom. Repetition. Suicide.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews