Without a Dowry and Other Plays

by Aleksandr Ostrovsky

Contemporary of Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy and precursor to Chekhov, he was a keen sociological observer, often exposing abuses of power, landing him in trouble with the censors again and again. He wrote 47 original plays and began the tradition of acting today associated with Stanislavsky. Ostrovsky’s plays were written with performance in mind and with a masterful use of colloquial language. To this day they are a much-performed part of the Russian repertory.  


This volume collects four of Ostrovsky’s key plays, each from a different decade—A Profitable Position, An Ardent Heart, Without a Dowry, and Talents and Admirers, and is rounded out by the translator’s introduction, an afterword for each play, an extensive bibliography, and complete list of Ostrovsky’s works.

Genres: Classics, Plays, Russia

454 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1984

About the author

Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Russian playwright, generally considered the greatest representative of the Russian realistic period

See Cyrillic profile Александр Николаевич Островский here.

Reviews

[Diana Esaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The play vividly raises the issue of women being considered goods that families sell and buy. The play tells a story of a woman who feels that people do not even want to learn anything about her inner world, do not care about her feelings, but look for material benefits.

The play is not very relevant nowadays, I think, but it is beautifully written, and it keeps the reader engaged throughout the whole story.

[Mariangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without a dowry: The mother of Larisa entertains locals and newcomers at her house. All men admire Larisa and enjoy her company and singing. But none wants to propose to her because she has no dowry. When the mother finally arranges a match for her, the men look down and ridicule the man who has accepted. He loves Larisa but she doesn’t love him.

Talents and Admirers: The main character is a talented actress, who is in love with her teacher, and surrounded by rich admirers who think they can buy her love.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little old fashioned but very clever, well constructed, pre- Chekhov era Russian plays.