The Village by Ivan Bunin. Short summary

5 seconds

Two brothers come from a village. Each lives his own life: one, a wealthy landlord, thinks about money and dreams of leaving for the city; the other, educated, is bored in the village, but sees no way out.

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The Krasov brothers come from a small village. They are engaged in trade, but after a quarrel their paths diverge. Tikhon opens a tavern, becomes rich, and buys the former lord’s estate. He has no children: his wife gives birth to dead girls. Tikhon is weighed down by his village life, and he begins to drink. In his sixth decade he remembers his brother Kuzma and offers him the chance to run the estate.

Kuzma has always wanted to study. He takes an interest in literature and tries to write about his hard life. Kuzma wanders around in search of work and gradually becomes a drunkard. In the meantime, his brother finds him. Kuzma happily takes over the household. He reads newspapers and writes about the various events of his life.

Tikhon buries his wife and finds a buyer for the estate. He decides to marry the cook, Avdotya, with whom he once had an affair, to the village slacker and brawler. Kuzma is surprised at the girl’s obedient consent. On the day of the wedding, he blesses the weeping bride and cries himself. A snowstorm rages the whole day.