The Revolutionist

The Revolutionist

By

5
(1 Review)
The Revolutionist by Mikhail Petrovich Artsybashev

Published:

1915

Pages:

13

Downloads:

560

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The Revolutionist

By

5
(1 Review)

Book Excerpt

d bird. Andersen, as if he were thinking of something else, raised his cane. With all his strength he hit the officer on the head, each blow descending with a dull, ugly thud. The officer reeled in a circle, struck a bush, and sat down after the second blow, covering his head with both hands, as children do. Some one ran up and discharged a revolver as if from Andersen's own hand. The officer sank together in a heap and lunged with great force head foremost on the ground. His legs twitched for a while, then he curled up quietly.

The shots ceased. Black men with white faces, ghostly grey in the dark, moved about the dead bodies of the soldiers, taking away their arms and ammunition.

Andersen watched all this with a cold, attentive stare. When all was over, he went up, took hold of the burned subaltern's legs, and tried to remove the body from the fire. But it was too heavy for him, and he let it go.

Chapter 4

Andersen sat mo

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A good story about a detachment of soldiers (presumably invading) who begin executing, beating, and whipping to death the townspeople. The old schoolteacher witnesses the first executions, and eventually is stirred to do something about the soldiers.
The schoolteacher is the only real character, the narrator seems to be following him around. A nice touch is that the nationalities of the townspeople and the invaders aren't given--it could be any country.
A simple story, but well done and translated.