The First Distiller: Play Guide and Free Edition
The First Distiller: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The First Distiller is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Tolstoy, Leo, graf (1828–1910). The listed translation credits are Maude, Aylmer (1858–1938); Maude, Louise (1855–1939).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The First Distiller" by graf Leo Tolstoy is a comedy in six acts written in the late 19th century. This play revolves around themes of temptation, human folly, and the consequences of vice, particularly focusing on the detrimental effects of alcohol. Set in a peasant community, Tolstoy explores the moral decline that follows the introduction of distillation and drinking among the villagers. In the play, a hardworking peasant is influenced by a mysterious Labourer, who is actually an imp from Hell, to engage in distilling spirits from his bountiful harvest. Initially innocent and good-hearted, the peasant becomes intoxicated and greedy, leading to strife between him and his family as well as with the village elders. The Labourer manipulates the villagers into drunkenness, showcasing their transformation from cooperative members of society into chaotic revelers, driven by base instincts and greed. The play serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of excess and the undermining of communal values through the allure of alcohol, ultimately highlighting the destructive power of temptation.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The First Distiller
- Author credits: Tolstoy, Leo, graf (1828–1910)
- Catalogue language: English
- Translator credits: Maude, Aylmer (1858–1938); Maude, Louise (1855–1939)
Catalogue subjects
- Russian drama -- Translations into English
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Humour
- Category: Plays/Films/Dramas
- Category: Russian Literature
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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