A Lost Opportunity

by Leo Tolstoy, Benjamin Ricketson Tucker (Translator)

A Lost Opportunity is a short story written by the renowned Russian author, Leo Tolstoy. The story revolves around a man named Ivan Vasilievich, who lives a mundane life as a government clerk in St. Petersburg. He is married to a woman who he does not love and has settled into a routine of going to work and coming back home every day.One day, Ivan receives an invitation from a childhood friend to visit his estate in the countryside. Ivan is initially hesitant, but eventually decides to take the trip. During his stay, he meets a young woman named Maria, who is beautiful and intelligent. Ivan is immediately drawn to her and feels a connection that he has never felt before. However, he is too afraid to act on his feelings and instead returns to his life in St. Petersburg.Years later, Ivan learns that Maria had always felt the same way about him but had also been too afraid to express her feelings. The story ends with Ivan regretting his missed opportunity and realizing that he had let fear control his life.A Lost Opportunity is a poignant tale that explores themes of love, regret, and missed chances. Tolstoy's writing is masterful, and he expertly captures the emotions and motivations of his characters. The story serves as a reminder to readers to seize the opportunities that life presents and to not let fear hold them back.THIS 54 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Stories, by Leo Tolstoy. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417923210.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Russia, Fiction, Russian Literature, Literature

56 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2000

About the author

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой; most appropriately used Liev Tolstoy; commonly Leo Tolstoy in Anglophone countries) was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. Tolstoy is equally known for his complicated and paradoxical persona and for his extreme moralistic and ascetic views, which he adopted after a moral crisis and spiritual awakening in the 1870s, after which he also became noted as a moral thinker and social reformer.

His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reviews

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Lost Opportunity" is a fable about forgiveness and working out conflicts peacefully. A feud starts out between two neighboring families over a small matter. Anger can spiral out of control from a small start if people don't cool down and forgive small hurts and disagreements. A fire symbolized the hot, consuming anger that eventually devoured the two families emotionally and destroyed their possessions.

Tolstoy has written a story that starts with a preface from the New Testament (Matthew 18:21-25). It included many mentions of God from the grandfather who is promoting peace between the families. The fable has an important message about finding peaceful solutions to conflicts.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The sins of others are ever before you, while you resolutely keep your own behind your back.”

This was written the same year as The Kreutzer Sonata, which worried me at first, but this one has a moral I can get behind. More a sermon than a fable, but a decent story of the dangers of arguing with your neighbors.

[Terris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story! A lesson for us all :)

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good tale about anger and revenge

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short story is included in the book The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Short Stories. And in typical Tolstoy fashion, this one is once again about the peasants. This time we get two feuding peasant families, who fight for six years, with the feud starting over one missing chicken egg. Pretty pointless, in my opinion.

This book did have some derogatory Russian names in it, so I do now know that someone calls me a schlukha they are calling me a mean, dirty, low creature. Or maybe Tolstoy made that word up. I don't really know. But I like the sound of it...schlukha!

[MK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another parable, but I liked it more that Ivan the Fool.

"The sins of others are ever before you, while you resolutely keep your own behind your back."


Read on 5/9/2014. Part of a collection which included the novella "The Kreutzer Sonata", plus other short stories, including this one "A Lost Opportunity" (link - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

"No! it requires two persons to work much evil in the world. You see only the bad in Gavryl’s character, but you are blind to the evil that is in your own nature. If he alone were bad and you good, then there would be no wrong."

I felt this short story to be very straight forward - and clear symbolism to what I believe Tolstoy set out to do with this tale.

The only thing that grew on my mind was the feeling that the text was staggering in places, it could have 'flowed' smoother-

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Leo Tolstoy short story. I enjoyed it, and it certainly had a life lesson as the plot. I only wish it was a full blown novel.

[Efe Akarsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe that forgiveness is more than a religious virtue. Forgiveness is bound to humanity itself and our nature. Mankind is selfish and often seeks only its desires with resentment, but deep inside there is also forgiveness in our hearts. I appreciate Tolstoy's emphasis on forgiveness, but I think the story frames forgiveness and revenge as two rigid extremes. The balance lies in between, just like Aristotle thinks. The goal should be to heal and move forward while still protecting one’s sense of self.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

A parable about judgment, the escalation of hate and anger, and the power of forgiveness. What amazes me is how little we human beings learn over time. Look around you and you will find examples of this everywhere.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story by Tolstoy which he does use in another book called "The Kreutzer Sonata".
Its about peasants and their live and mainly about their feud over a chicken egg.
Not really his best book at all its pretty renundandant and mostly about meaningless matters , wouldnt read it again ,at least if i dont forget about it too soon,which could happen , its a pretty boring story easy to forget.

[Veromika · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moral story imploring us to love thy neighbour and turn the other cheek.
It was nostalgic in the sense that I could imagine my grandfather narrating this when I was a child.
hmm... I think I have to reassess my expectations of short stories written by literary giants.

[Bárbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. For me, it shows again how taking an eye for an eye leave everyone blind. And how we need to stay calm and not escalate stressful situations. To use our mind to do the best for ourselves and the people we love. And respect our elders. Short story, but full of old and gold reminders.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Jacob Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Tolstoy implores us to be like Christ.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful lesson, And good timing too!

[Steven van Doorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very direct story, classic Tolstoy, pointing out that it takes 2 to work any great evil. Forgiveness and mercy will put out a fire before it has a chance to take root.