Emerald. Stories

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin (1870–1938) – an outstanding Russian realist writer. He was born in a small district town of Narovchat (now in the Penza region) in a family of hereditary nobility. The future writer's father died in 1871, a year... after the birth of his son. Difficult times came for the family, and the mother was forced to send the boy to an orphanage. In 1880, Kuprin entered the Second Moscow Gymnasium, and in 1887 – the Alexander Military School. He had no civilian profession and, before taking to the pen, he changed many jobs. A.I. Kuprin was a curious person, eager to try himself in different roles. He jokingly told his friends that he “would like to become a horse, a plant, or a fish for a few days.”
His first work, the story “The Last Debut,” was published in 1889, when he was a cadet at the military school. When the authorities found out about this, Kuprin was placed in solitary confinement for two days. At that time, he vowed to himself to abandon literary pursuits and not to touch pen and paper. However, his acquaintance with Bunin, Chekhov, and Gorky in the late 1890s made him forget the promise he had once made.
Kuprin's stories and novellas are small in form but remarkably rich in content, distinguished by deep psychological insight. The author admires the nobility of spirit, purity of soul and thoughts in both humans and animals, and shows readers how terrible it is when a person ceases to be human. Thus, in the story “At the Circus,” everyone – including Arbuzev himself, the circus director, and the doctor – knows that going into the arena is mortally dangerous for the strongman. And Arbuzev's opponent, the American strongman, seeing that he is unwell, does not spare him either, easily seizing the opportunity to eliminate someone he would not have been able to defeat in a fair duel. The beautiful stallion Emerald also falls victim to human baseness. The strong young stallion, having won the race, was poisoned. According to the author, animals can not only feel but are sometimes more noble and loyal than humans. The main character of the story “Yu-yu,” a smart and beautiful cat, is as willful as all cats. However, when her little owner Kolya fell ill, she did not leave the door of his room until the boy felt better.