The Village

The Village is a short novel by Russian author Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, written in 1909 and first published in 1910. Set during the 1905 Revolution, it follows two peasant brothers: one a brutal drunkard and the other a gentler soul. Bunin's stark and realistic portrayal of rural life challenged the romanticized depictions of peasants prevalent in contemporary literature, leading to significant controversy upon its release. The novel is regarded as Bunin's first masterpiece and received high praise from contemporaries like Maxim Gorky.