#satan's diary

[blogdemocratesjr]

I vaguely remember some very accommodating but pompous murderers, whom I kissed and forgave in the name of Maria.

Leonid Andreyev, Satan’s Diary

[macrolit]

My wonderful edition “Satan’s Diary” by Leonid Andreyev, published in 1922.

Ain’t it cool? (macrolit editorial: Yep, very cool! Thanks for submitting this. =D)

[fantastique-bastard]

I bought a book called “Satan’s diary” started it, got super attached to Satan (wow, Dan, good one) but couldn’t finish it because college...

[blogdemocratesjr]

“The decadent movement in Russian literature,” said Andreyev, “started to make itself felt about ten or fifteen years ago. At first it was looked upon as mere child’s play, as a curiosity. Now it is regarded more seriously. Although I do not belong to that school, I do not consider it worthless. The fault with it is that it has but few talented people in its ranks, and these few direct the criticism of the decadent school. They are the writers and also the critics. And they praise whatever they write. Of the younger men, Alexander Blok is perhaps the most gifted. But in Russia our clothes change quickly nowadays, and it is hard to tell what the future will tell us—in our literature and our life.”

Leonid Andreyev, from the Introduction of Satan's Diary

[blogdemocratesjr]

President vs. King

Image by Jeevan Jose

“The king can do everything. And what can a president do? Nothing. Do you understand, Wondergood—Nothing! Why, then, do you want a president who can do nothing?”—he deigned to twist his lower lip into a sarcastic smile.—“It is all nonsense, invented by the newspapers. Would you, for example, take your president seriously, Mr. Wondergood?”

—Leonid Andreyev, Satan’s Diary

[blogdemocratesjr]

Two Walls

Two silences surrounded Me, two darknesses enveloped me. Two walls were burying me, and behind one, in the pale movement of shadows, passed their human life, while behind the other,—in silence and in darkness stretched forth the world of my real, eternal being. Whence shall I hear The Call? Whither can I take a step?

—Leonid Andreyev, Satan’s Diary

[blogdemocratesjr]

Satan’s View of Nature

Morning Light, Roman Campagna by William Stanley Haseltine

“You are enjoying the Roman Campagna, Mr. Wondergood? A magnificent sight! It is said that the Campagna is noted for its fevers, but there is but one fever it produces in me—the fever of thought!”

Apparently Wondergood did not have much of a liking for nature, and I have not yet managed to develop a taste for earthly landscape: an empty field for me. I cast my eyes politely over the countryside before us and said:

“People interest me more, Signor Magnus.”

—Leonid Andreyev, Satan’s Diary

[blogdemocratesjr]

Satan’s Play

Set Design prologue to the staging of Satan's Diary (by L. Andreev) by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin

I have grown lonesome in Hell and I have come upon the earth to lie and play. You know what ennui is. And as for falsehood, you know it well too. And as for play —you can judge it to a certain extent by your own theaters and celebrated actors. Perhaps you yourself are playing a little role in Parliament, at home, or in your church. If you are, you may understand something of the satisfaction of play. And, if in addition, you are familiar with the multiplication table, then multiply the delight and joy of play into any considerable figure and you will get an idea of My enjoyment, of My play. No, imagine that you are an ocean wave, which plays eternally and lives only in play—take this wave, for example, which I see outside the porthole now and which wants to lift our “Atlantic”… but, here I am again seeking words and comparisons!

—Leonid Andreyev, Satan’s Diary