The Orloff Couple, and Malva

"The Orloff Couple and Malva" by Maxim Gorky is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story delves into the tumultuous lives of Grischka Orloff, a cobbler, and his wife, Matrona, showcasing the harsh realities of their existence in a dilapidated urban setting. The novel intricately explores themes of domestic violence, existential despair, and the struggle for meaning amidst the tedium of their everyday lives. At the start of the story, we are introduced to the chaotic life of the Orloff couple, marked by Grischka's abusive tendencies and Matrona's submissive yet hopeful demeanor. Their interactions are filled with cycles of conflict and reconciliation as they grapple with poverty and dissatisfaction. Gorky portrays Grischka’s internal conflict about his violent behavior, alongside Matrona’s desire for a better life, effectively setting the stage for a narrative that critiques societal conditions and examines the complexity of human relationships within the oppressive constraints of their environment. This opening captures the essence of their lives, foreshadowing both personal and societal struggles to come. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, popularly known as Maxim Gorky, was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an author, he travelled widely across the Russian Empire changing jobs frequently, experiences which would later influence his writing.