Ivan Turgenev

First published in 1860, 'First Love' is a novella by Ivan Turgenev, a Russian novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, translator and popularizer of Russian literature in the West. It is one of his most popular works of short fiction. Some criticized its light subject matter that did not touch upon any of the pressing social and political issues of the day. But, it had its many admirers, including the French novelist Gustave Flaubert, who...

Written in 1850, The Diary of a Superfluous Man is Turgenev's novella in the form of the diary of a dying man. With two weeks to live, Tchulkaturin takes stock of his life only to discover how purposeless, loveless, and futile it has been. The other stories in this collection are "Three Portraits," an historical reminiscence ignited by three paintings; "Three Meetings," a tale of remarkable coincidences; "Mumu." the heartbreaking story of a peasant...

"Fathers and Sons" is not only a portrait of individual characters but also a reflection of the broader societal changes taking place in 19th-century Russia. Turgenev's narrative captures the tension between traditional aristocratic values and the rise of revolutionary ideas that would shape the course of Russian history. He offers a poignant critique of both generations, showcasing their strengths, weaknesses, and their struggle to adapt to the shifting...

With the publication of "A Sportsman's Sketches" in 1852 Ivan Turgenev established himself one of the leaders in the movement of Russian literary realism. Abandoning the idealized vision of Romantic literature, Realism seeks to present the true struggles of the human existence. In "Virgin Soil", his final novel, we see a continuation of the themes present throughout his other works. At the heart of the novel is the story of a young man and woman who...

Published in 1867, Smoke contributed to Turgenev's ongoing argument with the Slavophiles and was to trigger his heated political quarrel with Dostoyevsky about the deplorable state of Mother Russia. Part love story, part political commentary, the novel tells of Litvinov, a quiet, ordinary young man, who travels to study European technology and scientific farming.

Twenty-five beautifully written stories, penned in exile, evocatively depicting life on a manor in feudal Russia and examining the conflicts between serfs and landlords A Sportsman's Notebook, Ivan Turgenev's first literary masterpiece, is a sweeping portrayal of the magnificent nineteenth–century Russian countryside and the harsh lives of those who inhabited it. In a powerful and gripping series of sketches, a hunter wanders through the vast...

Once, as I was wandering about the fields after partridges with Yermolai, I saw some way off a deserted garden, and turned into it. I had hardly crossed its borders when a snipe rose up out of a bush with a clatter. I fired my gun, and at the same instant, a few paces from me, I heard a shriek; the frightened face of a young girl peeped out for a second from behind the trees, and instantly disappeared. Yermolai ran up to me: 'Why are you shooting...

First published in 1862, Ivan Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" is widely considered to be the author's greatest literary achievement. It is a novel about the clash of ideologies of two generations. The older generation, the fathers, represents an upper class whose power and influence is fading and giving way to the younger generation, the sons, who represent an increasing objection to the status quo. This conflict is embodied in the characters of Arkady...

Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883) was a novelist, poet and playwright known for his honest and affectionate portrayals of Russian serfs in the feudal system of the nineteenth century. Unlike his contemporaries Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy, whose writings focused primarily on church and religion, Turgenev believed in and advocated the need for Russia to Westernize. He criticized the provincial society and political turbulence of his time through sophisticated,...

It's hard to die at twenty without having known love… An intriguing confession of doctor's romantic involvement with a beautiful 20 year old patient. Followed by Turgenev's exquisite, often meditative descriptions of Russian countryside and mysterious herbalist Kassyan infatuated with Gamayane, a prophetic bird of Russian folklore, a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. The book includes 14 stories from The Hunting Sketches collection.