Ivan Sergejevič Turgenev

This collection brings together six of Turgenev's best-known `long' short stories, in which he turns his skills of psychological observation and black comedy to subjects as diverse as the tyranny of serfdom, love, and revenge on the Russian steppes. These stories all display the elegance andclarity of Turgenev's finest writing.Richard Freeborn was until recently Professor of Russian at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London.

First Love and Other Stories

“My heart, so ready and willing to love, will soon stop beating. Will it fall quiet forever without once having known happiness or once having expanded under a sweet burden of joy?”

Already known for his fantastic depiction of rural Russian life and cutting criticism of life under serfdom, Turgenev also shows his mastery at creating deep character studies in a short space of time in this somewhat autobiographical collection.

With lines such as “To keep parents from being bored is what children are for,” his stories are unexpectedly humorous without losing anything from its depth and fluidity. The effortless flow from profound and hard truths to bitter humor is executed so easily, so naturally, that it is impossible not to enjoy this book. What I enjoyed most of all in Turgenev’s style was his masterful rhythm of building tension and breaking it a moment later, always keeping you on your toes, which makes this one of the classics that is read with pleasure and surprise.

“My heart, so ready and willing to love, will soon stop beating. Will it fall quiet forever without once having known happiness or once having expanded under a sweet burden of joy?”

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Already known for his fantastic depiction of rural Russian life and cutting criticism of life under serfdom, Turgenev also shows his mastery at creating deep character studies in a short space of time in this somewhat autobiographical collection.

With lines such as “To keep parents from being bored is what children are for,” his stories are unexpectedly humorous without losing anything from its depth and fluidity. The effortless flow from profound and hard truths to bitter humor is executed so easily, so naturally, that it is impossible not to enjoy this book. What I enjoyed most of all in Turgenev’s style was his masterful rhythm of building tension and breaking it a moment later, always keeping you on your toes, which makes this one of the classics that is read with pleasure and surprise.

Anli Tamaribuchi 

This collection brings together six of Turgenev's best-known `long' short stories, in which he turns his skills of psychological observation and black comedy to subjects as diverse as the tyranny of serfdom, love, and revenge on the Russian steppes. These stories all display the elegance and clarity of Turgenev's finest writing. Richard Freeborn was until recently Professor of Russian at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

First Love and Other Stories

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