Иван Сергеевич Тургенев

В издание включены произведения И. С. Тургенева, которые объединяет тема "лишнего человека"

Рудин

Wynter

This short anthology consists of three stories all connected by a common theme of characters that cannot fit into the rest of the society. Rudin is a lovely short novel about a man who overthinks everything and, by trying to act as he believes was expected of him, brakes a young girl's heart. The confrontation between Rudin and Natalia is as emotionally charged as the infamous confession in Eugene Onegin, and undoubtedly the best scene in the book. The girl's strength of character and her pain are splashed across the page in honest and bold manner so typical of Turgenev. I loved it.

Hamlet of the Shchigrovsky District is more of a sketch about a chance meeting of unnamed narrator with a mysterious man, who philosophizes throughout the night about futility of nobility and his own existence. In the morning the stranger vanishes, and we never find out what happens afterwords to either of the characters. The story is just okay, in my opinion, but is probably great to pick apart academically.

 The Diary of a Superfluous Man concerns a man on his deathbed reflecting upon a certain event in his life in form of a diary. Having only two weeks to live, he fixates on his past, unrequited love for the beautiful Liza. Often missing his opportunities or unable to properly take advantage of them, as well as not coming to terms with rejection, he feels like an outsider looking in on his own tragedy. Rather an interesting look at a personal misfortune that became an archetype in later Russian literature. 

Over all, a solid collection that makes me want to read more Turgenev in the future. Something tells me I'd like him longer, more developed works better.

Рудин

Reviews