On the Eve

On the Eve

On the eve of the Crimean War, the young, headstrong Yelena, the daughter of aristocratic Russian parents, falls in love with a revolutionary from Bulgaria named Insarov. Facing the wrath and disapproval of her family, Yelena abandons her home to follow Insarov to Bulgaria. Their fateful match sets in motion a series of tragic events which challenge notions of love, revolution and idealism. A highly controversial work upon its original publication, Ivan Turgenev's On the Eve is now recognized as one of the masterpieces of Russian literature and an essential document of the upheaval that dominated Russian society in the years prior to the Crimean War. Turgenev's restrained, nuanced prose is rendered beautifully in Michael Pursglove's new translation.
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Reviews

Photo of Shantesh Patil
Shantesh Patil@shantesh
3.5 stars
Jul 27, 2022
Photo of Draculelle
Draculelle@draculelle
4 stars
Dec 31, 2021
Photo of Benjamin Erwin
Benjamin Erwin@benjamin_erwin
4 stars
Feb 9, 2022
Photo of Zoe Smolen
Zoe Smolen@booksatlunch
4 stars
Jan 20, 2022
Photo of Moray Lyle McIntosh
Moray Lyle McIntosh@bookish_arcadia
2 stars
Dec 5, 2021

Highlights

Photo of Draculelle
Draculelle@draculelle