First Love (Art of the Novella series, The)
by Ivan S. Turgenev
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 254)
Read in April, 2008
I was not expecting a lot from this book because Turgenev has always been overshadowed by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy when this period of Russian literature comes up. But this was an amazing read. It was short (I read it in one commuting trip), but it really affected me with its powerful depiction of innocent love teamed up with overwhelming passion and a desire to be a martyr to the whims of the one you love.
This book begins with a few older gentlement sitting around a fireplace. The host ...more
This book begins with a few older gentlement sitting around a fireplace. The host ...more
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Read in April, 2008
The actual book that I read was a collection of about 8 of Turgenev's short stories, of which First Love was the most memorable. These were wonderful brief vignettes, all set in Russia in the late 1800's and hve several thematic commonalities.
Turgenev was born amongst the wealthy land owners and was one of the earlier Russians to speak out against treatment of the peasants, who, I believe were essentially endentured servants. As such, many of these shorts focus on the class differenc...more
Turgenev was born amongst the wealthy land owners and was one of the earlier Russians to speak out against treatment of the peasants, who, I believe were essentially endentured servants. As such, many of these shorts focus on the class differenc...more
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Read in March, 1987
Vladimir (Barksdale), a 16-year-old, is staying in the country with his family and meets Zinaida, a beautiful young woman, staying with her mother, Princess Zasekina, in the wing of the nearby manor house. This family, as with many of the Russian minor nobility with royal ties of that time, were only afforded a degree of respectability because of their titles; the Zasekins, in the case of this story, are a very poor family. The young Vladimir falls irretrievably in love with Zinaida, who has a s...more
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Such a tragic story--Turgenev's descriptions of a sixteen year old boy falling in love for the first time ("I moved as if in a dream and felt all through my being a sort of intense blissfulness that verged on imbecility"). And the aftermath, the disappointment. An amazing example of how to write emotions through physical details. He leaves nothing out. Also, for structure. How does he pack so much in a short novella?
This edition is a disappointment: there were editing errors...more
This edition is a disappointment: there were editing errors...more
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This beautifully packaged series of classic novellas includes the works of Anton Chekhov, Colette, Henry James, Herman Melville, and Leo Tolstoy. These collectible editions are the first single-volume publications of these classic tales, offering a closer look at this underappreciated literary form and providing a fresh take on the world's most celebrated authors.
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I'm rereading this because Turgenev is referenced throughout Snow, and it made me think back to when I first read this story in College.
Definitely a classic short story about awakening to love and a bunch of its less-fun consequences.
Definitely a classic short story about awakening to love and a bunch of its less-fun consequences.
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recommends it for:
that kid from rushmore
another downer russian story (big surprise). the only real complaint i have is the beginning is pretty retarded. aside from that its real solid. the short length (novella) can be both a strength and weakness
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An adult retelling a youth's experience but maintaining the same perspective of a naive boy in love. One can see the complications and hidden connections without it being pointed out.
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone
One of the best love stories I have ever read - real love, not hollywood love. Keep that in mind if you have idealized visions of romance. It's a classic Turgenev story.
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It's among a group of books that I think of as either perfect or near-perfect. Anything I think of saying about it seems to debase it.
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there's a great thunderstorm.
this is my favorite of the "first love" stories of oates, beckett, turgenev, mcewen.
this is my favorite of the "first love" stories of oates, beckett, turgenev, mcewen.
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Read in January, 2007
Includes Asya, the story I was named for, and featuring the only literary character I think I resemble.
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First Love was probably the most bitterly sad stories I have ever read.
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recommends it for:
people who think women are the weaker sex
Read it and learn how to wrap men around your littlest finger.
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