On the Eve

by Ivan Turgenev

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Russia, Russian Literature, Literature, 19th Century, Romance

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1860

About the author

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (Cyrillic: Иван Сергеевич Тургенев) was a novelist, poet, and dramatist, and now ranks as one of the towering figures of Russian literature. His major works include the short-story collection A Sportsman’s Sketches (1852) and the novels Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860), and Fathers and Sons (1862).

These works offer realistic, affectionate portrayals of the Russian peasantry and penetrating studies of the Russian intelligentsia who were attempting to move the country into a new age. His masterpiece, Fathers and Sons, is considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.

Turgenev was a contemporary with Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy. While these wrote about church and religion, Turgenev was more concerned with the movement toward social reform in Russia.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a long time, I've known that every book I read sits in the context of those I’ve read recently, and I think this was especially apparent with On the Eve. While not notably bad in any way, I've lately read several love stories between mismatched people (Rhoda and Everard in Gissing’s The Odd Women; Ursula and Kenneth in Linford’s Out of the Window) and this was the least interesting and moving of them.

It's a classic tale of forbidden love. Elena is set to be paired with her suitor-- the aimless and emotionally immature artist, Shubin, who seems to symbolize the state of Russia's intelligentsia at the time of the novel --so, naturally, her eye is caught by the passionate Bulgarian revolutionary Insarov.

The novel has a slow beginning, made slower by Turgenev’s cool and restrained tone, which isn’t particularly expressive until we reach some of the romantic episodes in the later chapters. Some writers make you feel immersed in the events of their stories; others simply describe them. For me, this felt like the latter.

Even the novel's promised “tragedy” is executed so suddenly-- so and then it happened --that I was left completely unmoved by it.

But, as I said, I think this sounds more negative than I actually felt. I’ve recently enjoyed some very intense and moving reads, and that contrast likely dulled this book’s emotional impact. I didn’t dislike the story-- in fact, I read it quickly and easily --it just didn’t resonate in the same way as my other recent reads.

I liked it better when looking back over the themes and seeing it as a symbolic portrait of a Russian society on the brink of change. Shubin represents the ineffectual intelligentsia-- artistic, full of feeling, but unable to do much of anything -- while Insarov, the foreign revolutionary with a clear sense of purpose, symbolises a yearning for change and new identity.

As a love story, it did nothing for me; as an allegory, I found it clever and powerful.

[Fionnuala]

My Reading Life: Or How I went from Reading Turgenev to Reading Mann

The pattern of our reading lives can be as comfortable and predictable as everyday life—or as creative and thought provoking as the more unusual books we may read. Take my own case: I often mosey along well worn tracks quite happily, certain of finding familiar works which will be both pleasurable and rewarding. But then it can happen that an obscure detail catches my attention and before I know it, I’ve been propelled sideways onto an undiscovered trail which inevitably, after a little time, will lead to yet another trail, and another, und so weiter.
If I tried to capture the pattern of my reading experience on paper, it would look like the most 'fantastic' map, criss-crossing the continents and frequently travelling backwards through time, more akin to the realms of fiction than to any map of the world as we know it. If any proof were needed of the magic of the reading life, this is it.

I fell upon the Turgenev trail because I came across a reference to a character called Insarov in William Trevor’s beautiful novella, Reading Turgenev, and I was sufficiently intrigued by the brief mention of Insarov to take that sideways leap. Believing him to be a character in Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons, I immediately delved into that book and enjoyed the experience but failed to find Insarov or any tangible parallel with William Trevor’s novella. I did find vague echoes of another book I’d been reading called Solace in which mention was made of the nineteenth century writer, Maria Edgeworth. The connection lay in the fact that Ms Edgeworth was a correspondent of Turgenev’s; they were both interested in education and agrarian reform, themes to be found in Fathers and Sons. So Trevor had sent me back to a reread of Edgeworth’s Castle Rackrent, via Solace and Fathers and Sons and my little sidestep had returned me to one of my favourite trails, Anglo-Irish literature.
But I still hadn’t found Insarov or figured out a satisfactory connection between Trevor and Turgenev.

Reading Turgenev, a quiet little story set in rural Ireland is presented along with another Trevor novella called My House in Umbria in a volume called Two Lives. I had understood that the two novellas were packaged together for publishing purposes rather than having been originally conceived to be read side by side. However, when I’d read both I noticed some definite correspondences between them: the female protagonists of both stories, Mary Louise and Emily, had each experienced life changing events in their early twenties and their methods of dealing with these events, while quite different, nevertheless involved a withdrawal from the real world, one, though psychosis, the other, through the creation of fictional worlds. I wasn’t entirely sure if Trevor intended these parallels to be remarked upon or if I had merely forced them into a correspondence to suit a logic of my own. I hoped that Turgenev might provide the clues that Trevor had withheld so I set out once more in search of Insarov and began to read On the Eve

While reading this philosophical tale, it occurred to me that it could very well be subtitled 'Two Lives'. It mainly concerns the very different lives of a young Russian girl, Elena Stahov from a comfortable bourgeois family, and that of a Bulgarian student and idealist, Dmitri Insarov, determined to sacrifice his life for his country’s freedom. The first half of the book takes place in a rural setting, the second half in Italy, and again the Two Lives comparison is relevant as Elena’s former life in Russia comes to a complete end once she travels to Italy where a new and very different life begins. There is a traumatic event in Venice which results in Elena withdrawing from public life towards a sort of physical and psychological exile not unlike the destinies of Mary Louise and Emily from Two Lives.
So, at the end of my journey towards reading On the Eve, I had hit on the pattern I had been seeking and was feeling nicely satisfied by the outcome.

But then I had a doubt. Perhaps I had created these correspondences from very little evidence. Perhaps Trevor didn’t intend his novellas to be analysed and engineered to this extent. But then I remembered that, after all, this is just an episode in the story of my own reading life, and therefore Trevor is just another character in that story and I can do with him as I please.
This meandering journey in search of Trevor’s imagined motivations reminds me again of the intricate pattern of my reading life and why I’m more and more drawn towards rendering my reading experiences into fiction: I do like stories.

And I plan to skip cross Europe and across time again soon and read Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice...



Two Lives
Reading Turgenev
My House in Umbria
Fathers and Sons
Solace
Castle Rackrent
On the Eve
Death in Venice


Review by Fionnuala is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

[Helga · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

-"Why are you so sorrowful?"
-"I never suspected I looked sorrowful. I think it must come from being alone, always alone, for better, for worse! There is no one to stretch out a hand to me. Those who come to me, I don't want; and those I would choose--pass me by."

The story is set in Russia, just before the Crimean War and revolves around the selfless and compassionate Elena who is being romanced, with no result, by the enlightened artist Shubin and the solemn and sincere student Berzyenev.

But she will love one day…whom will she love?

Enter Insarov the strong-willed, revolutionary Bulgarian and everything changes. Elena falls in love with him and he with her.

'. . . The word is found, light has dawned on me! My God, have pity on me. . . . I love him!'

But will their love endure? What about Insarov's plans to return to Bulgaria and fight? What about Elena's aristocratic family and their objections?

In love, too, there is both life and death.

Would the lovers be willing to sacrifice their ideas and beliefs for love?

How would I live without love?

In this story about love and camaraderie will the pursuit of happiness and idealism triumph over conflict, defeat and death?

Life is a coarse business.

[Fionnuala]

So, we are on the eve of a new day here on goodreads. We have been batting ideas back and forth about what the giant female warrior will do to our community in a similar way to Turgenev's characters who spend long paragraphs meditating on the issues of their day. Like them, some of us must be asking the question: is it better to muddle through our lives peacefully, concentrating on reading, ideas and art or should we take action?
Some among us have talked about emigrating to a nearby country but the news we hear isn't very promising; there are taxes, and while we might be glad to pay taxes for better services, the people of that country don't seem to be benefitting from better conditions; their infrastructure is frankly primitive.
There are other countries we might emigrate to, but from the scattered reports that are reaching us, those countries have either already been taken over by the same tall female warrior or else, by some other formidable giants, some of whose main interests are not even books but only forage for their armies.
But there is an alternative. We could create an independent republic, one where books are picked on their merit and where reviews are never biased. We might need to raise taxes to do this and buy in some mercenary soldiers to help build it but we could ensure that we owned it and that it could never be taken over by any agressive giants in the future.

goodreaders can build a betterreads

[Ola Al-Najres · Rating 4 out of 5]

إن النجوم تنظر إلى المُحبين ، وهذا هو سر جمالها ..

قد نظن في لحظة أن الأقدار ابتسمت لنا ابتسامتها العريضة و حبَتنا كل ما يضيء وهج سعادتنا ، لكن ملامحها تكفهر في اللحظة التالية لتحيك لنا النهاية التي لا نشتهي ، لعلّه لا ضوء في نهاية النفق ! ، لعل الجَلَد والاحتمال لا ثمار لهما في الدنيا ! ، لعل نصيبنا من السعادة لا يتعدى سوى الفُتات التي تلقطناها على طول الدرب ! ، و لربما علينا أن نكتفي بمخزوننا المتواضع من الذكريات السعيدة لأنه لا أمل في زيادته ، ولنحتفي بما اختبرناه في كل مرة تهبّ الذكرى على أطلالنا البعيدة .

أحبّتْه حياً ��ميتاً ، أحبته مختلفاً ، غريباً عن تلك الجموع ، ثائراً ، حراً ذا قضية ، هام بها الجميع و هامت به وحده وببلاده النائية وبحكاياته المُدوّخة عن عالم مختلف ، هجرتْ لأجله العائلة والبلاد ، تبنّتْ موقف شعبٍ لم تنتمي إليه قبلاً ، لم تعلم أن عليها أن تواجه عدواً آخر حينها ، عدواً عنيداً اسمه الموت وسلاحه المرض ، لكنها مضت في ذلك الدرب إلى آخره ، مضت بكل ما في الإخلاص من مسؤولية وشقاء ..

رواية ممتعة و مؤلمة ، تتغنى بالطبيعة والعاطفة والفن ، الشخصيات مميزة وتترك بصمة واضحة في الذاكرة ، الأسلوب جذاب بلا الحاح ، أما النهاية فهي للعاطفيين أمثالي .

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite.

First, so expressive, the prose makes me swoon. And I am not a swooner (is there such a word as swooner?).

Elena listened to him very attentively, and turning half towards him, did not take her eyes off his face, which had grown a little paler--off his eyes, which were soft and affectionate, though they avoided meeting her eyes. Her soul expanded, and something tender, holy, and good seemed half sinking into her heart, half springing up within it.

Second, how is it a male of the 1860s was able to express a young woman's thoughts and being so accurately? There is a chapter that is presented as this young woman's diary. Turgenev gives us diary entries of some of the action that has already taken place, so that, though he has described from the outside what occurred, he gives us her feelings at the time of these known events. Then, we are given her feelings about events not yet told, and in this way, Turgenev apprises us of them.

In an introduction which accompanied an 1895 edition, we are told:

To the English reader, On the Eve is a charmingly drawn picture of a quiet Russian household, with a delicate analysis of a young girl's soul; but to Russians it is also a deep and penetrating diagnosis of the destinies of the Russia of the fifties.

I did not read all of this introduction because it seemed to me to begin to reveal spoilers, but I was glad to have read this much and to get this alternate perspective. It enhanced the story for me, as part of the conflict involves a Bulgarian who worries about his country.

[Axl Oswaldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi primera novela leída de Turguénev y creo ha sido una buena opción para empezar.

La historia inicia presentándonos a dos amigos: Bersénev, un joven estudiante universitario, culto e intelectual, y Shubin, un artista inclinado hacia la escultura, con una personalidad espontánea y alocada. Esto da paso para conocer a la verdadera protagonista de la historia, Yelena, quien es una mujer que rompe con los esquemas de la época en la que se sitúa, siendo más bien atrevida e intrépida en lo que sea que se propone.
Los dos muchachos a su manera se sienten atraídos por Yelena, pero no será hasta la llegada de Insárov, un búlgaro con una ideología revolucionaria que desea liberar a su patria, cuando las relaciones entre los personajes se verán alteradas.

Quiero reconocer que la pluma de Turguénev me ha impresionando para bien; me gustó la cantidad de reflexiones que hace a lo largo de la novela, introduciéndonos en temas como el amor, la vida y la muerte. Creo que si tuviera que rescatar lo mejor de esta obra sería eso, el conocer el pensamiento de cada personaje sobre ideas que conciernen a la vida misma.

Lo que no me gustó fue parte de lo que me estaban contando, aunque reconozco que el personaje de Yelena fue mi favorito por su actitud y su manera de afrontar lo que tenía delante, no me agradó el rumbo que siguió su historia. Tampoco me gustó el final porque lo sentí muy abrupto y acelerado, como si al autor le hubiera dado por querer cerrar todas las incógnitas en los últimos párrafos.

Fuera de eso, es recomendable, y no cabe duda que continuaré leyendo más obras del autor.

[Ali Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to thank my Goodreads friend Helga for inspiring me to read this book with her review.

Background on the Author
Ivan Turgenev was a renowned 19th century Russian novelist and playwright who was considered one of the greatest writers of Russian realist fiction.

Born into a wealthy landowning family in 1818, Turgenev studied at the universities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Berlin. He published his first major work, A Sportsman's Sketches, in 1852 which garnered great acclaim.

His following novels, such as Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860) and Fathers and Sons (1862), established him as a master of Russian literary realism. Turgenev was known for capturing the lives and conflicts of the Russian aristocracy amidst the social and political turbulence of the time.

He spent considerable time living abroad and associated with other prominent writers like Gustave Flaubert and Henry James.



Plot
On the Eve revolves around the character of Elena, a young woman who finds herself torn between the expectations of her oppressive social environment and her own desires for personal freedom.

Elena's world is dominated by an older generation that represents moral corruption and mediocrity. However, her encounter with Insarov, a Bulgarian revolutionary committed to his country's freedom, introduces her to a world of moral seriousness and integrity.

As Elena navigates her path, love and tragedy intertwine, leading to a poignant exploration of individual agency and societal constraints.

Historical Context
The novel was published in 1859, during a period of significant political unrest and societal change in Russia. The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and the increasing demands for political change form an important backdrop to the narrative.

Themes and Social Context
A major theme in On the Eve is the restlessness and yearning for meaning felt by the younger generation in Russia during this era.

Through the character of Elena, Turgenev captured the ambivalence of Russian youth who were unsatisfied with the stagnant aristocratic society around them but unsure of their place. Elena's attraction to Insarov's political cause represents the growing tide of idealism and revolutionary sentiments taking hold at the time.

Turgenev also provides a look into the lavish country estates of the Russian nobility during the mid 19th century through his vivid descriptions, while also criticizing the aimlessness and ennui that characterized this insulated existence. The clashing viewpoints between the indifferent older generation, like Elena's parents, and the searching younger generation create an overarching mood of tension and impending transition, aptly conveyed by the novel's title On the Eve.

The novel's Bulgarian revolutionary hero Insarov was seen by many as an inspiring figure in light of the contemporary political climate, when revolutionary and nationalist movements were gaining ground across Europe and supporters in Russia.

The character also represented the rising visibility and assertiveness of minority ethnic groups within the Russian empire.



Connection to the Author's Other Works
On the Eve bears similarities to Turgenev's earlier novels Rudin (1856) and Home of the Gentry (1859) with its focus on a young woman searching for fulfillment and gravitating towards a charismatic outsider figure who proves disappointing. However, a notable evolution is seen in the politically-minded character of Insarov compared to the ineffective 'superfluous man' Rudin.

The theme of generational and value conflicts depicted in On the Eve anticipates Turgenev's masterwork Fathers and Sons published two years later in 1862. Fathers and Sons also centers around a strong-willed young woman character caught between two contrasting male figures from different generations.

On the Eve historical backdrop, insightful societal reflections, and deep character analyses establish it as a noteworthy addition to Turgenev's literary collection.

I've read five or six books written by this celebrated Russian author, and I found this one enjoyable too!

[إيم · Rating 4 out of 5]

الحمدلله ان وجدت كتاباً جميلاً، بعد كم كتاب تحييني تفاصيل الطبيعة وجمالها في الكتب.
..
"و اخيرًا خرجنا من المتحف"
يارب نروحله.

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the Turgenev that spoke most directly to me when I was young, which makes for a peculiarly intense reading experience now: Yelena and Insarov are as if people known to me, I believe in them entirely; and indeed the whole novel comes alive to me in that rare way…

A dangerous novel to do this with, as it is Turgenev at his most gloomy. Although he took the plot from life, he wants to use it to dash our spirits with the futility of effort – for he had these moods of pessimistic metaphysics. I’ll admit that doesn’t commonly come across to me in his writing. Perhaps I resist his lessons; if so it’s his own fault – he paints Yelena and Insarov too richly in their heroic energies, hope and passion, to philosophise futility of effort at me at the end.

I can see why this one annoyed fellow Russians who loved Russianness, for instance Dostoyevsky. To say ‘there are no human beings yet’ in Russia is going a bit far; particularly when you give us Bersenev, Yelena’s Russian suitor, an awkward scholar and future professor, who is eminently human and likeable. Also, Turgenev, answer me this: if Russia is such a dump that the human species has yet to be found in it, how can you make your young women the most splendid people on earth? Caught you out there. Liza in Home of the Gentry was the Turgenev girl Dostoyevsky thought his greatest achievement; for me, Yelena. She managed to cause controversy too, and I must say I was startled at how bold he makes bold to make her.

Critics, at the time and since, like to mock Insarov, the Bulgarian freedom-fighter... just as the silly-headed artist does in the book. I can only say I’d be spoilt for choice between Bersenev and Insarov, but that Yelena chose well, as she does everything well.

[Heba Hssn · Rating 2 out of 5]

واجهت مشكلة الأسماء ولم أستطع القراءة بتركيز
إلا اني توقفت عند هذه الكلمات في بداية الرواية وجعلتني اكملها

السعادة بحد ذاتها لا تجمعنا إنما تفرقنا وتجعلنا نسعي الي غايتنا بصورة فردية ولذلك لو ربطنا تلك المفاهيم بعصرنا سنجد ان أكثر ما يفرقنا أننا نسعي لسعادتنا وتخلينا عن القيم الأعظم منها ، أو سلكنا أيسر طريق ليرضي شهواتنا والتي تولد لنا أبسط شكل من السعادة وأفقره
ليتنا نعود للقيم الأكبر والسعادة الأعظم التي توحدنا وتسعدنا وتدوم
مثل الأرض والوطن والحرية ..... مفاهيم لو عادت لغيرت شكل العالم وأعادت موازينه المختلة

[Mahbuba Sinthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

প্রথমে ভেবেছিলাম প্রেমের আখ্যান। পরে বুঝতে পারলাম, নাহ। সাধারণ একটা গল্পের ভেতর কিভাবে অসাধারণত্বের বহিঃপ্রকাশ ঘটাতে হয়, তা লেখকের ভালোই জানা আছে। মুহূর্তের মধ্যেই গল্পটা প্রেমের গল্প থেকে হয়ে উঠল দেশপ্রেমের গল্পে।

অসাধারণ!

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

With all the young Russian males being a bit boring and unexciting, why wouldn’t Elena fall in love with the dashing and heroic Bulgarian?
This was an enjoyable read, even with the tragic ending!

[Daniel Villines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing a novel about love must be one of the most risky endeavors that a writer can undertake. Love is such a powerful emotion that it is easy for such novels slip into the realm of melodrama. This takes place when humans are depicted in ways that step beyond reality. It doesn't take much. The call for a duel between rivals, the admission of love one too many times, or self-pity that goes on and on are all gateways to the melodramatic.

Turgenev manages to write about love in On the Eve without such missteps. To be fair, this is a Victorian novel and behaviors are typical of that era. But still, Trugenev manages to stay clear of overly-dramatic love scenes.

Turgenev maintains a sense of reality by not overwriting any given scene. He provides what is needed to understand the emotions of the characters and then allows the reader to use their own inherent sympathies to complete their connection to the feelings being conveyed.

Turgenev also uses the various settings in the book to further communicate emotions without explicit narration. The abundance of life in nature, the hard coldness of Moscow, and the surreal calm that is Venice, these settings all work to set moods in advance of scenes. From there, the plot moves forward with the reader's feelings already engaged.

Believable characters are the end result. While the story focuses on human passion, it's characters do not lose sight of their own self-awareness. Turgenev gives his characters feelings but he also gives them the ability realize their own emotional state. In this way, this is a book for the intellectually inclined and I just happen to be that way.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turgenev’s third novel is better understood in historical perspective. Set in the early 1850s as Russia advanced towards the Crimean War (but published in 1860 after the war was over); Russia, licking its wounds, appeared to be ON THE EVE of social and political change that would, of course, manifest itself in revolution a few decades later. What might appear to be a simple story of forbidden love between an aristocratic young woman and a Bulgarian patriot can also be interpreted as Turgenev’s commentary on Russia’s stagnant ruling class.

[Iman Rouhipour · Rating 2 out of 5]

مخلوط تکراری روسیه و اشراف و مهمانی و چای عصر و یک عدد آنا واسیلیونا و عشق نافرجام و بافرجام و کمی جنگ و مرگ و مقادیر معتنابهی شوونیسم روس.
غیرروس "خوب" هم وجود دارد اما او هم دیر یا زود به "خیلی‌خوب‌بودن" روس‌ها اعتراف خواهدکرد.

[Sanowar Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

একটি বইয়ের শুরুর বাক্যটিতেই বইটি সম্পর্কে জানার জন্য যথেষ্ট উপাদান থাকে। '১৮৫৩ সালের গ্রীষ্মের এক দিনে মস্কো নদীর ধারে দুই বন্ধু বেরসেনেভ ও শুবিন বসে ছিল।' কথা হলো লেখক ১৮৫৩ সালের মস্কো নদীর ধারকেই কেন বেছে নিলেন? পাঠককে নিশ্চয়ই কোনো ইঙ্গিত দিতে চান। ইতিহাস সম্পর্কে ওয়াকিবহাল পাঠকেরা জানেন তখনো ক্রিমিয়া যুদ্ধ শুরু হয়নি, এতেই হয়তোবা লেখক বইটির নামের বেলায় যুদ্ধ পূর্ববর্তী সময়কেই বেছে নিয়েছেন। তবে বইটিকে শুধু যুদ্ধ সম্পর্কিত ভাবলে ভুল হবে। বইটিতে তরুণ তরুণীর প্রেম ও রুশ মধ্যবিত্ত সমাজের অবস্থাকে চিত্রায়িত করেছেন লেখক।

উপন্যাসের শুরুতেই আমরা পরিচিত হই শুবিন ও বেরসেনেভের সাথে। শুবিন একজন ভাস্কর্যশিল্পী, যে কিনা কাউকে দেখলেই তার আবক্ষ মূর্তি তৈরি করার চিন্তাভাবনা শুরু করে দেয়। অন্যদিকে বেরসেনেভ একজন দার্শনিক চিন্তাধারার মানুষ; যার ইচ্ছা একজন অধ্যাপক হিসেবে নিজেকে অধিষ্ঠিত করা। শুবিন তার দূর সম্পর্কের আত্মীয়া আন্না ভাসিলিয়েভনার বাড়িতে থাকে। আন্না'র স্বামী স্তাখভের জীবনের দুইটি লক্ষ্য ছিল। সম্রাটের অ্যাডজুটান্ট হওয়া কিংবা ধনীর কোনো কন্যাকে নিজের স্ত্রী বানানো। দ্বিতীয় লক্ষ্যে সফল হলেও কিছুকাল পরে অন্য নারীর প্রতি আসক্তি সৃষ্টি হয় তার। আন্না ও স্তাখভের কন্যা এলেনা। এলেনার প্রতি শুবিনের আকর্ষণ থাকলেও এলেনার কথাবার্তায় বোঝা যায় সে বেরসেনেভকে পছন্দ করে। এই ব্যাপারটা শুবিনকে পীড়া দেয় এবং বেরসেনেভকে সরাসরি বলতে দ্বিধাও করে না। উপন্যাসের এই পর্যন্ত আসার পরে মনে হতে পারে এরাই গল্পের মূল কুশীলব। কিন্তু কাহিনি প্রবাহের ধারাবাহিকতায় শুবিন যেন ছিটকে যায়। অন্যদিকে পার্শ্বচরিত্র হিসেবে স্থান নেয় বেরসেনেভ।

বেরসেনেভের বুলগেরিয়ান বন্ধু ইনসারভকে নিজের ভাড়া করা বাড়িতে একটি রুম ছেড়ে দেয় বেরসেনেভ। তারই মাধ্যমে এলেনার সাথে পরিচয় হয় ইনসারভের। প্রথম পরিচয়ের পরেই এলেনা বুঝতে পারে ইনসারভের চরিত্রে এমন কিছু একটা রয়েছে যা মানুষকে আকর্ষণ করতে পারে। সাধাসিধে মেজাজের ইনসারেভ একজন বুলগেরিয়ান বিপ্লবী, যে রাশিয়ায় অবস্থান করে নিজ দেশের বিপ্লবীদের সাহায্য সহযোগিতা করে। প্রথম প্রথম ইনসারভ বেরসেনেভের সাথে স্তাখভদের বাড়িতে আসলেও একসময় এলেনার সাথে তার নিয়মিত একান্তে সাক্ষাৎ হয় এবং দুইজনই বুঝতে পারে তারা একে অপরের প্রেমে পড়েছে। এদিকে ইনসারভ প্রতিজ্ঞাবদ্ধ কোনো রুশ মেয়েকে নিজের জীবনের সাথে জড়াবেনা এবং এলেনার পরিবারও এই সম্পর্ক মেনে নিবে না! তাহলে তাদের সম্পর্কের পরিণতি কী হবে?

বইটির আয়তন ছোট হলেও এর ভাবনার ব্যাপ্তি বিশাল। শুবিন ও বেরসেনেভের আলোচনায় শিল্প সাহিত্যের যে দিক উন্মোচিত হয় তা পাঠককে অভিভূত করবে। রুশ মধ্যবিত্ত সমাজের সামাজিক জীবনাচার ও অনুশাসন ব্যক্তিজীবনের উপর কেমন প্রভাব বিস্তার করে তারও আভাস পাওয়া যায়। বেরসেনেভ এলেনাকে পছন্দ করা সত্ত্বেও তার সাথে বন্ধু ইনসারভের পরিচয় এবং প্রেমের বিকাশে বাধা প্রদান না করা চারিত্রিক উদারতার পরিচয় দেয়। একইসাথে বেরসেনেভের উদ্দেশ্য সম্পর্কে সন্দিহান করে তোলে। ইভান তুর্গনেভের বিখ্যাত বই এটি। অনুবাদও ভালো ছিল। সুন্দর বইটি বিশ্বসাহিত্যের স্বাদ গ্রহণে সহায়ক হবে বলে আশা করি। হ্যাপি রিডিং।

[Marisa Galarza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una novela clásica, narrada de manera clara y sencilla.
Se trata de la historia de Yelena quien se destaca por su sensibilidad. A través de las experiencias vividas en Rusia en el siglo XIX por este personaje y por otros, podemos sumergirnos en los conflictos políticos y sociales de la época.
Por otra parte, a partir de la lectura, tenemos la posibilidad de reflexionar acerca de temas como el rol de la mujer, el amor, la libertad y la justicia.

[Karlo Mikhail · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev is a love story, the plot of which most of us today would find commonplace. When the novel first appeared, however, this story of a young upper class Russian lady falling in love with a Bulgarian revolutionary caused quite a stir among its readers.

With the novel’s publication in 1861, the book’s translator Gilbert Gardiner commented in the introduction, “People argued about the heroes of the story as they might have done about the real people – their characters, their conduct and their importance to Russia.”

It is midway into the 19th Century. Bulgaria is under Turkish rule. On the eve of the Crimean War, Insarov, a poor Bulgarian student secretly working for the Bulgarian independence movement, is in Moscow. He is introduced by his friend, a Russian student named Bersyenev, to the beautiful Elena Stahov.

Among the Stahov’s household lived another friend of Bersyenev, the eccentric young artist Shubin, who with the former is in love with Elena. The rest is predictable enough. The two are bested by Insarov, the revolutionary who, concerned only with the cause, does not pay attention to Elena. When he does realize his reciprocal feelings for the young lady, he tries to leave the company of his Russian friends, saying, “I’m a Bulgarian… I don’t need the love of a Russian woman.” But of course the two get past that stage. They secretly marry, earn the ire of Elena’s parents, and leave for Bulgaria, which all lead to a tragic ending.

Insarov’s unswerving commitment for the emancipation of his native country’s independence gives him a romantic aura in the eyes of Elena. Insarov’s single-minded devotion to his cause sets him apart from the seemingly meaningless lives of the aristocratic Russians, as exemplified by his father’s infidelities and epitomized in Russian literature by the figure of the superfluous man.

[Shakiba Bahrami · Rating 4 out of 5]

از متن کتاب:
یلنا فکر می کرد: "پروردگارا، مرگ برای چیست؟ بیماری، فراق، اشک یا این احساس شیرین امید برای چیست؟ چرا این ادراک آرامش بخش را که انسان پناهگاه محکمی دارد و از حمایت جاویدان تو برخوردار است به ما دادی؟ از آفرینش این آسمانی که به انسان لبخند می‌زند و تهنیت می‌گوید و این زمین که دم خوشبختی از آن بیرون می‌زند چه مقصودی داشتی؟ آیا همه این‌ها فقط در جهان ما بوده و بیرون از این دنیا جز سرمای ابدی و سکوت چیز دیگری حکم‌فرمایی نمی‌کند؟ آیا ما تنها... تنهای تنها هستیم... ولی آن‌جا، در همه جا، در تمام اعماق بی‌پایان دستگاه آفرینشت همه و همه چیز برای ما بیگانه است؟ اگر چنین است پس آن وقت این عطش و این سروری که هنگام دعا به انسان دست می‌دهد چه معنی دارد؟". این کلمه در ضمیرش پیدا شد: '*Morir sì giovane!'... آیا نمی‌شود با استغاثه و انابه آن را برگردانید و پیشامدها را تغییر داد؟ پروردگارا! آیا نباید به معجزه ایمان داشت؟".
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آخ جون! یه کتاب دیگه درمورد عشق واقعی رومئو و ژولیت‌طور... مرسی از تورگنیف که عشق و جنگ و وطن و خیانت و... همه چی رو قاطی کرده بود با هم و یه شاهکار دلنشین ساخت:) اینکه از هر اتفاقی توی زندگی واقعی یه سرنخ میگیره و یه زندگی جدید(کتاب) مینویسه رو دوست میدارم. اگه یه دلیل واسه تشکر از خدا ازم بخواید، آفریدن نویسندگان روسه:)

*جوانمرگ‌شدن

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, friendship, love, idealism -- in a word, Turgenev!

The "eve" in question is the start of the Crimean war. The setting, however, is provincial Russia (as usual in Turgenev's work) and the characters are a small circle of close friends. They're prone to earnest philosophical discussion. There's a slightly complex romance that drives the plot, and as might be expected things ultimately don't turn out well for the lovers. (This is, after all, a Russian novel.) If that sounds a bit pat, then let me assure you that Turgenev's wonderfully flowing prose draws the reader nicely and sympathetically along.

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILLIANT! Too good to be true. Tragically romantic and deep and everything else. I'm glad I have read it. OMG, I can't even start explaining how good this book is. Short, unexpected, fast-paced, intense... I couldn't put it down. Unforgettable. Please, bring me more Ivan Turgenev! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[Pontus Presents · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5* (Translator: Gilbert Gardiner).

What a great introduction to Turgenev!

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Честно да си призная, четвъртата звезда е заради българската “следа” в романа. Много е приятно да усетиш разбиращ поглед във времето, в което сме излизали от ъгълчето на Османската империя, което сме заемали 5 века. Главният герой е идеалист, и все ми се струваше твърде крехък да понесе цялата бясна борба, вихреща се и предстояща оттук насетне. Такива след Освобождението, ако са оцелели, не са имали голям късмет... Хареса ми и главната героиня Елена - нежна, деликатна, но непоколебима в преценката си за правилно и неправилно, независимо от конформизма, арогантността и безгрижието на нейното съсловие. Жена със сърце, способно да даде любов на цял свят, не просто на едно човешко същество. Човечеството е загубено без такива сърца.

[Samir Rawas Sarayji · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novelette, but Turgenev is no Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, he's the romantic one and this novel is no exception. An overall enjoyable read, it felt more like quality entertainment rather than high literature. There was nothing original and the psychological depths of the characters is never fully explored. The last couple of chapters were unusual in that there was really no point to stretch out the details, and to introduce a new setting so late in the story, when so close to the conclusion. I understand why he did it, but it really bogged down the story and made the ending a drag.

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turgenev ranks with Hawthorne, James and Flaubert for the faultless purity of his style-- though this particular work is written in a prose style singularly beautiful, even for him. The story too, populated by characters worthy of Tolstoy's pen, is most impressive. A vastly underrated work.

[aya Abdalaziz · Rating 3 out of 5]

القضيه قضيه رائعه
طابعها....
الشجاعه .. ففيها الموت والكفاح من اجل الحياه والهزيمه والنصر والحب والحريه والوطن
شعور فذ

[Ahmet Bakir Sbaai · Rating 3 out of 5]

أول مرة أقرأ لتورجينيف.. ليست من عالم دوستويفسكي ولا تولستوي

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENGLISH: This is the first time I've read this novel by Turgenev, whose title is a bit misleading. On the eve of what? This is another case of an unhappy love, the typical plot of Turgenev's works, as I explained in a post in my blog: https://populscience.blogspot.com/201....

This unhappy love is different from other Turgenev novels, because here the two protagonsits love each other (so this is not unrequited love) and marry in secret, but one of them soon dies, as the reader suspects will happen from the middle of the novel. In this way, it completes the author's list of unhappy loves.

ESPAÑOL: Es la primera vez que leo esta novela de Turguéniev, cuyo título despista un poco: ¿En vísperas de qué? Es un caso más de amor desgraciado, el argumento típico de las obras de Turguéniev, como expliqué en un artículo de mi blog: https://divulciencia.blogspot.com/201....

Este amor desgraciado es distinto del de otras novelas de Turguéniev, porque aquí los dos enamorados se aman (así que no es un amor no correspondido), y se casan en secreto, pero uno de ellos se muere en seguida, como el lector sospecha que va a pasar desde la mitad de la novela. De ese modo, completa el elenco de amores desgraciados del autor.

FRANÇAIS: C'est la première fois que je lis ce roman de Tourgueniev, dont le titre est un peu trompeur : À la veille de quoi ? C'est un autre exemple d'amour malheureux, l'intrigue typique de l'oeuvre de Tourgueniev, comme je l'ai expliqué dans un article de mon blog : https://divulciencia.blogspot.com/201....

Cet amour malheureux diffère des autres romans de Tourgueniev, car les deux protagonists s'aiment (il ne s'agit donc pas d'un amour non partagé) et se marient en secret, mais l'un d'eux meurt bientôt, comme le lecteur le pressent dès le milieu du roman. Il complète ainsi la liste des amours malheureuses de l'auteur.

[Rachael Shipard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing and melancholic, just how i like it…i loved the way Turgenev unfolded the story by showing not telling - not all the events were pedestrianly narrated like you see in more modern books. I think i have been accustomed recently to hang on to every single detail in texts, waiting for them to to foreshadow or signify something larger later on, but Turgenev simply used his character description to lay out complex yet universal human emotions without needing to give a reason why or be psychological about it. The reader can just grasp the character’s nature there and then. A doomed love story set on the eve of ‘reform’, or the Crimean War, certainly has political undertones that have parallels to today…

Also loved the short chapter structure and looking forward to reading more Turgenev.