First Love

by Ivan Turgenev, Constance Garnett (Translator)

When the down-at-heel Princess Zasyekin moves next door to the country estate of Vladimir Petrovich's parents, he instantly and overwhelmingly falls in love with his new neighbour's daughter, Zinaida. But the capricious young woman already has many admirers and as she plays her suitors against each other, Vladimir's unrequited youthful passion soon turns to torment and despair - although he remains unaware of his true rival for Zinaida's affections. Set in the world of nineteenth-century Russia's fading aristocracy, Turgenev's story depicts a boy's growth of knowledge and mastery over his own heart as he awakens to the complex nature of adult love.

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

124 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

[Anetq]

Efter den lidt unødvendige indledning/rammefortælling om tre ældre mænd i en stue følger historien om de 16 årige, der forelsker sig i den fattige (omend betitlede) nabodatter på landstedet. Men hun har travlt med at besnære en hel flok mulige friere - og da hun forelsker sig kompliceres historien endnu mere...
Som sædvanligt med russerne (fristes jeg til at sige), så er fortællingen malende og fint skruet sammen.

[August]

Smukt sprog og smukke følelser, men kan ikke mærke handlingen

[Karoline]

Halvvejs igennem slog det mig pludseligt, hvor forfærdelig en tragedie fortællingen var på vej hen mod. Virkelig god historie der kan læses på en dag, der udforsker tematikker om den unge kærlighed, der kan være ligeså voldsom og intens i sin lykke som den er kort.