Product Description
Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883) was a novelist, poet and playwright known for his honest and affectionate portrayals of Russian serfs in the feudal system of the nineteenth century. Unlike his contemporaries Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy, whose writings focused primarily on church and religion, Turgenev believed in and advocated the need for Russia to Westernize. He criticized the provincial society and political turbulence of his time through sophisticated, focused and often emotional prose. This edition contains "The Torrents of Spring," an intimate novella that illustrates Turgenev's idealistic ideas about love, and that possibly reflects his own failure in finding romantic love. Also included in this edition, "First Love" is one of Turgenev's most beloved and well-known short works of fiction: a tragic, thought-provoking tale of unrequited love in the social hierarchy. Lastly, "Mumu" is a penetrating look at a feudalist government through the lives of a lonely, old woman lord and her serfs. ... Read more

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Bringing together six of Turgenev's best known stories in one volume, this collection includes "First Love," "Asya," "Mumu," "The Diary of a Superfluous Man," "Song of Triumphant Love," and "King Lear of the Steppes." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It's clear self-sacrifice is sweet for some people
This review is about 'First Love'. It follows the reading of three other Turgenev novels - from which you can guess I like this author a lot. In the three earlier novels ('Fathers and Sons', 'Spring Torrents' and 'Virgin Soil') there is one constant theme - men rejecting women - not because they see the women as inadequate, but because they see themselves as unworthy. In this novel it is the woman who does the rejecting - and the person she rejects is herself - instead of withdrawal we now face self-sacrifice. But why did she see herself as so inadequate when she lined up the group of suitors any one of whom would have accepted her much to the envy of all the others? And her self-sacrifice - why is it to the person to whom it is made? Without any regard to the effects on others - they too are all sacrificed.

If you enjoy the company of women as I do, perhaps you will be repelled by lines such as 'fear the love of women; fear that bliss, that poison....' On the other hand this novel - despite it troubled ending - is wonderfully readable and it gave me a lot to reflect on.

Wonderful Example of a Russian Romantic
This book contains three short works that provide a wonderful example of the Russian approach to romantic literature. The form is wonderful, the characters perfectly created and the plot shores up the authors ideas with an most resonant clarity.

First love shows the blend of comedy and tragedy that is so prevalent in Russian works of the period. The events portrayed are those that could occur in daily life even to today. The emotions that are evoked are real and timeless. It surely adds proof to the argument that Russian works of this period age so much better than do those authors from other countries whose works have survived.

Spring Torrents is the longest of the works and still provides a feel that the length is exactly perfect for the tale. If the prologue does not pull you into the story you have an absences of a great concern that plagues many of us. How many of us fear reaching that point (or have reached that point)in life where we recognize all of the great loss of opportunity which has occurred in our life. From this prologue the story races along explaining how one of us has reached the position when the concern has become a reality. Wonderful feelings are evoked on the path.

This book is highly recommended for all and is a must read for the Tolstoy, Chekov, Gogol and Dostoevsky fans.

An appreciative reader writes....
First love is a wonderful evocation of youth, love and life in 19th century Russian life. I challenge anyone not to be moved by this book, which is both humorous and touchingly melencholic.

Turgenev's true-to-life writing won me over.
If reading in translation has proved difficult for you in the past,Freeborn's translation of Turgenev's short stories will suprise you in awonderful way. There were times when I forgot that I was in the process ofreading, but rather felt that these very scenes were being lived out beforeme, a bodiless and voiceless viewer.

Turgenev's understanding of andability to capture the complete emotional processes of people in love inthis collection touched me in its sincerity and genuine clarity. All theinsane, skipping-over-themselves thoughts and quick jealousies that peopleexperience are completely captured in stories like "First Love"and "Diary of a Superfluous Man."

Turgenev is a greatintroduction to Russian fiction. I'm sorry that I didn't discover himearlier. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"I could not help feeling that it sang of my love and my happiness."
"First Love" is the most famous story in this volume, but the work that affected me the most was "Mumu". Frankly, the stories about adolescent love paled =next to the story about a peasant's love for his faithful dog. Nothing makes the failure and the power imbalance of the Russian feudal system more clear than this simple painful story. It's no wonder to me that it came under the negative gaze of the censors at the time-- a very clear indictment of absolute power over the lives of others.

All of the stories are powerful, but in general I found myself more interested in the works that dealt with class differences and life in Russia at the time of publication-- "Mumu", "The Singers", and "Bezhin Meadow". Some of the more romantic stories struck me as being uneven or at least more predictable in the well-trodden melodramatic tradition. "Assya" and "First Love" are both very strong, but "Clara Milich" felt self-indulgent to me in ways from which the other works fail to suffer. (I realize that this is heretical. "Clara Milich" was Turgenev's last story and I should probably talk about it as a masterpiece, but there you go.)

Regardless of the occasional weakness in an individual story, the collection overall is extremely moving. I was struck hard by his eye for the moment and character, and like him best when the narrative voice stays in the firm and present.

This is the first Turgenev that I have read, and would say that it is a good introduction-- at least in the sense that it made me anxious to read something else that he has written. Predictably, I'll probably go on to read Fathers and Sons).

The edition that I read was translated and edited by David Magarshack. It read cleanly, and I was thankful that Magarshack chose not to translate the peasant dialect as Cockney English-- a foible that I've been tripping over lately in other translations from the Russian of late. ... Read more

Product Description
Fathers and Sons (1862), Turgenev's masterpiece, represents in its hero, Bazarov, 'the new man', a nihilist liberated from age-old conformities and at odds with the previous generation, questioning the very fabric of society.A novel of ideas, Fathers and Sons is also a moving story of human relationships.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Not as Simple as it Seems
I took a Russian Literature course a year ago, and out of all the assigned readings, Ivan Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" was the only one I read all the way through.The story kept me reading, but although it was probably the easiest read out of the list, it is not as simple as one would think.The story isn't actually as important as the message/opinion Turgenev was trying to send out, through the interactions of his characters.If at all interested in Russian historical/cultural issues, this book offers a nifty way to think about it as it might have affected individuals living it.

A different Russian classic
I'll start out by saying that this was not the version I read. I read a different translation (the Signet Classics version), but as I do not speak Russian and have not read the original, I can't honestly say if the translation made a difference. I'm reviewing the content, and nothing else.

I think the thing I enjoyed most about "Fathers and Sons" was that it was short. The great Russian classics we generally think of are "War and Peace", "Crime and Punishment", etc. These are all long, drawn out books. "Fathers and Sons", thankfully, is short(er), with fewer characters and less confusion as to which person is which, especially since few have similar last names. Confusion does arise between Nicholas Petrovich and Paul Petrovich, his brother. There it is important to remember who is who, but luckily, their personalities are very different and it becomes clear very soon.

Another thing that is nice about "Fathers and Sons" is that it's different. It is not a book of great dramatic fighting (though there is one). It feels human and realistic. All the characters have both virtues and flaws that are easy to relate to. The ending is sad, but at the same time it is happy. It doesn't feel over-done, and I especially liked how the romance stuck in was sweet and not too out-there.

The book also reflects the difficulties Russia had during that period of time. Things were changing and some didn't welcome the change as much as others. Things that had once been acceptable became strange, and the people who believed in the old things became outdated. This book shows the concept of a generation gap beautifully while maintaining an interesting plot and characters.

I recommend it, partially because it's simply a good book, and partially because it shows that not all Russian classics must be long, drawn-out, and with lots of complicated names. Turgenev, who came before Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, will hopefully remain with them on the literary level for a long time to come.

Good place to start in Russian literature
If you're intimidated by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky's long masterpieces, consider starting instead with Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons."This book is of course a masterpiece of Russian literature.It's characters and themes are timeless and absolutely relatable to our modern culture.This is a story of family relationships, romance, and philosophy.Highly recommended.

p.s. When you're done here, try "War and Peace" or at least "Crime and Punishment."

A splendid little book
This novel is no less than an epic minus the length. The potency of the novel will stir even the most insipid soul. The story revolves around the character Bazarov, a nihilst, who stands in sharp contrast with the traditional values of Russian society. Bazarov views everything through his scientific lens,this draws a duel between him and other characters, mostly the elders. As the novel progresses the gaps between the characters widens but beneath it there is a torrent of emotions that binds them together.

The characters are explored in detail which creates a sense of intimacy and a feeling of sympathy. Again, Turgenev is a master here with his impeccable narration.
In short, 'Fathers and sons' captures the generational gap that exists and will continue to exist between the younger and the older generations.

19th Century Russian Classic
'Fathers and Sons' is arguably Turgenev's greatest work. It is very accessible to the reader, and excellently written. Turgenev is renowned for his masterful ability to construct realistic dialogues and this novel does not disappoint in this respect. But 'Fathers and Sons' is also a novel of ideas and Turgenev analyses some of the ideas and sentiments which were later to have such an important influence on Russian society.

This novel follows Bazarov, a self-proclaimed nihilist, and his friend and pupil Arkady Nikolayevich Kirsanov as they return from their studies in Petersburg to the province in which their fathers reside. The tale is tangled with arguments and discussions about politics and philosophy, and of course it is also complicated by a heavy dose of love. As another reviewer has mentioned, the author's treatment of nihilism as a philosophy is particularly interesting and enlightening.

Turgenev is adept, as other reviewers have noted, at accurately describing different emotions and even at evoking those emotions in his readers; something of which precious few writers are capable. The subject of love, both romantic and mat/paternal, is dealt with extremely skilfully by the author and betrays the understanding of someone who has undoubtedly been exposed to those feelings himself.

'Fathers and Sons' then, leaves the reader with the sense that he/she has participated as a quiet observer in Bazarov and Arkady's journeys, and that Turgenev has enabled one to better appreciate love and the relationship between father and son, amongst other things. This is a book that deserves to be read, appreciated, and pondered over long after it has been closed. It's core relevance has not been diminished by the century-and-a-half since it was written. ... Read more

Product Description
'It is so long since I have written to you, most honoured Piotr Petrovitch, that I do not even know whether you are still living; and if you are living, have you not forgotten our existence? But no matter; I cannot resist writing to you today. Everything till now has gone on with us in the same old way: Paramon Semyonitch and I have been always busy with our schools, which are gradually making good progress; besides that, Paramon Semyonitch was taken up with reading and correspondence and his usual discussions with the Old-believers, members of the clergy, and Polish exiles; his health has been fairly good, So has mine. But yesterday! the manifesto of the 19th of February reached us. ... Read more

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Translated By CONSTANCE GARNETT ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Terrible Translation
Turgenev is wonderful.This translation is awful.The translator does not / can not speak English.It's as if she did it with a dictionary and thesaurus and no working knowledge of spoken English.Also lots of typos in the Kindle edition.

Who is translating?
The various translations of Fathers & Children (aka Fathers & Sons) by Turgenev are listed as available on Kindle. However, as Edith Grossman points out, translation does matter. I wanted the Pursglove translation but almost purchased the Kindle-available Caldwell translation just 'cause it's listed in all translations...a bit misleading...

A good book.
This book is a good book, and I recommend it to anybody who wants to read a book.I'm an extremely bad reader - and so may not have picked up on all the nuances, but at the end I was touched by that fuzzy feeling of truthone gets with good art. Is the end a little like D. Thomas' poem"Mourning" something or other - you know the one! - or was it myimagination. ... Read more

Product Description
Generally thought to be the work that led to the abolishment of serfdom in Russia, "Sketches from a Hunter's Album (A Sportsman's Sketches)" is a series of short stories, written in 1852, that gained Turgenev widespread recognition for his unique writing style. These stories were the result of Turgenev's observations while hunting all over Russia, particularly on his abusive mother's estate at Spasskoye. A definitive work of the Russian Realist tradition, this collection of sketches unveils the author's insights on the lives of everyday Russians, from landowners and their peasants, to bailiffs and mournful doctors, to unhappy wives and mothers. Turgenev captures their tragedies and triumphs, losses and love in a set of stories that condemned the behavior of the ruling class. Considered subversive writing, Turgenev was confined to his mother's estate, yet his "Sketches" opened the eyes of many people of his time, proving him not only an artist but also a social reformer whose abilities ultimately affected the lives of countless Russians. ... Read more

Product Description
Comedy / 8 m., 5 f., 1 c. / Int./ext.A bored wife living in the Russian countryside falls in love with her little boy's handsome new tutor, just like all of the women in the household. The wife's chief rival turns out to be her 17 year old ward; they make a wonderful portrait of two different women in love. "What a charming play.... The workmanship is carefully wrought. The lines of characterization are fine.... It seems like a breath of fresh air." N.Y. Times. FEE: $75 per performance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Turgenev's skill shines through
This is not a dramatic masterpiece, but anyone who appreciates Turgenev will benefit from it. I was motivated to read this play in preparation for its performance by the United Players of Vancouver next month.

Turgenev's greatest play
A reviewer before me said Turgenev came in the footsteps of the other great Russians. He might have been after Gogol, whom was the first master of fiction to turn to realism, but he was basically a frontrunner of bothTolstoy and Dostoyevsky (and Chekhov). At Gogol's death in 1852 Turgenevwrote an eulogy on Gogol and published the short-story cycle "ASportsman's Sketches", and was banished to his estate. After this hewent abroad and spent most of his time in Paris, where he more than anybodymade Russian literature known to the outside world. His greatest novelswere "A Nest of Gentlefolk", "On the Eve" and of course"Fathers and Sons". "A Month in the Country" is apleasant and amusing play of the day, and his very best. One that lateralso highly inspired Chekhov. Further reading recommended: "TheEssential Turgenev".

Russian+19th century=good
In the footsteps of other such amazing Russian authors comes Turgenev, and his wonderfully written play 'A Month in the Country.' If you love Russian literature of this time period, and you like Love triangles, and plays, then this story can not go wrong. ... Read more

Product Description
Returning to Russia from a tour in Italy, twenty-three-year-old Dimitry Sanin breaks his journey in Frankfurt. There, he encounters the beautiful Gemma Roselli, who works in her parents' patisserie, and falls deeply and deliriously in love for the first time. Convinced that nothing can come in the way of everlasting happiness with his fiancee, Dimitry impetuously decides to begin a new life and sell his Russian estates. But when he meets the potential buyer, the intriguing Madame Polozov, his youthful vulnerability makes him prey for a darker, destructive infatuation. A novel of haunting beauty, "Spring Torrents" (1870-1) is a fascinating, partly autobiographical account of one of Turgenev's favourite themes - a man's inability to love without losing his innocence and becoming enslaved to obsessive passions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Spring Fever
Ivan Turgenev is among the best known writers of Russian literature.Though not as well known as some of the others, his efforts are solid though not overly spectacular.The title "Spring Torrents" fits that description.It is a story of love/romance though it is hardly as scandalous as today's stories.Yet in its time, "Spring Torrent" was unique.

The story is a semi-autobiographical work of fiction that follows Dimitry Sanin.Sanin tells his story in a framed narrative.By chance, Sanin encounters Gemma Roselli.Though Sanin admires Gemma's beauty, he is far from attracted to the young lady.Knowing the she is engaged prohibits such behavior.But when Gemma breaks off the engagement, Sanin's feelings well to the surface.

Attempting to set his affairs in order, Sanin attempts to sell his Russian estate to be with Gemma.In the process of selling the estate to Madame Polozov, Sanin falls prey to darker motives.

As the narrative ends, the story returns to the present.A sense of optimism permeates the mood.The ending may leave some readers disappointed.Others will find the conclusion appropriate for a well written work.

Russian Waters Run Deep
I liked the other reviews of the book except for the Australian's reference to Bonobo monkeys and Mike Nichol's comparison of it to 'High Fidelity' - Christ, why don't we bring up Harry Potter while we're at it? No, this is a masterwork from a Russian I had not previously known. The fervor of young love, the rigidities of custom, the fatal decisions that make us wonder about missed opportunities the rest of our lives - it's all here, in fine brushstrokes. The chase through the forest towards the end still sticks in my mind in a way all good novels should. Read it and wonder why we spend most of our reading hours on the garbage at airport gift shops. Turgenev gives us a wonder of the old school.

Sanin, do you know how to forget?
This challenging novel contrasts the two forms of love that the Russian Sanin is confronted with - his beloved Gemma and the 'free' woman, Maria Nikolaevna. Maria warns Sanin that he will have to be able to forget as she diverts him from Gemma for her own pleasure - the frenzy of physical love.For Turgenev this was clearly not an easy matter - he wanted the purity of untarnished love - apparently what the French call 'amities amoureuses'; erotic but not genital. But Sanin is a man - how can he resist the passion when the opportunity arises, the passion that all of nature calls to action? Having been sullied by his actions - in his own eyes - he flees his Gemma, fails to forget, and slips into an unsatisfactory existence. But Turgenev is kind to us - and Sanin, because at the end of the novel he allows Sanin to make contact again with Gemma (then living in America) and to be comforted by her mature forgiveness and learn that her life has been good despite the disaster of Sanin's abandonment. Perhaps the hardest of all human experiences is just not knowing .....

By chance I was reading D H Lawrence, 'Sons and Lovers', at the same time as I was reading 'Spring Torrents'. And here is another experience - the struggle between the maturing love of Paul for Miriam, and the inability of Paul's mother to approve of Miriam or to release Paul. It amazes me that great writers can point to the terrible traumas that initiating sexual activity causes, and yet it is the very cornerstone of survival of the species. But why does it have to be the way it is - why are humans not more like bonobo monkeys (another surviving species) and be promiscuous in a way that removes all these traumas and uncertainities - relieving men such as Turgenev from that set of troubles in their lives? But would we be the poorer for not then having such great novels as 'Spring Torrents'?

If you do read this novel - and I heartily recommend it despite some of its bleakness - you should also read the essay by the translator, Leonard Shapiro. It is very readable and gave me a lot to reflect on.

Other recommendations:

Turgenev - 'Fathers and Sons'
Wedekind - 'Springtime Awakening'
Lawrence - 'Sons and Lovers'

The "Torrent" Feelings That "Spring" From Love
I hope the amount of reviews posted here is not a reflection of how many people have actually read this novel. That would really be a shame.

I've always felt Turgenev doesn't get the wide audience he deserves. He's one of my all time favorite authors. My favorite piece of work has to be "First Love". An emotional recalling of what first love is all about. That novel captured so many sincere emotions, so many things I could connect with and here with "Spring Torrents" Turgenev is spinning the same magic. It's setting up characters and situations we can relate to. It then causes us to think back to our own memories.

Turgenev was a master. People need to become more familiar with his work. Those who don't not read his stories are missing out on tender, beautifully written, intelligent works of art.

If you enjoy this book buy "First Love", "A Month in the Country", and the extremely popular "Fathers and Son".

Bottom-line:A novel that causes us to relive our past (or maybe current) situations dealing with love. Resembles the genuis of his story "First Love". Well worth reading.

Turgenev ... take me away!
A marvelous tale of love's labors lost, this novella encapsulates theRussian spirit in a lighthearted and enjoyable fashion (despite itscharacteristic tragic outcome ... this is Russian literature, after all)that reads like a dream.One of the few books I forced myself tointentionally prolong the reading of (not wanting the pleasure to end), itis (at the same time) a book I hated to put down.Spirited like Lermontov,poetic like Pushkin, and wry like Bulgakov, this is a short tale of summerlove that teaches volumes about the follies of (male) human nature.If thestruggle of the main character portrayed by John Cusack in "High Fidelity"rang true with you, this is a book with a life lesson you should not miss. ... Read more

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Here Turgenev discusses the character of creative writing, the attitude of the artist to his environment, and the transmutation of the artist's experience into a work of art. The best possible introduction to the author a reader could ask for. --New York Herald-Tribune. ... Read more

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1920. Russian author, deemed the foremost stylist in Russian literature, Turgenev's novels, poems and plays are characterized by elegant craftsmanship, lucidity and a liberal, balanced point of view. Considered his masterpiece, in Fathers and Sons, Bazarov, the hero of the novel, is an idealistic young radical, a commoner and a university student, dedicated to universal freedom and destined for tragedy in his own life. ... Read more

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Liza - "A nest of nobles" is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Martin Petrovitch, believing he has dreamed of his own impending death, transfers ownership of his estate to his two daughters. Turgenev's short story version of Shakespeare's King Lear, follows his protagonist from that fatalistic submission to the cataclysm of cruelty, betrayal and violence that follows.Three tales written by Turgenev in Constance Garnett's classic 1898 translation: A Lear of the Steppes, Faust and Acia. With an introduction by Edward Garnett. ... Read more

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This is Turgenev's most famous novel (1862) and its regarded by many critics as his best.It presents the clash of ideologies (moderate liberalism against a radical nihilism) in a Russian rural setting, in the form of the age-old conflict of generations.Fathers and Sons (as the novel is usually called in English, as opposed to the more literal 'Fathers and Children') caused considerable controversy in the Russia of the 1860s, largely through the figure of Bazarov, Turgenev's most provocative tragic hero.As usual with Turgenev, strong elements of lyricism and unrequited love are features of the novel's composition, along here with the arbitrary fate and, arguably, a reassertion of Turgenev's basic, underlying and pessimistic conservatism.

... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The letters in this volume were written for the most part to Turgenev's friends among that group of remarkable Frenchmen who made Paris what it was in the 1850s and 1860s.These letters possess a double interest, due, first, to their own intrinsic value, which they share with everything that came from the pen of this master of style, and, secondly, to the fact of their being a revelation of a side of his literary life hitherto unknown. ... Read more