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breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
marilynuine's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
_viola__'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it finally got interesting in the last 100 pages, and the ending was very satisfying. the writing was beautiful but somewhat challenging. that said, i enjoyed it a good bit and would recommend.
ilse's review against another edition
3.0
He fell to looking out of the window. It was grey and damp; there was no rain, but the fog still hung about; and low clouds trailed across the sky. The wind blew facing the train; whitish clouds of steam, some singly, others mingled with other darker clouds of smoke, whirled in endless file past the window at which Litvinov was sitting. He began to watch this steam, this smoke. Incessantly mounting, rising and falling, twisting and hooking on to the grass, to the bushes as though in sportive antics, lengthening out, and hiding away, clouds upon clouds flew by ... they were for ever changing and-stayed still the same in their monotonous, hurrying, wearisome sport! Sometimes the wind changed, the line bent to right or left, and suddenly the whole mass vanished, and at once reappeared at the opposite window; then again the huge tail was flung out, and again it veiled Litvinov’s view of the vast plain of the Rhine. He gazed and gazed, and a strange reverie came over him.... He was alone in the compartment; there was no one to disturb him. ‘Smoke, smoke,’ he repeated several times; and suddenly it all seemed as smoke to him, everything, his own life, Russian life—everything human, especially everything Russian. All smoke and steam, he thought; all seems for ever changing, on all sides new forms, phantoms flying after phantoms, while in reality it is all the same and the same again; everything hurrying, flying towards something, and everything vanishing without a trace, attaining to nothing.
I wonder whether there is any other author who writes about disillusionment in love with such graceful acquiescence like Turgenev.
I wonder whether there is any other author who writes about disillusionment in love with such graceful acquiescence like Turgenev.
filaret526's review against another edition
3.0
More like three and a half stars. Great writing and a better ending than most classic Russian stories.
authorjbr's review against another edition
5.0
When I was in my late teens, early 20s, Dostoevsky was my favorite. I loved the angst and the tradition and the sheer strength of character in his stories. Now, I reread Dostoevsky but I’m less entranced. Now Turgenev fascinates me. His understated style, his kindly storyteller way of talking to the reader. But also the hope he brings in. I’ve read little Turgenev in comparison to Dostoyevsky, but I’m excited to read more.
Maybe someday I’ll get to Pushkin and Gogol.
Maybe someday I’ll get to Pushkin and Gogol.
fihman's review against another edition
3.0
Reading Turgenev when you were expecting Gogol turned out to be a mistake…
sergei_ter_tumasov's review against another edition
3.0
Русская классика, оказывается, может и разочаровывать!!!
Всё было какое-то обычное, мне не хватило кульминации, драматизма (хотя местами было очень хорошо написано, до такой степени хорошо, что после того, как Литвинов изменил Татьяне, я чувствовал себя настоящим подлецом, людям на глаза стыдно было показываться!!!).
Ни к селу ни к городу были все эти политические разговоры, которые закончились ничем.
Но самый главный минус - это, как ни странно, хэппи энд, который ко всей этой истории ну никак не подходит, слишком большой контраст, неправдоподобно!!!
Всё было какое-то обычное, мне не хватило кульминации, драматизма (хотя местами было очень хорошо написано, до такой степени хорошо, что после того, как Литвинов изменил Татьяне, я чувствовал себя настоящим подлецом, людям на глаза стыдно было показываться!!!).
Ни к селу ни к городу были все эти политические разговоры, которые закончились ничем.
Но самый главный минус - это, как ни странно, хэппи энд, который ко всей этой истории ну никак не подходит, слишком большой контраст, неправдоподобно!!!
blueyorkie's review against another edition
4.0
Besides the relation of the imbroglio of the hero's sentimental life, hesitations, regrets, despair, anger, and love, Ivan Turgenev paints us a not-very-shining picture of Russian social society. He describes open dialogues that take place, the gossip, pretension of these Russians to seek the approval of the West without being ecstatic before the future in the colours of the rainbow, the sky of their country.
He admits that these social conversations may have bored themselves occasionally. However, they are necessary for the author to paint the portrait of these high-society Russians.
The torments felt by Litvinov are well exposed and suggest a painful outcome that an unexpected happy ending will compensate for.
He admits that these social conversations may have bored themselves occasionally. However, they are necessary for the author to paint the portrait of these high-society Russians.
The torments felt by Litvinov are well exposed and suggest a painful outcome that an unexpected happy ending will compensate for.