First Love and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics) [Paperback]

Ivan Turgenev (Author), Richard Freeborn (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Oxford World's Classics | Publication Date: October 28, 1999

This collection brings together six of Turgenev's best-known 'long' short stories, in which he turns his skills of psychological observation and black comedy to subjects as diverse as the tyranny of serfdom, love, and revenge on the Russian steppes. These stories all display the elegance and clarity of Turgenev's finest writing. Richard Freeborn was until recently Professor of Russian at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent selection of short stories by Turgenev....Accurate and readable."--Leo Hecht, George Mason University

"A fine selection of stories, well translated and representative of Turgenev's shorter works."--Anne Netick, College of William and Mary

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192836897
• ISBN-13: 978-0192836892
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #820,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turgenev's true-to-life writing won me over., September 1, 1998

By 

Kokoro ([e-mail]) (Charlottesville, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Love and Other Stories (World's Classics) (Paperback)

If reading in translation has proved difficult for you in the past, Freeborn's translation of Turgenev's short stories will suprise you in a wonderful way. There were times when I forgot that I was in the process of reading, but rather felt that these very scenes were being lived out before me, a bodiless and voiceless viewer.

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

Turgenev is a great introduction to Russian fiction. I'm sorry that I didn't discover him earlier.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Example of a Russian Romantic, November 10, 2000

By 

Jack L. Keller "Avid Reader" (Federal Way, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Love and Other Stories (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics) (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An appreciative reader writes...., March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: First Love and Other Stories (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics) (Hardcover)

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.