Customer Reviews

The Torrents of Spring

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This is the translation that I first read (years after it was published) and loved. The novel has been around a long time but its attraction can be won or lost according to the translation. Another, later translation irked me so much that I didn't want to finish reading it. Now that I've found my favorite translation -- which I think is more poetic and does better justice to the style and mood of the Russian original -- I'm buying a copy for myself and one for a gift to someone in high school.

Turgenev has a beautiful style of writing. A review of his works cannot be complete without noting this fact -- regardless of whether or not you are a fan of the stories he tells, there is no denying that Turgenev absolutely knows how to tell them.

This novel is an excellent introduction to Turgenev, and to Russian literature as a whole. If you are considering reading the great Russian authors (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Chekhov, perhaps Pushkin), Turgenev is a great place to start because, unlike some of the others, Turgenev's style really does not seem like it has aged at all. And while Fathers and Sons is undoubtedly Turgenev's magnum opus, this novel is approachable and short enough to finish in a couple of days.

As far as the plot, I prefer not to give anything away -- after all, this is a very short novel, so every plot point could conceivably be a spoiler. Just pick it up and enjoy a great introduction to one of Russia's greatest authors.