Idril
04-12-2007, 08:11 PM
I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it. Turgenev is slowly, quietly becoming one of my favorite Russian authors. He writes much more simply than his contemporaries but he still has some very profound things to say, he just says it with fewer words. :lol:
I loved Shubin, he was such a drama queen and a smart alec, he made me laugh with almost every word. And I really liked Elena, there haven't been a lot of heroines from Russian novels of that time that I can really say I like, there are many that are interesting but few who I can really admire. She wasn't wishy washy, she didn't swoon very often :rolleyes: and she didn't spend all kinds of time wringing her hands with guilt or indecision. Insarov too was very decisive, it seemed like all the characters accepted their fate, with the possible exception of Shubin for a time and went after what they wanted. There were no tragic misunderstandings or secret agendas, just a straightforward compelling story.
So, has anyone else read this book and if so, what did you think of it?
I loved Shubin, he was such a drama queen and a smart alec, he made me laugh with almost every word. And I really liked Elena, there haven't been a lot of heroines from Russian novels of that time that I can really say I like, there are many that are interesting but few who I can really admire. She wasn't wishy washy, she didn't swoon very often :rolleyes: and she didn't spend all kinds of time wringing her hands with guilt or indecision. Insarov too was very decisive, it seemed like all the characters accepted their fate, with the possible exception of Shubin for a time and went after what they wanted. There were no tragic misunderstandings or secret agendas, just a straightforward compelling story.
So, has anyone else read this book and if so, what did you think of it?