"Spring Torrents" is not deeply philosophical or particularly profound, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It is a relatively simple story of passion that builds into a crescendo over the course of a book, like a 'spring torrent' overflowing its banks and running wild. If you have ever felt this the book may resonate with you; I was also drawn to it as an expression of such feelings in 1870 Russia, and in the book being somewhat autobiographical. Turgenev was himself was madly in love with Pauline Viardot, a married woman, from the moment he saw her at the Opera in 1843 at the age of 25 to the end of his life in 1883. He followed her family when they moved to Baden Baden and then later to London, completely enslaved by his passion. The Critical Essay at the end of this particular edition gave an excellent account of this love, as well as for the other forces in Turgenev's life.

Quotes:
On the joy of small things and 'living in the now':
"… they suggested taking coffee in the garden in the shade of the acacias. Sanin agreed. His sense of well-being was complete. There are great delights hidden in the uneventful, still and placid stream of life, and he abandoned himself to them with rapture – demanding nothing specific of this day and neither thinking of the morrow nor recalling yesterday. How he treasured the very proximity of a creature such as Gemma! He would soon part from her, probably for ever. But for the moment, they were drifting together in the same barque along the safe and gentle course of life’s river, just like the travelers in Uhland’s poem."

On living life:
"‘There,’ she began with a deep and blissful sigh, ‘this is the only thing that makes life worth living. If you have succeeded in doing something you wanted to do, something that seemed impossible – well, then, make the most of it, with all your heart, to the very brim.’"

On passion, a sampling...
"As Sanin walked, he felt that he was even looking at Gemma in a different manner: he instantly noted certain characteristics of her gait, her way of moving, and oh, dear God, how infinitely precious and delectable they seemed to him! And she in turn sensed that he was looking at her ‘like that’."

"She gave Sanin a quick nod and, turning swiftly, disappeared through the door, leaving behind her a fleeting but elegant impression of a beautiful neck, wonderful shoulders, and a wonderful figure."

"As she vanished, she once more turned, looked over her shoulder and smiled, and once again left behind her the former impression of elegance. When she smiled, not one, not two, but three dimples appeared in each cheek and her eyes smiled more than her lips – her long, scarlet, tempting lips with two tiny birthmarks on the left."

"‘Well, come on now, tell me everything,’ Maria Nikolaevna said eagerly, placing her bare elbows on the table and impatiently tapping her nails together. ‘Is it true that you are getting married?’
Having said these words, Madame Polozov even inclined her head a little so as to look Sanin in the eyes the more attentively and the more searchingly."

"As he left the room, he glanced back and saw that she had once again sunk into her armchair and had thrown her arms above her head. The wide sleeves of her robe had dropped almost to her shoulders. No one could deny that the pose of those arms, and the whole of that figure were of fascinating beauty."

"But she referred to herself as a ‘good fellow’ who could not bear any ceremony: it was in these very terms that she had described herself for Sanin’s benefit. And at the same time, here was the ‘good fellow’ walking beside him softly like a cat and leaning slightly against him, looking up at him. What is more, the ‘good fellow’ was cast in the image of a young female creature who simply radiated that destructive, tormenting, quietly inflammatory temptation with which Slav natures alone – and then only some of them, and sometimes not pure Slav at that, but with a dash of something else – know how to drive us poor men, as sinful, weak men, out of our minds."

"‘None of this solemnity, if you please,’ she whispered with a smile. ‘Do you know what? No one can put chains on me, but then I don’t put chains on others. I love freedom and recognize no ties – and that goes not only for me. And now move up a little, and let us listen to the play.’
Maria Nikolaevna directed her lorgnette at the stage. Sanin began to look at the stage too, sitting by her side in the half-darkened box, and breathing in, however unwillingly, the warmth and the fragrance of her magnificent body, and equally unwillingly turning over in his mind everything she had said to him in the course of the evening – and especially during the last few minutes."

"Sanin rode behind, observing Maria Nikolaevna: her elegant, supple figure, closely corseted but unconstrained, swayed gracefully, effortlessly and confidently as she rode."

"…Sanin too trembled involuntarily from head to foot. Everything was confounded inside him – his senses were as tense as strings. He had been right when he said he could not recognize himself. He was, in fact, bewitched. His whole being was filled with … one thought and one desire. Maria Nikolaevna glanced at him searchingly." ( )

This is a lightweight comedy romance, set in Germany. Yet again I read a Russian author and really don't get what everyone else does. It may be this 60 year old translation fails to capture the real Turgenev, or that the story itself has dated badly. It seemed quite insubstantial to me, a hint of tragedy, a dash of light satire at the expense of 19th century Germany, but quite forgettable, and unimpressive. In fact the only thing that struck me as at all interesting was the love between Emile, the brother of the fiance, and the protagonist Sanin, a curious piece of hero worship. ( )

Spring Torrents is a fairly simple love story that turns tragic. The writing is clear and flows nicely, mirroring the easy romantic mood that the protagonist is in throughout most of the story. The ending is a bit brusque, however, leaving one wondering if Turgenev was working against a deadline or perhaps whimsically decided to end the book and move on to other endeavors. The story lacks the philosophical depth of the great classic "Fathers and Sons" but is a worthwhile read, particularly for those who love the writing of Turgenev and are interested in personal insights into his life. ( )