Smoke (1867)

In 1867 wrote to his friend in exile, Herzen: 'Everybody curses me, the reds and the whites and from above and below and from the flanks.' Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky expressed their disapproval, on the grounds of political opinions, technical deficiencies, patriotism, etc. etc. It became so intense that the members of the exclusive English Club in Petersburg wanted to exclude the burly story-teller from their midst.
Turgenev departed from his usual treatment of positive heroines, Irina is no help to the foundering Litvinov, she merely represents passion writ large. It is Tatyana who finally provides the nourishing soil Litvinov had been looking for.
Love in this novel reigns supreme. The reality. When it fails all is dim at best. All the ideas, couplings, even the Mother Land herself.
I've recently purchased V.S. Pritchett's biography of the 'Gentle Barbarian.' And looking forward to reading it. ( )

One of Turgenev's most perfect stories. Certainly there is nothing here that isn't unfamiliar to those who have read his works before. It's simply a romantic tale wonderfully told, which further demonstrates why Turgenev was the best "novelist" of the great 19th century Russian authors. ( )