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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 loved this so so much I will spare the details
Went into it blind so should you
Went into it blind so should you
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Zinaida Alexandrovna Zasyekina will always stay in my heart.
First Love might be a casual love story where anyone would have experienced. Boy meets a girl, falls in love, parts away because of each other’s circumstances. If one wants to read a romance novel like such, I recommend you find some other book.
This isn’t just a simple “boy meets girl” narrative. Turgenev creates a character whom is extremely lovable, Zinaida. She is virtuous, full of energy and blossoming with youth. The way Turgenev illustrates and develops her character is precisely designed, intended to make the readers wonder her true character and feel immense attraction towards her. As Vladimir leads the story, it is not only him who falls in love with her, but also us.
The story of two(or more) leaves a bitter taste. Not one that makes our face fold and create an expression of disgust, but one that is so sweet yet bitter that leaves a tear mark on our face. I would like to end by twisting a quote from Chekhov.
“Zinaida, where are you?”
First Love might be a casual love story where anyone would have experienced. Boy meets a girl, falls in love, parts away because of each other’s circumstances. If one wants to read a romance novel like such, I recommend you find some other book.
This isn’t just a simple “boy meets girl” narrative. Turgenev creates a character whom is extremely lovable, Zinaida. She is virtuous, full of energy and blossoming with youth. The way Turgenev illustrates and develops her character is precisely designed, intended to make the readers wonder her true character and feel immense attraction towards her. As Vladimir leads the story, it is not only him who falls in love with her, but also us.
The story of two(or more) leaves a bitter taste. Not one that makes our face fold and create an expression of disgust, but one that is so sweet yet bitter that leaves a tear mark on our face. I would like to end by twisting a quote from Chekhov.
“Zinaida, where are you?”
“O youth! youth! you go your way heedless, uncaring – as if you owned all the treasures of the world; even grief elates you, even sorrow sits well upon your brow. You are self-confident and insolent and you say, 'I alone am alive – behold!"
In the frame narrative we listen to a story of Vladimir, a man telling his friends about his first love, a lively coquette Zinaida (what a perfect name for this heroine), who was his next-door neighbor. Being young and inexperienced (he's 16, she's 21), he quickly falls in love with this girl, who wraps every man who visits around her finger, even those more experienced ones than our narrator. They play games, flirt and all seem to be enchanted by her. The narrator idealizes her, as most young people do with the first object of their affection. But there is more than meets the eye in this situation.
Mixing both romanticism and realism, this is an interesting and captivating story about passion, obsession and human heart. And the fact that it is actually partly autobiographical makes it even more incredible! In parts dealing with Zinaida it reminds me of Thomas Hardy (if you know, you know), but the most important part of the story is how years after the narrator tells of the effect of this experience. First loves might not always survive the test of time (or everyday life in general), but they do shape us. And this beautiful prose shows it in such a captivating way.
So, if you've never read Turgenev, this would be a great place to start.
In the frame narrative we listen to a story of Vladimir, a man telling his friends about his first love, a lively coquette Zinaida (what a perfect name for this heroine), who was his next-door neighbor. Being young and inexperienced (he's 16, she's 21), he quickly falls in love with this girl, who wraps every man who visits around her finger, even those more experienced ones than our narrator. They play games, flirt and all seem to be enchanted by her. The narrator idealizes her, as most young people do with the first object of their affection. But there is more than meets the eye in this situation.
Mixing both romanticism and realism, this is an interesting and captivating story about passion, obsession and human heart. And the fact that it is actually partly autobiographical makes it even more incredible! In parts dealing with Zinaida it reminds me of Thomas Hardy (if you know, you know), but the most important part of the story is how years after the narrator tells of the effect of this experience. First loves might not always survive the test of time (or everyday life in general), but they do shape us. And this beautiful prose shows it in such a captivating way.
So, if you've never read Turgenev, this would be a great place to start.
"I burnt as in a fire in her presence… but what did I care to know what the fire was in which I burned and melted—it was enough that it was sweet to burn and melt."
Well, that's one scarring first love for sure.
Vladimir was sixteen when he fell in love for the first time and we get to see how this new feeling grows and changes with him. From the innocent, idealistic, and almost naive love at first sight to the obsessive, dangerous, and violent one-sided love: intense from start to finish.
Vladimir never gets closure, and neither do we.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
beautiful descriptions of love and longing. the story felt cozy, despite its sad nature. i admired that the princess wasn’t painted as the villain for her carelessness and seductiveness.