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warrenl's review
2.0
I didn't enjoy this. There's a bunch of rather hackneyed characters I've met often elsewhere in Russian literature, such as the pig of a paterfamilias who rages impotently at everybody around him while his cherished world order crumbles. Read about one, and it seems like you've read about them all. Getting bored with them now. Perhaps the worst of it is the undeveloped, disjointed feel of the novel. We only learn in brief passing about Insarov and Elena's wedding, a fortnight after it occurs! Next, we've skipped to Venice, where Insarov dies of consumption just as the story looks like it might get going, and an indecently quick denouement closes the novel. Why make Insarov die? There was a fabulous story that might have been told about these two in Bulgaria as the Crimean War took hold. Well, too bad, Turgenev didn't care to take us on that trip. On The Eve is a very half-hearted effort.
alishajuma's review against another edition
5.0
A gorgeous book. It was one of those books that I cannot be too critical of because it is so beautifully written that I don’t care to look into it too much. The descriptions of nature brought the book alive for me in a way that very few books ever manage to do. In addition to the beautiful scenery, the main thing that blew me away was Turgenev’s ability to describe the inner thoughts and feelings of a young woman in such a captivating, realistic and heartbreaking way. It was also refreshing to see Turgenev allow some love to blossom rather than it all being unrequited (was losing hope with ‘First Love’ and ‘the Diary of a Superfluous Man’), although he did throw some in for good measure. Fathers and Sons is Turgenev’s best due it being so impactful and thought provoking, but On The Eve comes close second for its beauty alone.
sirfrankiecrisp's review
Never a book made a heart so worn. A fleeting image of melancholic beauty.
VIRGINIA WOOLF on Turgenev:
'In Turgenev's novels the individual never dominates, many other things seem to be going on at the same time. We hear the hum of life in the fields, a horse champs his bit; a butterfly circles and settles. And as we notice, without seeming to notice, life going on, we feel more intensely for the men and women themselves because they are not the whole of, but only part of the whole.'
VIRGINIA WOOLF on Turgenev:
'In Turgenev's novels the individual never dominates, many other things seem to be going on at the same time. We hear the hum of life in the fields, a horse champs his bit; a butterfly circles and settles. And as we notice, without seeming to notice, life going on, we feel more intensely for the men and women themselves because they are not the whole of, but only part of the whole.'
aoifey's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
javansutton's review against another edition
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rosiebarclay's review against another edition
4.0
i rlly rlly like turgenev i think his style of writing is v unique and although i do like russian lit sometimes it’s gets ya down, n he combines that style and sombreness w a fresh romance the depiction of characters and their emotions is great as always i very much enjoyed reading this :)
david_rhee's review against another edition
4.0
I was a little worried my partiality for Dostoevsky would dampen my ability to appreciate Turgenev, but those worries were dashed right at the opening of the book, On the Eve. Two friends, Berzenyev and Shubin, engage in a conversation on aesthetics in finely polished prose...I was hooked. To my slight disappointment there was much less philosophical dialogue as the novel progressed into a romance. The romance itself is a veil over a passionate summons for the Russian people, an urgent plea for the nation to come into being. Dostoevsky channeled similar entreaties through his narratives as well. It seems like the two rivals had more in common than they would have liked to admit. They achieved their aims by different avenues: Dostoevsky, by incessantly pressing forward with intensity, and Turgenev, by making inroads into his reader by taking the aesthetic route with his skillful crafting of form and rhythm. It becomes quickly evident that it is pointless to compare the two to find who is better; there is all the more reason to celebrate both styles.
bleary's review against another edition
5.0
Turgenev's writing is so crisp and his characters are always so vivid. This is very much about a particular mood at a particular point in Russian history, when there was quite a lot of uncertainty about what would happen next. So it's a perfect novel to read in 2016.