| Title | : | On the Eve |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1426450435 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781426450433 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 180 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1860 |
On the Eve Reviews
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My Reading Life: Or How I went from Reading Turgenev to Reading Mann
The pattern of our reading lives can be as comfortable and predictable as everyday life—or as creative and thought provoking as the more unusual books we may read. Take my own case: I often mosey along well worn tracks quite happily, certain of finding familiar works which will be both pleasurable and rewarding. But then it can happen that an obscure detail catches my attention and before I know it, I’ve been propelled sideways onto an undiscovered trail which inevitably, after a little time, will lead to yet another trail, and another, und so weiter.
If I tried to capture the pattern of my reading experience on paper, it would look like the most 'fantastic' map, criss-crossing the continents and frequently travelling backwards through time, more akin to the realms of fiction than to any map of the world as we know it. If any proof were needed of the magic of the reading life, this is it.
I fell upon the Turgenev trail because I came across a reference to a character called Insarov in William Trevor’s beautiful novella,
Reading Turgenev, and I was sufficiently intrigued by the brief mention of Insarov to take that sideways leap. Believing him to be a character in Turgenev’s
Fathers and Sons, I immediately delved into that book and enjoyed the experience but failed to find Insarov or any tangible parallel with William Trevor’s novella. I did find vague echoes of another book I’d been reading called
Solace in which mention was made of the nineteenth century writer, Maria Edgeworth. The connection lay in the fact that Ms Edgeworth was a correspondent of Turgenev’s; they were both interested in education and agrarian reform, themes to be found in
Fathers and Sons. So Trevor had sent me back to a reread of Edgeworth’s
Castle Rackrent, via
Solace and
Fathers and Sons and my little sidestep had returned me to one of my favourite trails, Anglo-Irish literature.
But I still hadn’t found Insarov or figured out a satisfactory connection between Trevor and Turgenev.
Reading Turgenev, a quiet little story set in rural Ireland is presented along with another Trevor novella called
My House in Umbria in a volume called
Two Lives. I had understood that the two novellas were packaged together for publishing purposes rather than having been originally conceived to be read side by side. However, when I’d read both I noticed some definite correspondences between them: the female protagonists of both stories, Mary Louise and Emily, had each experienced life changing events in their early twenties and their methods of dealing with these events, while quite different, nevertheless involved a withdrawal from the real world, one, though psychosis, the other, through the creation of fictional worlds. I wasn’t entirely sure if Trevor intended these parallels to be remarked upon or if I had merely forced them into a correspondence to suit a logic of my own. I hoped that Turgenev might provide the clues that Trevor had withheld so I set out once more in search of Insarov and began to read
On the Eve
While reading this philosophical tale, it occurred to me that it could very well be subtitled 'Two Lives'. It mainly concerns the very different lives of a young Russian girl, Elena Stahov from a comfortable bourgeois family, and that of a Bulgarian student and idealist, Dmitri Insarov, determined to sacrifice his life for his country’s freedom. The first half of the book takes place in a rural setting, the second half in Italy, and again the
Two Lives comparison is relevant as Elena’s former life in Russia comes to a complete end once she travels to Italy where a new and very different life begins. There is a traumatic event in Venice which results in Elena withdrawing from public life towards a sort of physical and psychological exile not unlike the destinies of Mary Louise and Emily from
Two Lives.
So, at the end of my journey towards reading
On the Eve, I had hit on the pattern I had been seeking and was feeling nicely satisfied by the outcome.
But then I had a doubt. Perhaps I had created these correspondences from very little evidence. Perhaps Trevor didn’t intend his novellas to be analysed and engineered to this extent. But then I remembered that, after all, this is just an episode in the story of my own reading life, and therefore Trevor is just another character in that story and I can do with him as I please.
This meandering journey in search of Trevor’s imagined motivations reminds me again of the intricate pattern of my reading life and why I’m more and more drawn towards rendering my reading experiences into fiction: I do like stories.
And I plan to skip cross Europe and across time again soon and read Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice...
Two Lives
Reading Turgenev
My House in Umbria
Fathers and Sons
Solace
Castle Rackrent
On the Eve
Death in Venice
Review by Fionnuala is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. -
4.5
-"Why are you so sorrowful?"
-"I never suspected I looked sorrowful. I think it must come from being alone, always alone, for better, for worse! There is no one to stretch out a hand to me. Those who come to me, I don't want; and those I would choose--pass me by."
The story is set in Russia, just before the Crimean War and revolves around the selfless and compassionate Elena who is being romanced, with no result, by the enlightened artist Shubin and the solemn and sincere student Berzyenev.
But she will love one day…whom will she love?
Enter Insarov the strong-willed, revolutionary Bulgarian and everything changes. Elena falls in love with him and he with her.
'. . . The word is found, light has dawned on me! My God, have pity on me. . . . I love him!'
But will their love endure? What about Insarov's plans to return to Bulgaria and fight? What about Elena's aristocratic family and their objections?
In love, too, there is both life and death.
Would the lovers be willing to sacrifice their ideas and beliefs for love?
How would I live without love?
In this story about love and camaraderie will the pursuit of happiness and idealism triumph over conflict, defeat and death?
Life is a coarse business. -
So, we are on the eve of a new day here on goodreads. We have been batting ideas back and forth about what the giant female warrior will do to our community in a similar way to Turgenev's characters who spend long paragraphs meditating on the issues of their day. Like them, some of us must be asking the question: is it better to muddle through our lives peacefully, concentrating on reading, ideas and art or should we take action?
Some among us have talked about emigrating to a nearby country but the news we hear isn't very promising; there are taxes, and while we might be glad to pay taxes for better services, the people of that country don't seem to be benefitting from better conditions; their infrastructure is frankly primitive.
There are other countries we might emigrate to, but from the scattered reports that are reaching us, those countries have either already been taken over by the same tall female warrior or else, by some other formidable giants, some of whose main interests are not even books but only forage for their armies.
But there is an alternative. We could create an independent republic, one where books are picked on their merit and where reviews are never biased. We might need to raise taxes to do this and buy in some mercenary soldiers to help build it but we could ensure that we owned it and that it could never be taken over by any agressive giants in the future.
goodreaders can build a betterreads -
إن النجوم تنظر إلى المُحبين ، وهذا هو سر جمالها ..
قد نظن في لحظة أن الأقدار ابتسمت لنا ابتسامتها العريضة و حبَتنا كل ما يضيء وهج سعادتنا ، لكن ملامحها تكفهر في اللحظة التالية لتحيك لنا النهاية التي لا نشتهي ، لعلّه لا ضوء في نهاية النفق ! ، لعل الجَلَد والاحتمال لا ثمار لهما في الدنيا ! ، لعل نصيبنا من السعادة لا يتعدى سوى الفُتات التي تلقطناها على طول الدرب ! ، و لربما علينا أن نكتفي بمخزوننا المتواضع من الذكريات السعيدة لأنه لا أمل في زيادته ، ولنحتفي بما اختبرناه في كل مرة تهبّ الذكرى على أطلالنا البعيدة .
أحبّتْه حياً وميتاً ، أحبته مختلفاً ، غريباً عن تلك الجموع ، ثائراً ، حراً ذا قضية ، هام بها الجميع و هامت به وحده وببلاده النائية وبحكاياته المُدوّخة عن عالم مختلف ، هجرتْ لأجله العائلة والبلاد ، تبنّتْ موقف شعبٍ لم تنتمي إليه قبلاً ، لم تعلم أن عليها أن تواجه عدواً آخر حينها ، عدواً عنيداً اسمه الموت وسلاحه المرض ، لكنها مضت في ذلك الدرب إلى آخره ، مضت بكل ما في الإخلاص من مسؤولية وشقاء ..
رواية ممتعة و مؤلمة ، تتغنى بالطبيعة والعاطفة والفن ، الشخصيات مميزة وتترك بصمة واضحة في الذاكرة ، الأسلوب جذاب بلا الحاح ، أما النهاية فهي للعاطفيين أمثالي . -
Mi primera novela leída de Turguénev y creo ha sido una buena opción para empezar.
La historia inicia presentándonos a dos amigos: Bersénev, un joven estudiante universitario, culto e intelectual, y Shubin, un artista inclinado hacia la escultura, con una personalidad espontánea y alocada. Esto da paso para conocer a la verdadera protagonista de la historia, Yelena, quien es una mujer que rompe con los esquemas de la época en la que se sitúa, siendo más bien atrevida e intrépida en lo que sea que se propone.
Los dos muchachos a su manera se sienten atraídos por Yelena, pero no será hasta la llegada de Insárov, un búlgaro con una ideología revolucionaria que desea liberar a su patria, cuando las relaciones entre los personajes se verán alteradas.
Quiero reconocer que la pluma de Turguénev me ha impresionando para bien; me gustó la cantidad de reflexiones que hace a lo largo de la novela, introduciéndonos en temas como el amor, la vida y la muerte. Creo que si tuviera que rescatar lo mejor de esta obra sería eso, el conocer el pensamiento de cada personaje sobre ideas que conciernen a la vida misma.
Lo que no me gustó fue parte de lo que me estaban contando, aunque reconozco que el personaje de Yelena fue mi favorito por su actitud y su manera de afrontar lo que tenía delante, no me agradó el rumbo que siguió su historia. Tampoco me gustó el final porque lo sentí muy abrupto y acelerado, como si al autor le hubiera dado por querer cerrar todas las incógnitas en los últimos párrafos.
Fuera de eso, es recomendable, y no cabe duda que continuaré leyendo más obras del autor. -
Exquisite.
First, so expressive, the prose makes me swoon. And I am not a swooner (is there such a word as swooner?).Elena listened to him very attentively, and turning half towards him, did not take her eyes off his face, which had grown a little paler--off his eyes, which were soft and affectionate, though they avoided meeting her eyes. Her soul expanded, and something tender, holy, and good seemed half sinking into her heart, half springing up within it.
Second, how is it a male of the 1860s was able to express a young woman's thoughts and being so accurately? There is a chapter that is presented as this young woman's diary. Turgenev gives us diary entries of some of the action that has already taken place, so that, though he has described from the outside what occurred, he gives us her feelings at the time of these known events. Then, we are given her feelings about events not yet told, and in this way, Turgenev apprises us of them.
In an introduction which accompanied an 1895 edition, we are told:To the English reader, On the Eve is a charmingly drawn picture of a quiet Russian household, with a delicate analysis of a young girl's soul; but to Russians it is also a deep and penetrating diagnosis of the destinies of the Russia of the fifties.
I did not read all of this introduction because it seemed to me to begin to reveal spoilers, but I was glad to have read this much and to get this alternate perspective. It enhanced the story for me, as part of the conflict involves a Bulgarian who worries about his country. -
I'd like to thank my Goodreads friend
Helga for inspiring me to read this book with her review.
Background on the Author
Ivan Turgenev was a renowned 19th century Russian novelist and playwright who was considered one of the greatest writers of Russian realist fiction.
Born into a wealthy landowning family in 1818, Turgenev studied at the universities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Berlin. He published his first major work, A Sportsman's Sketches, in 1852 which garnered great acclaim.
His following novels, such as Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860) and Fathers and Sons (1862), established him as a master of Russian literary realism. Turgenev was known for capturing the lives and conflicts of the Russian aristocracy amidst the social and political turbulence of the time.
He spent considerable time living abroad and associated with other prominent writers like Gustave Flaubert and Henry James.
Plot
On the Eve revolves around the character of Elena, a young woman who finds herself torn between the expectations of her oppressive social environment and her own desires for personal freedom.
Elena's world is dominated by an older generation that represents moral corruption and mediocrity. However, her encounter with Insarov, a Bulgarian revolutionary committed to his country's freedom, introduces her to a world of moral seriousness and integrity.
As Elena navigates her path, love and tragedy intertwine, leading to a poignant exploration of individual agency and societal constraints.
Historical Context
The novel was published in 1859, during a period of significant political unrest and societal change in Russia. The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and the increasing demands for political change form an important backdrop to the narrative.
Themes and Social Context
A major theme in On the Eve is the restlessness and yearning for meaning felt by the younger generation in Russia during this era.
Through the character of Elena, Turgenev captured the ambivalence of Russian youth who were unsatisfied with the stagnant aristocratic society around them but unsure of their place. Elena's attraction to Insarov's political cause represents the growing tide of idealism and revolutionary sentiments taking hold at the time.
Turgenev also provides a look into the lavish country estates of the Russian nobility during the mid 19th century through his vivid descriptions, while also criticizing the aimlessness and ennui that characterized this insulated existence. The clashing viewpoints between the indifferent older generation, like Elena's parents, and the searching younger generation create an overarching mood of tension and impending transition, aptly conveyed by the novel's title On the Eve.
The novel's Bulgarian revolutionary hero Insarov was seen by many as an inspiring figure in light of the contemporary political climate, when revolutionary and nationalist movements were gaining ground across Europe and supporters in Russia.
The character also represented the rising visibility and assertiveness of minority ethnic groups within the Russian empire.
Connection to the Author's Other Works
On the Eve bears similarities to Turgenev's earlier novels Rudin (1856) and Home of the Gentry (1859) with its focus on a young woman searching for fulfillment and gravitating towards a charismatic outsider figure who proves disappointing. However, a notable evolution is seen in the politically-minded character of Insarov compared to the ineffective 'superfluous man' Rudin.
The theme of generational and value conflicts depicted in On the Eve anticipates Turgenev's masterwork Fathers and Sons published two years later in 1862. Fathers and Sons also centers around a strong-willed young woman character caught between two contrasting male figures from different generations.
On the Eve historical backdrop, insightful societal reflections, and deep character analyses establish it as a noteworthy addition to Turgenev's literary collection.
I've read five or six books written by this celebrated Russian author, and I found this one enjoyable too! -
This was the Turgenev that spoke most directly to me when I was young, which makes for a peculiarly intense reading experience now: Yelena and Insarov are as if people known to me, I believe in them entirely; and indeed the whole novel comes alive to me in that rare way…
A dangerous novel to do this with, as it is Turgenev at his most gloomy. Although he took the plot from life, he wants to use it to dash our spirits with the futility of effort – for he had these moods of pessimistic metaphysics. I’ll admit that doesn’t commonly come across to me in his writing. Perhaps I resist his lessons; if so it’s his own fault – he paints Yelena and Insarov too richly in their heroic energies, hope and passion, to philosophise futility of effort at me at the end.
I can see why this one annoyed fellow Russians who loved Russianness, for instance Dostoyevsky. To say ‘there are no human beings yet’ in Russia is going a bit far; particularly when you give us Bersenev, Yelena’s Russian suitor, an awkward scholar and future professor, who is eminently human and likeable. Also, Turgenev, answer me this: if Russia is such a dump that the human species has yet to be found in it, how can you make your young women the most splendid people on earth? Caught you out there. Liza in Home of the Gentry was the Turgenev girl Dostoyevsky thought his greatest achievement; for me, Yelena. She managed to cause controversy too, and I must say I was startled at how bold he makes bold to make her.
Critics, at the time and since, like to mock Insarov, the Bulgarian freedom-fighter... just as the silly-headed artist does in the book. I can only say I’d be spoilt for choice between Bersenev and Insarov, but that Yelena chose well, as she does everything well. -
Writing a novel about love must be one of the most risky endeavors that a writer can undertake. Love is such a powerful emotion that it is easy for such novels slip into the realm of melodrama. This takes place when humans are depicted in ways that step beyond reality. It doesn't take much. The call for a duel between rivals, the admission of love one too many times, or self-pity that goes on and on are all gateways to the melodramatic.
Turgenev manages to write about love in On the Eve without such missteps. To be fair, this is a Victorian novel and behaviors are typical of that era. But still, Trugenev manages to stay clear of overly-dramatic love scenes.
Turgenev maintains a sense of reality by not overwriting any given scene. He provides what is needed to understand the emotions of the characters and then allows the reader to use their own inherent sympathies to complete their connection to the feelings being conveyed.
Turgenev also uses the various settings in the book to further communicate emotions without explicit narration. The abundance of life in nature, the hard coldness of Moscow, and the surreal calm that is Venice, these settings all work to set moods in advance of scenes. From there, the plot moves forward with the reader's feelings already engaged.
Believable characters are the end result. While the story focuses on human passion, it's characters do not lose sight of their own self-awareness. Turgenev gives his characters feelings but he also gives them the ability realize their own emotional state. In this way, this is a book for the intellectually inclined and I just happen to be that way. -
واجهت مشكلة الأسماء ولم أستطع القراءة بتركيز
إلا اني توقفت عند هذه الكلمات في بداية الرواية وجعلتني اكملها
السعادة بحد ذاتها لا تجمعنا إنما تفرقنا وتجعلنا نسعي الي غايتنا بصورة فردية ولذلك لو ربطنا تلك المفاهيم بعصرنا سنجد ان أكثر ما يفرقنا أننا نسعي لسعادتنا وتخلينا عن القيم الأعظم منها ، أو سلكنا أيسر طريق ليرضي شهواتنا والتي تولد لنا أبسط شكل من السعادة وأفقره
ليتنا نعود للقيم الأكبر والسعادة الأعظم التي توحدنا وتسعدنا وتدوم
مثل الأرض والوطن والحرية ..... مفاهيم لو عادت لغيرت شكل العالم وأعادت موازينه المختلة
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প্রথমে ভেবেছিলাম প্রেমের আখ্যান। পরে বুঝতে পারলাম, নাহ। সাধারণ একটা গল্পের ভেতর কিভাবে অসাধারণত্বের বহিঃপ্রকাশ ঘটাতে হয়, তা লেখকের ভালোই জানা আছে। মুহূর্তের মধ্যেই গল্পটা প্রেমের গল্প থেকে হয়ে উঠল দেশপ্রেমের গল্পে।
অসাধারণ! -
Turgenev’s third novel is better understood in historical perspective. Set in the early 1850s as Russia advanced towards the Crimean War (but published in 1860 after the war was over); Russia, licking its wounds, appeared to be ON THE EVE of social and political change that would, of course, manifest itself in revolution a few decades later. What might appear to be a simple story of forbidden love between an aristocratic young woman and a Bulgarian patriot can also be interpreted as Turgenev’s commentary on Russia’s stagnant ruling class.
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مخلوط تکراری روسیه و اشراف و مهمانی و چای عصر و یک عدد آنا واسیلیونا و عشق نافرجام و بافرجام و کمی جنگ و مرگ و مقادیر معتنابهی شوونیسم روس.
غیرروس "خوب" هم وجود دارد اما او هم دیر یا زود به "خیلیخوببودن" روسها اعتراف خواهدکرد. -
On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev is a love story, the plot of which most of us today would find commonplace. When the novel first appeared, however, this story of a young upper class Russian lady falling in love with a Bulgarian revolutionary caused quite a stir among its readers.
With the novel’s publication in 1861, the book’s translator Gilbert Gardiner commented in the introduction, “People argued about the heroes of the story as they might have done about the real people – their characters, their conduct and their importance to Russia.”
It is midway into the 19th Century. Bulgaria is under Turkish rule. On the eve of the Crimean War, Insarov, a poor Bulgarian student secretly working for the Bulgarian independence movement, is in Moscow. He is introduced by his friend, a Russian student named Bersyenev, to the beautiful Elena Stahov.
Among the Stahov’s household lived another friend of Bersyenev, the eccentric young artist Shubin, who with the former is in love with Elena. The rest is predictable enough. The two are bested by Insarov, the revolutionary who, concerned only with the cause, does not pay attention to Elena. When he does realize his reciprocal feelings for the young lady, he tries to leave the company of his Russian friends, saying, “I’m a Bulgarian… I don’t need the love of a Russian woman.” But of course the two get past that stage. They secretly marry, earn the ire of Elena’s parents, and leave for Bulgaria, which all lead to a tragic ending.
Insarov’s unswerving commitment for the emancipation of his native country’s independence gives him a romantic aura in the eyes of Elena. Insarov’s single-minded devotion to his cause sets him apart from the seemingly meaningless lives of the aristocratic Russians, as exemplified by his father’s infidelities and epitomized in Russian literature by the figure of the superfluous man. -
از متن کتاب:
یلنا فکر می کرد: "پروردگارا، مرگ برای چیست؟ بیماری، فراق، اشک یا این احساس شیرین امید برای چیست؟ چرا این ادراک آرامش بخش را که انسان پناهگاه محکمی دارد و از حمایت جاویدان تو برخوردار است به ما دادی؟ از آفرینش این آسمانی که به انسان لبخند میزند و تهنیت میگوید و این زمین که دم خوشبختی از آن بیرون میزند چه مقصودی داشتی؟ آیا همه اینها فقط در جهان ما بوده و بیرون از این دنیا جز سرمای ابدی و سکوت چیز دیگری حکمفرمایی نمیکند؟ آیا ما تنها... تنهای تنها هستیم... ولی آنجا، در همه جا، در تمام اعماق بیپایان دستگاه آفرینشت همه و همه چیز برای ما بیگانه است؟ اگر چنین است پس آن وقت این عطش و این سروری که هنگام دعا به انسان دست میدهد چه معنی دارد؟". این کلمه در ضمیرش پیدا شد: '*Morir sì giovane!'... آیا نمیشود با استغاثه و انابه آن را برگردانید و پیشامدها را تغییر داد؟ پروردگارا! آیا نباید به معجزه ایمان داشت؟".
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آخ جون! یه کتاب دیگه درمورد عشق واقعی رومئو و ژولیتطور... مرسی از تورگنیف که عشق و جنگ و وطن و خیانت و... همه چی رو قاطی کرده بود با هم و یه شاهکار دلنشین ساخت:) اینکه از هر اتفاقی توی زندگی واقعی یه سرنخ میگیره و یه زندگی جدید(کتاب) مینویسه رو دوست میدارم. اگه یه دلیل واسه تشکر از خدا ازم بخواید، آفریدن نویسندگان روسه:)
*جوانمرگشدن -
Ah, friendship, love, idealism -- in a word, Turgenev!
The "eve" in question is the start of the Crimean war. The setting, however, is provincial Russia (as usual in Turgenev's work) and the characters are a small circle of close friends. They're prone to earnest philosophical discussion. There's a slightly complex romance that drives the plot, and as might be expected things ultimately don't turn out well for the lovers. (This is, after all, a Russian novel.) If that sounds a bit pat, then let me assure you that Turgenev's wonderfully flowing prose draws the reader nicely and sympathetically along. -
BRILLIANT! Too good to be true. Tragically romantic and deep and everything else. I'm glad I have read it. OMG, I can't even start explaining how good this book is. Short, unexpected, fast-paced, intense... I couldn't put it down. Unforgettable. Please, bring me more Ivan Turgenev! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
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4,5* (Translator: Gilbert Gardiner).
What a great introduction to Turgenev! -
Turgenev ranks with Hawthorne, James and Flaubert for the faultless purity of his style-- though this particular work is written in a prose style singularly beautiful, even for him. The story too, populated by characters worthy of Tolstoy's pen, is most impressive. A vastly underrated work.
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القضيه قضيه رائعه
طابعها....
الشجاعه .. ففيها الموت والكفاح من اجل الحياه والهزيمه والنصر والحب والحريه والوطن
شعور فذ -
أول مرة أقرأ لتورجينيف.. ليست من عالم دوستويفسكي ولا تولستوي
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Olin valmis luovuttamaan tämän kirjan kanssa monesti, mutta loppupuolella se voittikin minut puolelleen. Turgenev kirjoittaa kauniisti ja rakkaustarinassa on piirre, jollaiseen en muista kovin usein ajan kirjallisuudessa törmänneeni, päähenkilö rakastuukin ulkomaalaiseen, bulgarialaiseen, mieheen. Hieno, pieni, hidas, mutta kaunis romaani.
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Classic Russian lit. It never quite hits the heights of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but hey, what does? Very enjoyable, and some memorable characters.
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*Read for class.
I actually enjoyed this one! It wasn't boring almost from the very beginning and felt somehow different from his other novels. Seems like it was based on real events, left in writing to the author by another man.
And this book really surprised me. It was gripping, interesting, easy to read and I actually cared for the characters more, than I usually do in classics. Which is a "must" factor for me to enjoy a book. I was also pleasantly surprised by one moment, where the Elena says "So take me". I was like "WHAAAT?" Cause, you know, 19th century novel... Never seen that before in classics of that time. Maybe I don't read enough.
This novel seemed to be received rather critically, but some of the reasons are that Elena was somehow not woman enough, had no conscience and so on. Fuck you, 19th century critics! I can't say in the full meaning of this word that the novel was a feminist one, but I'm putting it over there. Elena was strong and independent, she made her own decisions, made first moves. And those are the reasons I loved her. Turgenev was not a feminist, his Sketches from a Hunter's Album give me bad vibes from time to time, but he made this heroine a decent one.
Overall, I'm glad I didn't skip this novel, because this one wasn't actually mandatory. -
قبل از ماجرا،یا در آستانه فردا، یا که بهتر بگوییم قبل از پدران و پسران،از آثار اولیه تورگنیف است که در زمان چاپ با اقبال زیادی رو به رو نشد،تصورش هم چندان سخت نیست،این ماجرا همانند پیش نویسی برای پسران و پدران است،تیپ های شخصیتی که تورگنیف بدان علاقه دارد در قبل از ماجرا هنوز چندان پرداخته نشده اند و در درخت تکاملی شخصیت چندان بالا نرفته اند،شاخه های نحیفی اند در تلاش برای رسیدن به نور ناکام میمانند تا حدی که اثر به داستان رمانتیک نه چندان پرداخت شده ای می ماند،که خواننده کم علاقه ورق می زند تا به تراژدی گریز ناپذیر پایانی برسد،ضعف بزرگ اثر شاید در این است که هیچ یک از شخصیت ها یا تیپ ها در ما احساسی بر نمی انگیزند،نه شوخی های غم انگیز شوبین،نه برسینیف که صرفا شخصیت تاثیر پذیر تکرار شده در پدران و پسران ست و نه حتی اینساروف که مقدر است بعد ها در بازاروف خود حقیقی ش
را پیدا کند هیچ کدام توجه ما را جلب نمی کنند،شخصیت النا که تورگنیف این اثر را عملا بر او نوشته،آنهم تنها در انتها ی داستان، که با تکیه بر احساسات و آنچه عشق می نامد بر رسوم و تعصبات زمانه خود قیام می کند،کاری که در زمان خود کم سابقه،اگر نه بی سابقه،بوده است،تنها وجه نسبتا چشمگیر داستان را تشکیل می دهد. -
Честно да си призная, четвъртата звезда е заради българската “следа” в романа. Много е приятно да усетиш разбиращ поглед във времето, в което сме излизали от ъгълчето на Османската империя, което сме заемали 5 века. Главният герой е идеалист, и все ми се струваше твърде крехък да понесе цялата бясна борба, вихреща се и предстояща оттук насетне. Такива след Освобождението, ако са оцелели, не са имали голям късмет... Хареса ми и главната героиня Елена - нежна, деликатна, но непоколебима в преценката си за правилно и неправилно, независимо от конформизма, арогантността и безгрижието на нейното съсловие. Жена със сърце, способно да даде любов на цял свят, не просто на едно човешко същество. Човечеството е загубено без такива сърца.
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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.
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I hate Ivan. Even though he’s dead and gone, Turgenev persistently plays with my heart strings.
The introspective method which Elena, Pavel, Andrei, and Dmitri are brought about is so lifelike, characters break out of the pages so that I can only imagine them as a friend. Reading at a cafe becomes a date for two as Elena guides me through her thought processes and investigates what actions she must take to be true to herself and to accomplish something righteous with her life.
The pages of Ivan only leave me in a bitter mess.
Stop killing my friends, you’re hurting me. -
في العشية إيفان تورجينيف
خامس عمل أقرؤه لتورجينيف.. وأقر بأنني أحب هذا الرجل. إنه ليس من هؤلاء الذين يكتبون شيئاً رائعاً.. لكنه دون شك يكتب شيئاً مختلفاً ولا أنكر أنه قد مسّ في داخلي شيئاً لربما لم أكن أعلم أنه موجود لولاه.
تورجينيف متمهل في عرض حكايته، يعرض لك من التفاصيل ما يكفي.. ومن المقدمات ما يجعلك تعرف خلفية كل شخصية يتحدث عنها بما يبرر ما يبدر منها فيما بعد.
إن هذه الرواية حكاية بسيطة؛ حكاية حب. وقد لا تثير الإهتمام بشكل عام.. لكن المثير فيها هو طريقة الإستدلال المنطقي للوقوع في الحب ! وقد يخطر هنا للمرء؛ هل هناك منطق في الحب ؟ وأجيب: أحياناً، نعم.
ولعلي هنا أتناول بعض الشخوص لأوضح قصدي:
شوبين: هو شاب فنان.. وقد يضح القول عنه.. بأنه ليس من النوعية التي تظهر التفاني عندما تحب.. قد يحب أحدهم لكن ذلك لا يمنعه من أن يحب أخرى.. وأخرى.. وأخرى.. في ذات الوقت. هو لا يفعل ذلك لأنه لعوب.. بل لأنه يحب بطريقة ساخرة.. لا يبدو مبالاة كبيرة من خلال تصرفاته رغم فرط الحساسية التي تعتري صدره عن كل الأحداث التي يمر بها فيما بعد.. عندما يصبح وحيداً.
بيرسينيف: هو أكثر شخصية أثرت بي. ذلك الرجل الطيب الذي لا يعرف كيف بتحدث عن نفسه كما يجب.. هو لا يملك الطريق ليكشف للآخرين كيفية النفاذ إلى نفسه. هو لا يحب الفن ورجل عملي جداً.. لكنه في ذات الوقت متفاني لأبعد حد من أجل الآخرين.
إيرسانوف: ذلك الشاب البلغاري الغريب. هو يشابه بيرسينيف في كونه لا يحب الفن.. لكنه يحمل حلم تحرير وطنه بلغاريا من الأتراك يوماً ما. فقد قتل آغا تركي أمه من قبل وعندما حاول والده الثأر لأمه قبض عليه وأعدم.. فهرب إيرسانوف إلى عمته في روسيا التي ربته.
يلينا: الفتاة الرقيقة متقلبة المزاج. وهي محور الحكاية. حيث أنها لربما كانت تستلطف تشوبين لكونه يسكن معها لكن تصرفاته وحبه لأخريات كان منفراً لها. ثم كان بيرسينيف الفتى النبيل.. لكن بيرسينيف ورغم أنه أحبها حقاً لم يكن يعرف كيف يتحدث عن نفسه.. بل كان يتحدث عن أصدقائه.. وكان إيرسانوف أحدهم.. وكم هي شديدة القسوة حقيقة أن تكون أنت سبب معرفة من تحب بالرجل الذي ستفضله عليك !
كانت يلينا شديدة الوفاء لإيرسانوف.. وقد يكون ذلك هو الملهم لعنوان الترجمة الأخرى "أحبك حياً وميتاً" والتي اخترت ألا أقرأها لعدم دقة العنوان لكن يبدو أن المترجم فضّل ترجمة المعنى من خلال المضمون بدلاً من الإلتزام بحرفية الترجمة. وقد تكون وجهة نظر لكنني لستُ أفضلها.. فالمضمون بذاته لا ينحصر على هذه النقطة بالذات.
لا تزال كلمات والد بيرسينيف حاضرة في خاطري: كان أبي على حق، حين كان يقول لي: أنا وأنت، يا أخ، لسنا مترفين ولا أرستقراطيين، ولا ممن حباهم القدر والطبيعة، ولا حتى شهيدين، بل نحن كادحان، ولا أكثر من كادحين. فالبس مئزرك الجلدي، أيها الكادح، والزم مكانك وراء الدكة، في مشغلك المظلم ! واترك الشمس تضيء للآخرين ! فإن لحياتنا الكالحة فخرها أيضاً، وسعادتها !
ويا لها من سعادة يا بيرسينيف أن تسهر وتواظب على إنقاذ حياة من تفضله عليكَ حبيبتك ! وأي قدر ينتظر من هم من أمثالك يا عزيزي.
باختصار، هذه الرواية ليست بالرائعة.. لكنها لربما تستحق القراءة. -
Originally published on my blog
here in October 1999.
Turgenev's short novel is based around a memoir written by a friend, who suggested he might like to turn it into a novel. It tells the stories of a small group of upper class teenagers in Russia on the eve of the outbreak of the Crimean War. Elena comes from a home troubled by the infidelities of her father, and this has hardly given her a taste for any kind of marriage that might be arranged by her parents. She is loved by one of a small group of friends, Pavel Shubin, who introduces her to the Bulgarian revolutionary Dimitry Insarov. (Bulgaria was at this time ruled by Turkey, whose oppression of the Slavs in its domains was one of the major causes of the Crimean War.) Shubin thinks Insarov an interesting person, but not one likely to arouse the passions of a woman, and he is very upset when he becomes a favoured rival for Elena's love.
It is Insarov's patriotic devotion which makes him a romantic figure to Elena; no matter how passionate he may be about her, his duty to his country must come first, and this is what fascinates her. It is a total contrast to the meaningless lives of the upper class Russians she sees around her.
Though Turgenev's writing pointed the way to the psychological dramas of
Tolstoy and
Dostoyevsky, his work is far more mild and serene in the effect it has on the reader. This is especially true of On the Eve, despite the potential for melodrama in its plot. The title is in fact most apt, for it gives the impression of great things eagerly awaited around the corner, and this is the emotion that Turgenev seeks to produce in his readers throughout the novel.
