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Title: Faust: A Story in Nine
Letters
Series: (The Russians)
Author:
Ivan Turgenev
Translator: -----
Rating:
2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages:
57
Words: 16K
This novella turned my stomach. The main character sets about to
seduce his married neighbor. Before it can be consummated though, she
dies and the main character moves away and hides from it all.
Disgusting.
It still surprises me (even though it shouldn’t) at how evil
mankind really is on just a general every day level. The MC wanted
something, so he went after it, with no regard for anything or any
thought if it was right or wrong. He was willing to destroy Vera’s
married life with nary a thought of how it would affect her or
everyone associated with her.
Now, maybe Turgenev wasn’t advocating this kind of behavior, but
considering how he wrote this, he really wasn’t advocating against
it either. There’s a way to write reprehensible characters and
behaviors without dragging your readers down into that cesspit and
Turgenev chose not write that way.
I came out of this novella feeling soiled and dirty. One more story
like this from Turgenev and I’ll be done with him.
★★☆☆☆
From Wikipedia
In a series of letters to his friend
Semyon Nikolayevich, Pavel Alexandrovich narrates the events that
take place after returning to his childhood home in the Russian
countryside, starting from June 1850. Returning after a nine year
absence, he reflects on the changes in the house, the garden, and the
people. While going through the house and looking at the book
collection, he becomes engrossed in reading Goethe's Faust, which
triggers memories of his student days.
The next day, Pavel encounters an old
university classmate, Priimkov, who is now married to Vera
Nikolaevna. He recalls meeting 16 year old Vera and her mother Mrs.
Yelstova when he was spending a summer at his cousin's estate in
the Perm Governorate back in the 1830s. Mrs. Yelstova had
an obsession with protecting her daughter's imagination from any
outside influences, going to great lengths to ensure Vera's
innocence. He recounts his growing attachment to Vera and his desire
to marry her, although her mother objected and didn't let it happen.
The news of Vera's proximity rekindles his curiosity and decides to
meet her at Priimkov's estate.
The narrator is surprised to see that
Vera has hardly changed at age 28, despite having given birth to
three children. Mrs. Yelstova had long since passed away but somehow,
Vera had not deviated much from the manner in which she was raised.
The conversation turns to the subject of literature, where the
narrator learns that Vera Nikolaevna has never read novels, poems, or
any form of fictional literature, even after her late mother removed
all restrictions on Vera after her marriage. He offers to introduce
her to literature, beginning with Goethe's Faust. For these readings,
visits to Priimkov's estate become common across the next few months.
During their readings, the narrator
observes Vera closely and is captivated by her reactions. At first
the narrator denies his romantic interest in Vera however it becomes
quite obvious that he is infatuated with her. He admits to kissing
Vera's hand while reading Eugene Onegin, however Vera seems firm on
her boundaries. Besides literature, the narrator discusses several
topics with Vera, such as their dreams, Vera's Italian heritage, and
her fear of ghosts.
By the end of August, the narrator
finally admits to being in love with Vera, despite his age and
despite her marriage to Priimkov. He struggles to keep his emotions
in check. Semyon seems disturbed by this and suggests visiting the
narrator. The narrator quickly writes to stop him from coming and
assures him that he will be contain himself.
The final letter is dated March 1853, 2
years after the events of the past eight letters, sent from a
different location. Since the last letter, Vera confessed her
feelings for him, and they shared a secret kiss. Vera then asked him
to meet her secretly near their garden gate, to which he agreed
eagerly. However, on the appointed day, Vera didn't show up. Instead,
he noticed activity at her house, with her family still awake.
Deciding not to intrude, he left and tried to resume his normal life.
He later learned that Vera had fallen seriously ill, suffering from
an undiagnosed condition. She had claimed to see her mother's ghost
in the garden, which seemed to trigger her illness. Vera passed away
in less than two weeks from the day they were supposed to meet. In
her delirium, she repeatedly mentioned "Faust" and referred
to her mother as either Martha or Gretchen.
Following her funeral, the narrator
left everything behind and settled in a remote wilderness, where he
would spend the rest of his days, haunted by the guilt of being the
cause of Vera's loss of innocence and her untimely death. He echoes
the motto of renunciation from Goethe's Faust
