Ivan turgenev's novel 'First Love' is the story of 16 year old Vladimir's infatuation with the beautiful and bewitching Zinaida, told in retrospect by his older self.
Something which really impressed me about this novella was the way in which it has lost none of its relevance and accessibility. Althought it was written in the 18 hundreds it could have easily been from the 21st century. This combined with the fact that Turgenev was one of the great masters of Russian prose means that the powerful and devestating emotions are conveyed in such a way that i could honestly relate in a powerful and drawing way to the experiences and feelings which he expresses.
Turgenev writes in a succinct and straightforward way the majority of the time, which grants this text its clear and open quality. However this style is tempered by his insightful and detailed descriptions of the world around him and the way he is rocked by his emotions. It is these descriptions which seem to make his words linger in the air as if time is stopping between the passing seconds.
In 'True Love' the depth is in the detail.
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