tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post3223273328108055915..comments2024-03-27T16:48:21.039-05:00Comments on Wuthering <br>Expectations: unutterably stupid and even meaningless - Turgenev's radicalism - Virgin SoilAmateur Reader (Tom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-57992180209845904012015-08-12T02:43:25.909-05:002015-08-12T02:43:25.909-05:00Thanks! :) I enjoyed Smoke very much so I think yo...Thanks! :) I enjoyed Smoke very much so I think you're right - it was just the wrong moment for Virgin Soil - I'll return to it one day! <br /><br />kaggsysbookishramblingsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-27677957957460075112015-08-11T08:24:33.510-05:002015-08-11T08:24:33.510-05:00Kaggsy, I would write that up to the bad luck of t...Kaggsy, I would write that up to the bad luck of the moment. You read <i>Smoke</i> and the slight, absurd "Faust" with success, so the characters here will likely be able to sink in. <br /><br />Having said that, <i>Virgin Soil</i> is second-rate Turgenev. As a work of art, it's not <i>Fathers and Sons</i>. My recommendation is to read <i>Fathers and Sons</i> first, and maybe also second and third. <br /><br />The <i>Hunter's Sketches</i> RT mentions, the best of them, are also outstanding.<br /><br />"I recommend ____" should always come with qualifiers! Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-55862518252728042332015-08-11T07:56:25.641-05:002015-08-11T07:56:25.641-05:00My familiarity with Turgenev is limited to the Hun...My familiarity with Turgenev is limited to the Hunter's Sketches and this tangential connection: Turgenev was one of the writers O'Connor read and enjoyed when she was in grad school (Iowa Writers 'Workshop); I have more to say about that connection in a posting later this morning at Beyond Eastrod. So, your posting and the O'Connor connection has me poised to reengage with Turgenev; however, perhaps I did not read your comments closely enough, so I am left with this question: Would you recommend _Virgin Soil_?R.T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13220814349193561823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-10979024096741075532015-08-11T04:35:01.857-05:002015-08-11T04:35:01.857-05:00I tried this not so long ago but got a bit bogged ...I tried this not so long ago but got a bit bogged down because I found myself not caring that much about the characters. Maybe I need to start again....<br /><br />kaggsysbookishramblingsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-59601039620991550082015-08-10T23:05:36.266-05:002015-08-10T23:05:36.266-05:00Turgenev is best read when cheery, so you can laug...Turgenev is best read when cheery, so you can laugh along with <i>Fathers and Sons</i>. Tomorrow will be all about the laughs in <i>Virgin Soil</i>.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-79060865468328849452015-08-10T22:26:23.816-05:002015-08-10T22:26:23.816-05:00brave he is, yes, wallowing through the remote hin...brave he is, yes, wallowing through the remote hinterlands of russian lit, especially T. tried him once when i was depressed; big mistake my therapist said. i concurred. interesting perspectives anyway...Mudpuddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17194891656971454279noreply@blogger.com