Synopsis of Turgenev's "The Aristocrat's Nest" - Turgenev's masterful feature film, highly acclaimed in Russia.
Turgenev (1818-1883)Wikipedia.
The Nobleman's Nest is a full-length novel published by Turgenev in 1859.
I read "The Nobleman's Nest" translated by Masao Yonekawa, Kadokawa Shoten.
Let's take a quick look at the synopsis. In this issue of Henri Troyer'sA Biography of Turgenev.for reference.
The protagonist, Lavretsky, is an elderly man, disillusioned with life, almost a portrait of the author. He takes his wife to Paris, where she becomes the lover of a young French man of twenty-three. Upon learning of this infidelity, Lavretsky leaves his unfaithful wife, and soon, to his disappointment and dismay, she fades from his memory.
Lavretsky was not born to be a Passionist. His inherently wholesome nature was gaining momentum." Back in Russia, he met a young girl, Lisa, at a friend's house and immediately fell under the spell of this pure, pious, and animated girl.
It seemed to him that his life was beginning to move and take a new path. Just as his heart's fluttering finally heightens, he learns of his wife's death in an announcement column of a Parisian magazine.
Upon his freedom, he immediately professes his love to a young girl, Lisa. She responds immediately. They decide to get engaged.
The obituary, however, was a false alarm. His wife reappeared and brought a little girl to Lavrecky. She claimed that he was the child's father. Using devious tactics, the wife begs for forgiveness and asks to be put back together. Lavrecky refuses to live with his wife again. Lisa, however, enters the convent in despair.
On top of this mundane and melodramatic plot, Turgenev builds a novel of great depth, sensitive and human. This story, in which happiness is born and lost as quickly as it is born, is wrapped in poetic charm.
Moreover, the entire work was imbued with the gentle light of the Russian countryside. This countryside appears, rustles, and fragrances throughout the night and day, blending with the state of mind of the protagonists.
Suiseisha Henri Troyer, Biography of Turgenev, translated by Hiromiko Ichikawa, p. 103-104
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The protagonist, Lavretsky, is a man whose education was distorted by a father who utterly despised the wisdom necessary for real life. From childhood, he absorbs ideas that are in the lineage of the "superfluous," which have appeared many times on this blog.
When he grows up, he naturally becomes a failure and disillusioned in the real world. He becomes a completely helpless afterthought because he is ignorant of reality.
He was married to a beautiful wife who, as the synopsis says, took advantage of him and betrayed him. He is shocked by the reality of his situation and decides to go to his friend's house in Russia.
The title "Nobleman's Nest" refers to the manor or estate of a Russian nobleman. The title comes from the days the protagonist spent here.
As soon as it was published, the work was so well received throughout Russia that it could be said to have cemented Turgenev's status as a great writer.
The success of "The Nobleman's Nest" was tremendous, both among the public and among critics. Most agreed that Turgenev was unrivaled among Russian writers of his time.
Tolstoy had only published his trilogy "Childhood," "Boyhood," and "Youth" and a few short stories. Dostoevsky, after publishing his promising first novel and other works, was sent to Siberia by order of the late King Nicholas I and remained silent. The way was clear.
Suiseisha Henri Troyer, translated by Hiromiko Ichikawa, Biography of Turgenev, p. 104
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At this point, he was firmly established ahead of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, who would later go on to become two of Russia's greatest writers. This is how much this work was loved by the Russian people.
Thoughts - From a Dostoevskyian Perspective
I had never heard of the novel "The Nobleman's Nest" before learning about Turgenev, but I was surprised to learn that it is one of the most popular of Turgenev's works.
The work became so popular in Russia that Dostoevsky also paid tribute to it.
Indeed, this novel was very easy to read. It moves along and is quite interesting as a novel.
In addition, the characterization of the main character, Lavretsky, is very elaborate. Why he is the way he is and why he acts the way he does is vividly depicted.
And then there is Lisa, his love interest. The portrayal of Lisa is highly praised in all reference books.
Here is an example. The translator's commentary on Masao Yonekawa's translation of "The Nobleman's Nest" states the following.
The reason why "The Nobleman's Nest" occupies a high place in Russian literature is mainly due to the creation of the female protagonist, Lisa.
In terms of its exalted spiritual beauty, only Tatjana from "Onegin" can compare to Lisa, but even compared to Tatjana, Lisa has more depth and is much more pure and idealistic in her pursuit of it.
Her character is remarkably full-bodied, and she knows nothing of self-division or internal contradictions. Her spiritual life is not complex, yet it possesses extraordinary beauty and depth.
Kadokawa Shoten, translated by Masao Yonekawa, The Nobleman's Nest, p. 285
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Onegin" is the masterpiece of Pushkin, Russia's national poet.
This work is considered the pinnacle of Russian literature and is Pushkin's masterpiece, which had a profound influence on later Russian writers.
The female protagonist in this story, Tatyana, is the most famous heroine in the history of Russian literature.
It was considered as perfect as, if not more perfect than, Tatjana. This may not sound like much to us, but in Russian literature, this is a tremendous achievement. To be compared to Tatyana in "Onegin" is one of the greatest compliments of all time, and now it has been surpassed.
Let me give you another example. This time it is a commentary on the Complete Works of World Literature.
One of the hallmarks of Turgenev's art, his unique fascination with love and the portrayal of women, has truly reached its zenith in the beauty and depth of the female protagonist Lisa.
Born with a deep religious faith and sensitive moral feelings, Lisa is an eternally pure virgin with a strong will, a spirit of self-reliance, and a harshness that has the power to bring the vulgarity and injustice of life to its knees.
One of the reasons why this work has received such praise among Turgenev's longer works is because of the creation of the figure of Lisa, a rare example of elegance and delicacy in Russian, or even world, literature.
Kodansha, Akira Sasaki translation, Sekai Bungaku Zenshu - 38 Turgenev, p. 393
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Speaking of Turgenev.Diary of a Hunter.is characterized by artistic depictions of nature, but in this work, in addition to that, the depiction of love is also a work of art. It is quite different from Dostoevsky's sludgy chaos.
When I read Turgenev after reading Dostoevsky, I feel that I can somehow see what an artist is and what art is in literature. I cannot explain it well here, but I clearly feel something different when I read Turgenev.
In that sense, this work was very interesting.
The above is a synopsis of Turgenev's "The Aristocrat's Nest" - Turgenev's masterful feature film, which received great acclaim in Russia.
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