Turgenev's povest' (or novella) Asya, of 1858, has a Rhineland setting. Asya, the illegitimate daughter of a Russian landowner, is travelling abroad with her half-brother. The narrator falls in love with her, but cannot bring himself to propose marriage until it is too late. Asya has gone. The narrative stance here struck by Turgenev - one of remorseful recollection - renders Asya one of his most poignant tales. It immediately occasioned a lively debate among contemporary Russian critics: over 'weak' as against 'positive' heroes, and the position of the intellectual vis a vis...
Turgenev's povest' (or novella) Asya, of 1858, has a Rhineland setting. Asya, the illegitimate daughter of a Russian landowner, is tr...
In the course of editing this volume I discovered that I am temper- amentally unsuited to the task, an impediment that in no small way accounts for the fact that its publication is later than I would have hoped or anticipated. I am, at heart, a pedant, particularly with respect to the use and abuse of the English language. Many of my scientific colleagues are a good deal less punctilious; they take the reasonable view that if the message is clear, the manner of expression is unimportant. Experience has taught me that what is clear to the author is often quite unclear to the reader unless the...
In the course of editing this volume I discovered that I am temper- amentally unsuited to the task, an impediment that in no small way accounts for th...