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"Smoke" is a deep psychological study of human relationships, but also a sharp social commentary on Russia and its social problems in the middle of the 19th century. One of the most significant works of Russian literature. The cover was made by T. Krizman
"Smoke" is a novel by the Russian writer Ivan S. Turgenev, published in 1867. The novel is set in Germany, in the city of Baden-Baden, where the Russian aristocracy gathers, and the story follows the young nobleman Grigori Litvinov, who returns from abroad to marry his fiancee Tatiana. However, his life gets complicated when he meets Irina again, the woman he once loved, who is now married to a rich Russian general.
Through Litvinov's inner struggle between responsibility for Tatiana and passion for Irina, Turgenev explores the themes of love, betrayal, social norms and the impossibility of escaping the past. Litvinov is torn between feelings and duty, which symbolizes the conflict between individual desire and social expectations. Irina, on the other hand, represents the attraction, but also the danger of the past that can destroy the future.
Through the novel, Turgenev criticizes Russian society, especially the aristocracy, which he portrays as superficial and detached from real problems. The title "Smoke" symbolizes the transience and vanity of life, but also the ambiguity and confusion that reigns in Litvinov's life. The novel ends with Litvinov, after a series of emotional turmoil, deciding to leave both women and return to Russia, trying to find meaning in a simple life.
One copy is available