Un cuib de nobili. Rudin

These two novels by I.S. Turgheniev explore new love. They also show how ideals can fail to become deeds. In Un cuib de nobili, Lavretki comes back to his estate. He has been on travels through Europe. His failed marriage has left him with lost hopes. Back home, he falls in love with his cousin’s daughter.

In Rudin, a gifted speaker has strong ideals but struggles to act. He hopes to help society. Yet he gets no further than fruitless debates about philosophy.

This book pairs both works for readers of classic fiction. It belongs to the Mari clasici ai literaturii series. Turgheniev takes an interest in feeling and romance. He also explores his era’s thought on social progress. His work helped shape writing in Russia and beyond. Critic Garabet Ibraileanu notes his ties to Europe’s thought and culture. He also finds keen insight in these novels. He sees a poet’s care for feeling in them, too.