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That's it; Turgenev is officially my favourite Russian! I guess this novelette was written to remind us how love can drive us astray, shift our personality and ultimately alter our life course (be it for better or worse). Powerful prose and colourful images of the romantic era, also a female character (Maria) that you will love to hate. I couldn't help but notice some subtle elements of class collision (the love between the young Russian aristocrat and the beautiful but poor Italian girl) and the not-so-subtle comments on serfdom.