Classic Literature: Torrents of Spring
Here at Cultural Zest, we’re all about culture. And to prove that we’re not just pop culture loving simpletons, here’s a feature on classic literature, which may be the first of many, depending on what books we feel like reading.
To kick things off, we’ll take a look at one of the gems that Russian literature produced during the nineteenth century: Torrents of Spring by Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev. I could talk at length about the life and times of Turgenev here, but Wikipedia does a much better job than I ever could, so let’s move straight on to the story itself.
Torrents of Spring is a love story, but it’s not your typical lovey-dovey romance. Turgenev’s first move is probably his most clever one: he tells the bulk of the story in a big flashback. The main character, an old man named Sanin, looks back on his life as a young and impetuous man. By starting and ending Torrents of Spring with the older version of Sanin, Turgenev shows that no matter what happens in life, it seems a lot worse at the moment it happens than when you look back on it afterward, although some choices do indeed influence your life and that of others in a major way.
And quite a lot happens to young Sanin as he travels through Frankfurt. He meets the love of his life without having loved before, and his emotions overpower him. Turgenev describes these feelings of love very well, sometimes painting delicious details while staying silent when words would fall short. Or, in Turgenev’s own words: ‘For such feelings there is no satisfactory expression; they are too deep and too strong and too vague for any word. Only music could reproduce them.’
But like I said, this is no ordinary love story. In the latter half of the novella, dark clouds gather over Sanin’s head like the sword hanging over Damocles. All the while, the reader is left hoping he won’t do what we fear. Where does that fear come from? Perhaps it comes from our own uncertainty. If we were in Sanin’s shoes, would we be strong enough? Are we master of our own emotions?
Turgenev manages to weave these fundamental issues into a seemingly light-hearted story of lovers in spring. It will leave you sympathizing with Sanin and wanting to shout at him, but ultimately, it’s just a great story. Now, I’m sure you’re eager to experience this story for yourself (at least I hope so!). Well, you’re in luck, because you can read it for free at Project Gutenberg.
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Hey, good idea! I recently got the Sherlock Holmes novels, so I might look at them!
Yeah, you should! Sherlock Holmes is fun!