Dream Tales and Prose Poems

by Ivan Turgenev, Constance Garnett

Young Muscovite bachelor Yakov Aratov lives in contented solitude, until the arrival in town of the dazzling actress Clara Militch:

"'She was all fire, all passion, and all contradiction; revengeful and kind; magnanimous and vindictive; she believed in fate - and did not believe in God.'"

Her beauty entrances him, beyond her tragic death; and soon, for the formerly level-headed rationalist Aratov, dreams, fever and the spirit world blend and merge together. These tales involve Turgenev's enthusiasm for spirituality, ghosts and premonitions, usually suppressed in his works but an intriguing counterpoint to the powerful naturalism of which he was master.

This volume contains Clara Militch," "Phantoms," "The Song of Triumphant Love," "The Dream and Turgenev's marvellously realized Poems in Prose, which conclude with his famous avowal:

"'In days of doubt, in days of dreary musings on our country's fate, thou alone art my stay and support, mighty, true, free Russian speech! But for thee, how not fall into despair, seeing all that is done at home? But who can think that such a tongue is not the gift of a great people!'"

Constance Garnett's 1897 translation succeeds in capturing the subtleties and delicacy of Turgenev's own poetic prose.

Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Russian Literature, Classics, Fiction, Horror, Russia

330 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1997

About the author

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (Cyrillic: Иван Сергеевич Тургенев) was a novelist, poet, and dramatist, and now ranks as one of the towering figures of Russian literature. His major works include the short-story collection A Sportsman’s Sketches (1852) and the novels Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860), and Fathers and Sons (1862).

These works offer realistic, affectionate portrayals of the Russian peasantry and penetrating studies of the Russian intelligentsia who were attempting to move the country into a new age. His masterpiece, Fathers and Sons, is considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.

Turgenev was a contemporary with Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy. While these wrote about church and religion, Turgenev was more concerned with the movement toward social reform in Russia.

Reviews

[Readergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of tales that made me feel as though I was in a trance. I was enchanted by the flowery, whimsical writing and out-of-the-box stories of the supernatural and the unknown.

1. Clara Militch
As I so aptly put it in a conversation with a dear friend, "The Picture of Dorian Grey, if Dorian wasn't such an ass". And I still stand by that statement.

2. Phantoms
A dark tale of supernatural elements with magic and forbidden choices added to the mix. The ending made it so much better (that ending will forever stay with me)

3. A Song of Triumphant Love
AND FINALLY we reach the story I picked this book up for. A story chock full of love, friendship , betrayal and dark magic that left me in so many questions (but in a good, i-will-now-make-my-own-theories way). A forbidden love triangle with the relentless pursuit of love that surpasses all bounds? YES.

4. The Dream
Dreams have always fascinated me, mesmerized me. Cuz wdym humans can just close their eyes and transport themselves into another realm that they (sometimes) recall but (mostly) CAN'T???? Like th is happening to the conscience? I CANNOT study dreams enough. And predictive dreams that foretell the future/reality 🛐🛐

The impossible beauty of this book enraptures me and enthralls me how a story can be this wonderfully written and how the ending can make me widen my eyes in the sheer joy as the realisation dawns on me and I fruitlessly look for more!

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Love you my girly, Greekpegasus, I love how I could talk to you about the book as I was reading it! The amount of love you show me and our wonderful conversations always enthrall me and intrigue me to no end! ♥

Pre Read
I absolutely ADORE how whimsy the title sounds. Can't wait to fall in love with this!

📽️Rolling credits to my lovely gorgeous girly, Greekpegasus, for recommending "The Song of Triumphant Love" (included in the book) to meee! Love you girly!

[Eadweard · Rating 3 out of 5]

" Love, I thought, is stronger than death or the fear of death. Only by it, by love, life holds together and advances. "
---


Three stars for the prose poems.
The dream tales were too Romantic for me, not typical Turgenev.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Dream Tales aren’t for me. The Prose Poems are quite fun. Turgenev amusingly called them “Senilia”.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

turgenev's writing never missed and clara militch is one of the best short stories i've ever read. the way he was able to depict such yearning from the soul never ceases to amaze me.

[Stefan Lubomirski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that opened my eyes to great writing. After this I devoured all the great Russian authors, then Dickens then .....

[Lunanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dream - Audiobook (librivox.org)

[Mohsen Rajabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

من فقط داستان رؤیا
The Dream
رو از این کتاب خوندم و باید بگم که بیشتر از سایر داستان کوتاه‌های تورگنیف دوست داشتم. این داستان هرچند عناصری از خیال و رؤیا رو در خودش داره (هرچی نباشه اسمش هم همینه) اما به شکلی غیرواقعی روایت نمی‌شه و درونیات شخصیت اصلی در همین چند صفحه اندک داستان به خوبی نشون داده می‌شه. داستان کشش و جذابیت خوبی داره و پایان‌بندیش هم به عکس بسیاری از داستان‌های تورگنف خوب و قابل قبوله.

[Janette Schafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good first book for Russian literature

This collection of short stories reminds me of spooky tales I enjoyed in my younger years. Turgenev was a master storyteller. I thought as I read that this would be a good book to recommend to those reading Russian literature for the first time.

[Eli Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I knew what was passing at that moment in her soul; I knew that, after a brief but agonising struggle, she was at that instant giving herself up to a feeling she could no longer master.”