Turgenev's lyrical tale suggests that with the loss of love comes a sense of resignation - and the conviction that the essence of life lies in self-denial. In a series of letters to a friend the narrator relates how he manages to convince a married woman, who till now has been shielded by her late mother from the powerful effects of poetry and fiction, of the importance of developing the imagination. By introducing her to Goethe's masterpiece, he sets in train a series of significant events. In this poetic exploration of a spiritual awakening, Turgenev demonstrates his preoccupation with the culture of Western Europe and the nature of human relations. Развернуть полностью