First Love by Ivan S. Turgenev is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of young love and coming of age. The story follows a young Russian boy named Vladimir who falls deeply in love with a beautiful and mysterious older woman named Zinaida. As Vladimir navigates the ups and downs of his first love, he grapples with the conflicting emotions of desire, jealousy, and heartbreak.

Turgenev's writing is both lyrical and introspective, drawing readers in with his vivid descriptions of the Russian countryside and nuanced characterizations. The novel delves into themes of identity, societal expectations, and the nature of love itself, making it a timeless and poignant read.

Overall, First Love is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to readers of all ages. Turgenev's exploration of first love is both timeless and universal, making this a must-read for anyone who has experienced the intoxicating highs and crushing lows of young love.

Book Description:

The title of the novella is almost an adequate summary in itself. The “boy-meets-girl-then-loses-her” story is universal but not, I think, banal – despite a surprise ending which notoriously turns out to be very little of a surprise. “First Love” is given its originality and poignancy by Turgenev’s mastery of the piercing turning-point (akin to Joyce’s “epiphanies”) that transforms the character’s whole being, making a tragic outcome inevitable. Even the nature symbolism is rescued from triteness by lovely poetic similes – e.g. “but at that point my attention was arrested by the appearance of a speckled woodpecker who busily climbed up the slender stem of a birch-tree and peeped out uneasily from behind it, first to the right, then to the left, like a musician behind the bass-viol.” (Summary by Martin Geeson)