First Love

One of the most striking works in Russian literature. Published in 1860, this short novella is an intimate and melancholy portrait of the universal experience of first love, told through the memories of Vladimir Petrovich, a man who recalls the overwhelming passion he felt at sixteen for Zinaida, a charming and unpredictable young woman.

With elegant and sensitive writing, Turgenev explores the contradictions and torments of youthful love: enthusiasm, jealousy, idealization, but also disillusionment and pain.

The protagonist experiences a whirlwind of emotions as he becomes involved in a complex love game, where the naivety of feeling comes into conflict with the harshness of reality.

Despite its brevity, First Love is a profound and subtle work that captures with immense delicacy the moments of transition between adolescence and adulthood, between dreams and awareness. 

Ivan Turgenev (1818–1883) was known for his refined prose and for the way he portrayed rural life, social conflicts, and the existential dilemmas of his time. An important mediator between Russian and European literature, he was widely read and admired.

First Edition, Minerva de Bolso