Hunter's Notes

Author: (Russian)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: Turgenev's literary career began with poetry and ended with prose poems. However, what brought him fame in the literary world were his prose works, especially his novels. His literary activities spanned a long period from the 1830s to the 1870s. In his works, particularly in his novels, he quickly and keenly reflected important events in the social and political life of Russia at the time. His series of novels are considered a complete artistic chronicle. Notes of a Hunter is a realist work by Turgenev. This collection of poetic and vivid short sketches about the Russian people has entered the treasury of Russian classical literature and has gained numerous readers abroad. With a lyrical tone, the work demonstrates the author's effort to convey the purity of the peasant nature, the dignity of the individual, and the sacred and noble themes of humanism, love for the people, and praise for the spiritual power, wisdom, and genius hidden within the working masses. These elements give the work profound insights and immense artistic appeal. The period in which Turgenev wrote Notes of a Hunter was the early stage of the liberation movement in Russia. Amidst deep contemplation and the oppressive darkness of sorrow, Turgenev, like a brilliant star shining through the dark sky, expressed boundless compassion and sympathy for the unfortunate people living at the bottom of society. He was a passionate supporter of the emancipation of the peasants from serfdom. After the collection was published, society regarded it as "a book that lit a spark."