Faber & Faber · Books & Media
House of Gentlefolk
€18.50
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Prices last checked 4 Nov 2026, 11:29 UTC. Delivery and checkout conditions apply.
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In stock · Checked 4 Nov 2026, 11:29 UTC
About this product
A sequel to Rudin , A House of Gentlefolk was originally published in 1858 and was translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett in 1894. A quintessential Turgenev novel about Russian society, idealism, innocence and disillusionment it is set amidst the green fields owned by bourgeois Russians. The novel pivots around the character of Lisa, a smart and accomplished young woman who represents the traditional, dutiful, innocent and modest Russian girlhood from that era. Lavretsky, the hero, is a man of action and a man of culture. He, like Lisa, is a democratic Russian and so it is almost inevitable that he and Lisa fall in love. Their contentment is short-lived, however, as a woman from Lavretsky's past enters their lives and threatens to ruin their happiness forever. Although a melancholy story the novel's overall tone remains one of hope and it is easy to see how A House of Gentlefolk became the favourite Turgenev novel for English-speaking readers.