Pleasurable Reading: Turgenev’s Literary Reminiscences

The text of this edition, with David Magarshack’s introduction, is filled with wisdom like this: “Life itself is nothing but a contradiction that has to be constantly overcome.” And this: “No artist of real talent ever serves aims other than his own, and he finds satisfaction in himself alone; the life that surrounds him provides him with the contents of his work; he is the  concentrated reflection…”

You’ll forgive Turgenev for using the non-inclusive pronoun “he” — won’t you? He is a creature of the 19th century.