The Novels of Ivan Turgenev: A desperate character, and other stories

This volume is part of the definitive fifteen-volume edition of the works of Ivan Turgenev, translated by Constance Garnett and originally published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Heinemann. The collection is notable for introducing English-speaking audiences to the psychological depth and social commentary of Turgenev’s prose, with Garnett’s translations serving as the standard for decades. This specific ISBN represents a later reprint issued by AMS Press, which focused on producing scholarly quality hardback editions of out-of-print classic literature for academic libraries.

Constance Garnett is credited with the monumental task of rendering the Russian master’s work into accessible English. Her approach prioritized readability and the preservation of the lyrical quality of Turgenev's writing, a choice that met with widespread critical acclaim despite later scholarly debates regarding occasional omissions or inaccuracies. This particular volume, containing 'A Desperate Character,' reflects the somber, introspective themes central to Turgenev’s later short fiction, which often explored the existential malaise of the Russian intelligentsia.