A House of Gentlefolk

In Ivan Turgenev's A House of Gentlefolk, a provincial Russian household in 1842 becomes the stage for a drama of manners, memory, and concealed feeling. Marya Dmitrievna Kalitin presides over a comfortable, admired home, yet her sentimental dependence on routine and approval hints at deeper fragility, while her sharp, independent aunt Marfa Timofyevna cuts through hypocrisy with blunt wit. Into this carefully watched world comes Gedeonovsky, a polished gossip who turns Fedor Lavretsky's troubled marriage into social currency, exposing the ease with which civility masks cruelty. The household is further stirred by Vladimir Panshin, a handsome, self-assured official who dazzles with his style, singing, and effortless charm, especially in Lisa's presence. Yet beneath his elegance lies calculation, and his patronizing treatment of the aged musician Lemm reveals the novel's contrast between fashionable performance and genuine art. Alongside these drawing-room tensions, Mihalevitch's fervent debates with Lavretsky about faith, work, and despair deepen the novel's exploration of idealism, disillusionment, and the lonely struggle to live meaningfully. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.