Smoke

Name: Smoke
ISBN: 9787542646026

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev / 王金陵Shanghai Joint Publishing Company · ChinaJan 2016

4.1

Word count: 119K words
ISBN: 9787542646026

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Summary

Through the love story of Litvinov and Irina, Smoke reveals certain complex phenomena in Russian social life following the reform of the serf system. The novel attacks the corrupt and reactionary nature of tsarist rule and gives expression to a pessimistic mood. Turgenev compares the social and political movements of the age to a wisp of light smoke, believing that in the end they will prove to be nothing more than emptiness. Through this central metaphor, the author conveys his disillusionment with the political and social currents of his time, which he saw as ultimately futile and hollow.

Editor's review

Turgenev's Smoke is an often underrated masterpiece: not only a marker of the author's mature period, but also a key to understanding the spiritual world of Russian intellectuals in the mid-nineteenth century. Set in the German spa town of Baden-Baden, the novel weaves a complex picture of love, politics, and disillusionment through the reunion of Litvinov with his former love Irina. The title 'Smoke' is itself a philosophical metaphor, symbolizing the vanity and transience of all social activity, political ideals, and even fervent emotions in the protagonist's eyes. Unlike the direct confrontation with 'nihilism' in Fathers and Sons, Smoke dwells more on intellectuals' hesitation and powerlessness between grand ideals and personal feelings, in a more introspective, somber, even self-mocking tone. With his characteristic poetic realism, Turgenev binds subtle emotional ripples to the undercurrents of social thought, lending private narrative the weight of an era. For today's readers, Smoke is not only an appreciation of a love tragedy but a journey across time to experience an eternal spiritual predicament of hope and loss, persistence and compromise. This Shanghai Joint Publishing edition provides a reliable textual basis for a deeper understanding of the work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in nineteenth-century Russian literature and the history of social thought
Literature lovers who admire Turgenev's delicate psychological portrayal and beautiful prose style
Readers who wish to look beyond the surface of a love story to reflect on the conflict between life ideals and reality
Deep readers who appreciate novels with philosophical metaphors and symbolic meaning

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction seeking fast-paced plots and intense dramatic conflict
Readers completely unfamiliar with Russian historical background and intellectual themes who have no desire to explore them

Reading tips

When reading, pay due attention to the sidelong depictions of the debate between 'Westernizers' and 'Slavophiles,' which helps understand the era's context for the characters' words and deeds.
Smoke can be read alongside Turgenev's earlier works such as Rudin and A Nest of Gentry to observe the evolution of the author's thought and artistic style.
Do not rush to judge the protagonist Litvinov's 'weakness'; try to feel the complex sympathy and deep self-reflection Turgenev invested in portraying such a character.

About the publisher

Shanghai Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1986

Shanghai Joint Publishing Company focuses on humanities and social science publishing and has developed a distinctive profile in the collation and translation of classical literature and world classics. Its 258 titles in the database cover classical literature, world classics, foreign literature, literary appreciation, general biography, and modern poetry. Representative publications include the Annotated Dream of the Red Chamber by Zhiyanzhai series, as well as collected and selected works by classic authors such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Shakespeare. Its authors and translators include Cao Xueqin, Zhiyanzhai, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Zang Zhonglun, Zeng Siyi, Xu Zhenya, and Cao Ying. The press emphasizes the annotated collation of classic texts and the publication of authoritative translations, forming a publishing profile that spans both Chinese classical literature and world literary classics. Because public information on some details of its publishing history is limited, they are not discussed here.

FAQ

What place does Smoke hold in Turgenev's career?

Written in 1867, Smoke is an important mid-career work, situated between Fathers and Sons and Virgin Soil. It reflects the author's intellectual anguish and reflection during the period of dramatic social change in 1860s Russia, with a pessimism and skepticism especially prominent in the work.

What symbolic meaning does the title 'Smoke' have?

'Smoke' is the central image of the book, symbolizing the illusory and fleeting nature of all things that seem solid and fervent. It refers both to the vanity of social gatherings and political empty talk and to the essence of love and passion destined to dissipate, embodying the profound doubt about the value of life felt by the protagonist and the author alike.

What are the characteristics of this edition (Shanghai Joint Publishing, ISBN 9787542646026)?

This edition generally provides a reliable translation and may include introductory guidance or annotations to aid understanding. For important literary works, choosing an edition from a reputable publisher ensures the accuracy of the text and the basic quality of the reading experience.

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About the author

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev Author · Russian · 1818–1883

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (1818–1883) was a nineteenth-century Russian critical realist writer born into a noble family in Oryol Province. He lived for long periods in Western Europe and died in Paris in 1883. He excelled in fiction and sketches, and his major works include A Sportsman's Sketches, Rudin, A Nest of the Gentry, On the Eve, and Fathers and Sons. A Sportsman's Sketches depicts Russian rural life and the condition of serfs with delicate, poetic strokes while combining realism with a critical spirit; his novels often center on the spiritual quest of noble intellectuals, generational conflict, and social change, with meticulous psychological portrayal and clear, concise language. His work holds an important place in Russian literature's transition from Romanticism to Realism and has been widely translated, offering lasting insight into nineteenth-century Russian society and thought.

王金陵 Author

Wang Jinling: currently, public information is limited, and details of the author's life, such as place of origin, education, and dates of birth and death, are not clearly recorded. According to the available library data, one work by Wang Jinling, Yan (Smoke), is included, commonly classified under foreign literature. It can therefore be inferred that the author's writing or translation activity is related to works of foreign literature, and the title Yan itself carries literary imagery, possibly involving exotic themes or cross-cultural writing. Since only this one work is held and supporting materials such as the author's own statements or publication notes are lacking, it is still difficult to determine the specific orientation, stylistic features, and readership impact of the author's creative and translational work. A fuller understanding of Wang Jinling would require additional public information, including editions, prefaces and afterwords, and related reviews. This entry is limited to the available facts and objectively presents the author's basic profile in Chinese bibliographic records.