Eugene Oneguine

Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich, 1799-1837Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.8

Word count: 230K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Eugene Oneguine [Onegin] by Aleksandr Sergeevich PushkinAuthor: Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich, 1799-1837,Language: English, Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature, Release Date: Dec 27, 2007

Editor's review

Eugene Onegin is Pushkin's novel in verse, shaping classic figures such as Onegin and Tatyana through narrative poetry and regarded as one of the sources of the "superfluous man" tradition in Russian literature. This Project Gutenberg edition is an English translation, a public-domain eBook in the Slavic languages and literature class; its greatest strength is allowing readers who do not know Russian to approach the original's verse form and narrative rhythm and to feel Pushkin's ease in moving between lyrical digressions and character portrayal. In terms of reading context, it suits use as an introduction to Russian literature and a text for comparative literature reading, and also suits readers who want to understand the genre of the novel in verse. Note that a translation cannot fully convey the subtleties of Russian meter and rhyme; readers may compare multiple translations or supplement with background guides. Overall, this is a classic that is not long but very dense, best read slowly and reread.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of foreign literature who want an introduction to Russian literary classics
Readers interested in the genre of the novel in verse and narrative poetry
Students who need a public-domain English translation for course reading or comparative study

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want light plot-driven stories and have no patience for verse form
Readers who want to read the Russian original directly or seek a single authoritative translation

Reading tips

Read the introduction first to understand the features of the novel in verse and the relationships among characters, then begin the main text
Proceed chapter by chapter, and after each chapter look back at the lyrical digressions to appreciate the interweaving of narrative and commentary
A Chinese translation may be consulted alongside to compare key passages and understand the translator's choices

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I understand this book without any Russian?

Yes. This edition is an English translation, so you can follow the story and characters without knowing Russian. However, the original's meter and rhyme are partly lost in translation; it is advisable to use the translator's preface or an introduction to understand the verse features and to accept the translation's limitations in sound and rhythm.

Why is it called a novel in verse?

The entire book is written in verse, telling a complete story in poetic form while containing many lyrical digressions and comments. It has both the plot and character portrayal of a novel and the rhythm and rhetoric of poetry; it is a highly representative genre experiment by Pushkin.

Do I need to know Russian history first to read this book?

Not in depth, but understanding early 19th-century Russian aristocratic social life, social customs, and literary background will make it easier to understand the characters' behavior and the author's satire. It is best to read a concise background introduction first, then enter the main text, marking unclear points as you read and looking them up afterward.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich, 1799-1837 Author

Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin (1799–1837) is a founding figure in the history of Russian literature, whose work spans poetry, fiction and prose. The collection here includes 17 of his works, ranging from the verse novel Eugene Onegin to such celebrated prose tales as The Captain's Daughter and The Queen of Spades, along with several volumes of poems and prose stories. He is known for depicting character and period with concise, musical language, and his narrative style blends lyricism with irony. His influence on later Russian literature has been profound. Public information is limited, and this note only outlines the themes and style of his works based on the catalogue entries and established general knowledge.