
Smoke
'Smoke ' Summary
The novel opens in the German bathing resort of Baden-Baden (or simply Baden) in the summer of 1862, where the young Russian Grigory Litvinov has arrived en route home to Russia to meet his fiancée Tatiana Shestov, who will soon be arriving with her aunt and guardian, Kapitolina Markovna Shestov, from Dresden. In Baden Litvinov soon encounters Rostislav Bambaev, an acquaintance from Moscow. Later that evening at a social gathering Bambaev introduces Litvinov to the political activist Stepan Nikolaevitch Gubaryov. Litvinov is not overly impressed by the gathering nor especially by the nondescript looking Gubaryov. After this Litvinov returns to a local restaurant where he is approached by Sozont Ivanitch Potugin, who introduces himself to Litvinov as a fellow Russian. Litvinov had noted Potugin at the earlier get-together at Gubaryov’s where Potugin had not spoken a word. Potugin now opens up to Litvinov and Litvinov in turn is captivated by Potugin’s way with words. In a rather one-sided conversation Potugin vents his frustrations regarding the Russian character – its tendency towards servitude and flights of idealism that lead nowhere. Later back in his rooms, Litvinov finds a letter from his father and also a gift of heliotrope flowers on his windowsill brought by a mysterious woman who, according to the servant, did not leave her name. The letter from his father reveals the superstition of the rural Russian. The flowers, though they come without a note, seem to strike a deep and powerful resonance with Litvinov. Later that night, unable to sleep, he suddenly realizes who might have brought them.
The story now reverts to about a decade earlier to relate the background story of the young Grigory Litvinov and Irina Osinin. Acquaintances in Moscow, the two fall in love when barely out of childhood and promise themselves to one another. Unlike Litvinov, Irina comes from an ennobled family of long pedigree, though in recent times fallen into near penury. One day the Osinin family, in view of their nobility, are invited to a ball being thrown by the emperor on his visit to Moscow. Irina agrees to go though she pleads with Litvinov not to go himself and Litvinov acquiesces to her wishes, though he does bring her a bouquet of heliotrope. Irina’s beauty makes quite an impression at the court ball and the very next day the court chamberlain Count Reisenbach, a relation of the Osinins and a wealthy man with high connections, decides he will adopt his niece Irina and bring her to live with him in St. Petersburg. Irina is heartbroken but bends to her parents’ wishes to become his adopted niece and heiress. It means leaving Litvinov and she writes to him breaking off their relationship. Soon thereafter she is whisked away to St. Petersburg and her new home.
The story moves back to Baden. Litvinov wonders excitedly whether it wasn’t Irina who left him the flowers. The next morning Litvinov decides to escape Baden and the Russian crowd by hiking alone up in the hills around the town's old castle. Stopping later at the old castle for refreshment, he encounters the arrival of a large Russian entourage, clearly composed of Russian nobility of the highest rank, many in military uniforms. Among them, a young woman calls to Litvinov and he soon recognizes her as Irina, his former love. The ten years since their last meeting in Moscow has brought her to her full bloom and he is struck by her mature beauty. Litvinov is introduced to her husband, the general Valerian Vladimirovitch Ratmirov, an affable man who it soon becomes clear holds very conservative opinions, wishing to turn back the clock on all the reforms that have taken place in Russia. As the “son of a plebeian”, Litvinov feels out of place among these aristocrats and put off by their manners and opinions. He bids farewell to Irina and she urges him to come see her while in Baden.
Book Details
Authors

Ivan Turgenev
Russia
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, translator and popularizer of Russian literature in the West. His first major publication, a short story collec...
Books by Ivan TurgenevDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Λόγια της Πλώρης: Θαλασσινά Διηγήματα by Andreas Karkavitsas
Λόγια της Πλώρης is a collection of short stories by Andreas Karkavitsas that delve into the lives of people connected to the sea. Through evocative p...

His Darling Sin by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
In Mary Elizabeth Braddon's *His Darling Sin*, Grace Perivale, a wealthy and beautiful young woman, is devastated by the sudden death of her beloved h...

Ball and the Cross by Gilbert K. Chesterton
The Ball and the Cross is G. K. Chesterton's third novel. In the introduction Martin Gardner notes that it is a "mixture of fantasy, farce and theolog...

The Norse King's Bridal by Eleanor Mary Smith-Dampier
It follows the story of a young woman who is captured by a Norse king and forced to marry him. The novel is set in the year 950 AD, during a time when...

Heart of Happy Hollow by Paul Laurence Dunbar
This book is a collection of short stories that explores the lives and experiences of African Americans in the early 20th century. Through vivid chara...

Fenton's Quest by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Gilbert Fenton, a successful businessman from London, finds himself captivated by a beautiful woman from the countryside. Despite the significant soci...

Mashi and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
'Mashi and Other Stories' is a collection of short stories by the renowned Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. The stories explore various aspects of...

Keep Your Own Secret by Pedro Calderón de la Barca
The play centers around the lives of two brothers, Octavio and Flavio, who both fall in love with the same woman, Rosaura. The story delves into theme...

House of Hospitalities by Thomas Hardy
The House of Hospitalities is a collection of poems by Thomas Hardy, exploring themes of rural life, love, loss, and the passage of time. Hardy's dist...

Her Mother's Secret by E.D.E.N. Southworth
Odalite and Leonidas, long-time lovers, are on the verge of marriage. However, a past secret of Odalite's mother emerges, threatening to ruin their h...
Reviews for Smoke
No reviews posted or approved, yet...