First Love

First Love is a classic tale of romance by Russian author Ivan Turgenev, famous for its autobiographical overtones. Originally published in 1860, the story begins at a party in which three middle-aged men are each telling the tale of their first love. When our protagonist Vladimir Petrovich has his turn to tell his, he proposes to write it down in a notebook and read it. Herein we are told about Vladimir's sixteen year old self, who is staying with his family in the countryside, wherein he meets his new neighbour Zinaida Alexandrovna Zasyekina. Although the girl is five years his senior, the young Vladimir falls for her immediately. However the beautiful and mischievous Zinaida has other suitors, and many are better placed in life compared with the teenage Vladimir. On its release, the literary press of the day responded to First Love with a mixed reception. On the one hand the sensuous portrayal of a youthful coming-of-age love story and the superb characterisation Turgenev deftly wove into the narrative brought much praise. On the other hand the lack of a socially conscious atmosphere - a popular trait of Russian fiction at the time - and the shocking nature of the conclusion led some critics to write disapproving reviews.