About Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Turgenev was a prominent Russian novelist, playwright, and short story writer of the 19th century, best known for his lyrical prose and insightful portrayals of Russian society. Born on November 9, 1818, in Oryol, Russia, Turgenev emerged as a leading figure in Russian literature alongside contemporaries like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. He often explored themes of generational conflict, class division, and the clash between progressive and traditional values. His refined literary style and humanistic tone made his works accessible to both Russian and European readers, significantly influencing Western perceptions of Russia.
185 Powerful Ivan Turgenev Quotes to Inspire You
Here are 185 Powerful quotes by Ivan Turgenev on various topics to inspire you.
6. “Yes, man’s a strange being. When you look at a quiet, dull life, like my good parents’ life here, cursorily or from a distance, you think – what could be better? Eat, drink and know you’re acting in the most correct, sensible way. But that’s not how it is. Boredom descends. You want to engage with people, even if just to shout at them, but still engage with them.”
Ivan Turgenev
Life, Boredom, Humanity, Engagement, Routine
13. “Both were silent, but the very way in which they were silent, in which they were sitting together, was expressive of confidential intimacy; each of them seemed not even to be thinking of his companion, while secretly rejoicing in his presence.”
Ivan Turgenev Silence, Intimacy, Friendship, Presence, Understanding
14. “You see what a hideous spectacle; the worm half-crushed but writhing still. And, you see, I thought too: I’d break down so many things, I wouldn’t die, why should I! There were problems to be solved, and I was a giant! And now all the problem for the giant is how to die decently.”
Ivan Turgenev Despair, Dreams, Death, Collapse, Mortality
15. “Strange things happen on this earth: you can live a long while with someone and be on the friendliest of terms, and yet you’ll never once talk openly with him, from the depths of your soul; while with someone else you may scarcely have met, at one glance, whether you to him or he to you, just as in a confessional, you’ll blurt out the story of your life.”
Ivan Turgenev Connection, Soul, Openness, Relationship, Fate
16. “Everything on earth – both the good things and the bad things – is not given to a man according to his just deserts, but as a result of certain as yet unknown, yet logical, laws which I won’t even undertake to suggest to you, although it sometimes seems to me that I feel them as through a glass darkly.”
Ivan Turgenev Justice, Life, Mystery, Philosophy, Inequality
26. “A man is capable of understanding everything – how the ether vibrates and what happens on the sun. But to understand how another man can blow his nose differently from the way he blows his own is something beyond his capability.”
Ivan Turgenev Understanding, Irony, Humanity, Science, Complexity
