The Inn

This work is part of the collection A Month in the Country, which explores the interactions and dynamics among various members of Russian society.

The Inn is a notable example of Turgenev’s ability to use seemingly mundane settings to explore deeper human emotions and societal dynamics. The inn, a place of transient relationships and chance encounters, becomes a metaphor for the fleeting nature of human connection. Through the various characters who pass through the inn, Turgenev weaves a complex tapestry of motivations, desires, and regrets, highlighting the transient and often illusory nature of human relationships.

Furthermore, the setting of The Inn allows Turgenev to critique the rigidity of Russian social structures. In this microcosm of Russian society, characters from different social backgrounds are briefly thrown together, only to return to their separate worlds. The interactions between the characters reveal the underlying tensions and divisions that permeate Russian life, with the inn serving as a temporary suspension of these divisions before the inevitable return to the status quo. In this way, the story serves as both a social critique and a reflection on the fleeting nature of human connection.

This critical reader's edition presents a modern translation of the original manuscript, crafted to help the reader engage directly with Turgenev's works through clean, contemporary language and simplified sentence structures that clarify his complex ideas. Supplementary material enriches the text with autobiographical, historical, and linguistic context, including an afterword on Turgenev’s history, impact, and intellectual legacy highlighting the personal relationships that shaped his philosophy (focusing on Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Gogol), an index of the philosophical concepts he employs (emphasizing Realism and Nihilism) a comprehensive chronological list of his published writings, a brief biography, and a detailed timeline of his life.