424 Results with the "Fiction" genre
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Chapter
A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
The chapter presents a deeply moving narrative centered on Vassilyev, a law student in Moscow, who is introduced to the harrowing world of prostitution by his friends, the medical student Mayer and the artist Rybnikov. Initially ignorant and naive about the realities of "fallen women," Vassilyev's experience in S. Street's brothels profoundly affects him, leading him into a severe emotional and psychological crisis. Despite his friends' more detached or frivolous attitudes towards the encounters, Vassilyev…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
THE BEAUTIES
In "The Beauties," the narrator reminisces about two distinct encounters with extraordinary beauty that deeply moved him. The first account is a tender memory from his youth, traveling through the arid Don region with his grandfather, where they stop at an Armenian village. Here, he meets Masha, the Armenian's daughter, whose astounding beauty creates a profound sense of melancholy and longing within him. Despite the stifling heat and the dullness of their surroundings, Masha's appearance injects a moment…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
MISERY
In the bleak twilight, amidst swirling snowflakes, Iona Potapov sits motionless, cloaked in white, on his sledge. The world around him bustles with life, yet he and his horse remain still, engulfed in their own silence, contemplating their detachment from the familiar to the chaotic city life. Hours pass without a single fare, until finally, an impatient officer beckons Iona to Vyborgskaya, sparking a brief encounter filled with disconnection and misunderstanding. Despite Iona's attempt to share his grief…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
THE SHOEMAKER AND THE DEVIL
On Christmas Eve, a hardworking but poor shoemaker named Fyodor Nilov laments his lot in life as he finishes a pair of boots for a disturbing and peculiar customer from Kolokolny Lane. Consumed by thoughts of inequality and frustration with his poverty, Fyodor finds himself confronting the bizarre reality of his customer—who turns out to be the devil—with a horse-like hoof for a foot. Seeing an opportunity, Fyodor strikes a deal with the devil, asking to be made rich in exchange for his soul. The…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
CHAMPAGNE
In the vignette "Champagne: A Wayfarer's Story" from "The Schoolmistress and Other Stories," the narrator recounts his desolate existence as a railway station employee in a remote, uninhabited part of southwestern Russia. Life at the station is marked by isolation, with the only human interactions being brief glimpses of passengers through train windows and the company of his wife, a deaf telegraph clerk, and a few watchmen. The narrator's only solace in this desolation comes from drinking drugged vodka…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
AFTER THE THEATRE
After witnessing a performance of "Yevgeny Onyegin," Nadya Zelenin, a 16-year-old girl, is swept up in the romantic and tragic elements of the story. Inspired by the character Tatyana, she hastily sets about writing a dramatic and heartfelt letter, pretending to address it to a loved one as Tatyana did, professing unrequited love and the turmoil it brings. She imagines the letter is directed at Gorny, an officer, and Gruzdev, a student, both of whom are purported to love her. However, Nadya is caught up in…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
A LADY’S STORY
Nine years prior, during a hay-making season, the narrator and Pyotr Sergeyitch, the deputy prosecutor, journeyed to collect letters. Their return was marked by an approaching storm, setting a dramatic backdrop that heightened the allure of their surroundings and their spirits. Pyotr Sergeyitch, caught up in the moment's exhilaration, whimsically mused about finding shelter in a medieval castle, only to be caught in the rain and joke about being struck by lightning. This shared adventure drew them closer,…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
IN EXILE
In the stark and unforgiving expanse of Siberia, by a riverbank and the flickering light of a campfire, Old Semyon, known as Canny, converses with a young Tatar, revealing the profound isolation and despair of exile. The narrative unfolds through their dialogue, contrasting experiences, and contemplations of life in a remote, desolate environment. Semyon, hardened by twenty-two years as a ferryman, claims contentment with his simple existence, devoid of desire or ambition, preaching a philosophy of…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
THE CATTLE-DEALERS
In "The Cattle-Dealers," a chapter from "The Schoolmistress and Other Stories," we are introduced to the arduous journey of Gavril Malahin and his son Yakov (Yasha) as they transport eight vanloads of cattle by train to the city. The narrative opens with them waiting in a cold, cramped van alongside their livestock, emphasizing the discomfort and harsh conditions of their trip. Malahin Senior is depicted as a grizzled, experienced cattle dealer, accustomed to the vagaries and corruption endemic to the…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
SORROW
In the bleak mid-winter of the Galtchinskoy district, Grigory Petrov, renowned for his craftsmanship yet infamous for his folly, embarks on a harrowing journey with his ailing wife, Matryona, to seek medical help from the esteemed Pavel Ivanitch. Battling against a fierce snowstorm that obfuscates the path ahead, Grigory drives his frail horse through the relentless blizzard, motivated by a mixture of hope and desperation. As the cold wind howls and snow engulfs them, Grigory engages in a one-sided…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
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