Turgenev is an extraordinary author. His short fiction and novels are completely engrossing and amazing works, I mean, I couldn't put 'Lives of the Gentle Folk' down.

I will say, however, that Turgenev has never met a happy ending. Sometimes it is hard to read his work knowing that the protagonists will all suffer terribly and lead lives of unfulfilled frustration...assuming they aren't killed along the way.

This edition could have been titled 'And They All Died In Horrible Agony: The Complete Works Of Ivan Turgenev" ( )