I just finished reading Turgenev by Henri Troyat, a biography of Ivan Turgenev published in 1985 and translated by Nancy Amphoux.

This was a beautiful biography of one of my favorite writers, so it’s no surprise that I greatly enjoyed it. The book, perhaps like Turgenev’s life, is tinged with sadness, dignity, and a gentle moderation. Turgenev stuck to his principles even when they brought him public objurgation and personal disappointment. I found much to admire and much that made him human.

“His main idea was that an artist should not set out to prove anything—he could show, suggest, light the way, but not pass judgment upon his characters’ personalities or acts.”