This collection of short stories surprised me somewhat because I might argue that I was more impressed with the translator than I was with the author. Admittedly, since I am not fluent in Russian, I cannot, with any authority, say what I admired so much in the translation wasn't inherent in the original Russian of the 19th century. In any event, the writing was so fresh and so easily mistaken for a much more contemporary writer. As for the stories themselves, I was reading the book because it contains a translation of "The Singers" which is studied in George Saunders book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, which I am prepping to read. It also includes "First Love" from which a movie was made many years ago, at a time when lens filters used to distort the images were all the rage. Frankly, my favorite story was "Bezhin Meadow" partly because of its narratives perspective for the given situation, but also because I could identify so well with it. I can't honestly say the stories themselves compel me to recommend the book, but, all in all, it was a very pleasurable read. ( )