Cover of Rudin

Rudin

by Ivan Turgenev

First published
1856
Reading level
Easy
Price
Free

About the book

"Rudin: A Novel by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev" is a novel first published in 1856. It explores the "superfluous man"—a brilliant, eloquent intellectual incapable of translating words into action. When the educated nobleman Rudin arrives at a country estate, his powerful speeches captivate everyone, especially the intelligent seventeen-year-old Natalya. As their relationship deepens, the central question emerges: can this man of magnificent ideas overcome his paralyzing inability to act? Set during Russia's reformist awakening, the novel examines a generation caught between grand ideals and practical impotence.

  • Man-woman relationships
  • Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich, 1818-1883
  • Russia
  • Upper class

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #6900. Rudin on Wikipedia.

More free books by Ivan Turgenev

About Ivan Turgenev