Eugene Onegin (Translated by Henry Spalding)

Set in first part of the 18th century in imperialist Russia, “Eugene Onegin” is a novel in verse, first published serially in 1825, which follows the destiny of its titular character. Eugene is a dandy, whose life involves nothing more than the social whirl of St. Petersburg, with which he has become increasingly bored. When a wealthy uncle dies he inherits a substantial fortune and a country estate where he promptly moves for a change of scenery. There he befriends his neighbor, a young, idealistic, and naive, poet named Vladimir Lensky. After attending an invitation to dinner at the home of the family of Lensky’s fiancée, Olga Larina, Eugene becomes acquainted with her younger sister Tatyana. In a letter, Tatyana confesses that she is romantically drawn to Eugene however he rebuffs her advances confessing that he would only grow bored with her after a time, a decision that he would later come to regret. Tragically suspenseful, lively, and skillfully rendered, “Eugene Onegin” has proven to be not only the favorite work of its author, but a classic of Russian literature, widely acknowledged as Alexander Pushkin’s masterpiece. This edition follows the translation of Henry Spalding.