The Diary of a Superfluous Man

5 stars. An eloquent narration of the thoughts of a dying man, Chulkaturin, as he reflects on how he never seemed to belong, and how his love for a woman cemented that narrative. Turgenev fleshed out every possible emotion from Chulkaturin's thought with the most precise descriptions. Kudos to both Turgenev and Patterson, the translator. The prose read beautifully and I was enraptured.

My second Russian literature, but similar to The Death of Ivan Ilyich, the format is in a diary of a dying man. Both fictional narratives explored a particular philosophical concept. In this case, it was the superfluous man. Yet I find that in both, the dying main characters look back on their pitiable consequences, yet do not leave with bitterness and anger at others. As Chulkaturin declares in conclusion, “Live on, ye who live!”

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My Rating System:
5⭐️: Excellent book AND influenced a change in my views ⬅️⬅️⬅️
4.5⭐️: Excellent read
4⭐️: Great read, will recommend
3.5⭐️: Enjoyable read but missing something that will make it great
3⭐️: An okay read that I didn't regret spending time on it
2⭐️: Didn't enjoy
1⭐️: Didn't enjoy and had serious issues. Will suggest to avoid.