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A Serendipitous Error and An Evil Malady
It is a winter evening, and Yegor Aduyev, the scion of a wealthy family from the landed gentry, slips into the house of Baron Neilein with the intention of asking his beautiful daughter, the eighteen-year-old Yelena, to be his wife. Will the besotted lover be successful in his pursuit or will the young coquette – who seems at times to reciprocate his feelings, but who lavished lingering looks on two dashing princes during a recent ball – shatter his hopes, his dreams and his entire world?
A Serendipitous Error, an early novella of 1839, written when Goncharov was still in his twenties, is accompanied here by An Evil Malady. Taken together, these two stories – translated for the first time into English by Stephen Pearl – are further proof of the eclectic narrative skills of the celebrated author of Oblomov.
A Serendipitous Error, an early novella of 1839, written when Goncharov was still in his twenties, is accompanied here by An Evil Malady. Taken together, these two stories – translated for the first time into English by Stephen Pearl – are further proof of the eclectic narrative skills of the celebrated author of Oblomov.
128 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2024
31 people want to read
About the author
Ivan Goncharov
269 books475 followersRussian novelist Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov (/ˈɡɒntʃəˌrɔːf, -ˌrɒf/; Russian: Ива́н Алекса́ндрович Гончаро́в), best known for his novels
A Common Story
(1847),
Oblomov
(1859), and
The Precipice
(1869). He also served in many official capacities, including the position of censor.
Goncharov was born into the family of a wealthy merchant, elevated as a reward for military service of his grandfather to gentry status. A boarding school, then the Moscow college of commerce, and finally Moscow State University educated him. After graduating, he served for a short time in the office of the governor of Simbirsk before moving to Saint Petersburg, where he worked as government translator and private tutor, while publishing poetry and fiction in private almanacs. People published A Common Story , first novel of Goncharov, in Sovremennik in 1847.
Goncharov's second and best-known novel Oblomov was published in 1859 in Otechestvennye zapiski. His third and final novel The Precipice was published in Vestnik Evropy in 1869. He also worked as a literary and theatre critic. Towards the end of his life Goncharov wrote a memoir called An Uncommon Story, in which he accused his literary rivals, first and foremost Ivan Turgenev, of having plagiarized his works and prevented him from achieving European fame. The memoir was published in 1924. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, among others, considered Goncharov an author of high stature. Anton Chekhov is quoted as stating that Goncharov was "...ten heads above me in talent."
Goncharov was born into the family of a wealthy merchant, elevated as a reward for military service of his grandfather to gentry status. A boarding school, then the Moscow college of commerce, and finally Moscow State University educated him. After graduating, he served for a short time in the office of the governor of Simbirsk before moving to Saint Petersburg, where he worked as government translator and private tutor, while publishing poetry and fiction in private almanacs. People published A Common Story , first novel of Goncharov, in Sovremennik in 1847.
Goncharov's second and best-known novel Oblomov was published in 1859 in Otechestvennye zapiski. His third and final novel The Precipice was published in Vestnik Evropy in 1869. He also worked as a literary and theatre critic. Towards the end of his life Goncharov wrote a memoir called An Uncommon Story, in which he accused his literary rivals, first and foremost Ivan Turgenev, of having plagiarized his works and prevented him from achieving European fame. The memoir was published in 1924. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, among others, considered Goncharov an author of high stature. Anton Chekhov is quoted as stating that Goncharov was "...ten heads above me in talent."
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 24, 2024
4 Stars.
A 'Serendipitous Error' is an absolutely moving short story on love, driven by the foibles and idiosyncracies of the Russian character and contemporary society. Goncharov's prose is incredible, and is really elevated by the ability to truly focus on the emotional states of his characters, and develop and share their inner reveries.
I don't really understand an 'Evil Malady'. It is similarly character-driven, but the characterisation of the Zurov's compulsion to walk as an illness, is not well elucidated for me - unless there is some contemporary subtext I am missing. At times I thought I grasped it, before it was shrouded by characters' reactions pursuant of Russian contemporary manners. It was intriguing, but never went further than that, and thus is quite weak.
A 'Serendipitous Error' is an absolutely moving short story on love, driven by the foibles and idiosyncracies of the Russian character and contemporary society. Goncharov's prose is incredible, and is really elevated by the ability to truly focus on the emotional states of his characters, and develop and share their inner reveries.
I don't really understand an 'Evil Malady'. It is similarly character-driven, but the characterisation of the Zurov's compulsion to walk as an illness, is not well elucidated for me - unless there is some contemporary subtext I am missing. At times I thought I grasped it, before it was shrouded by characters' reactions pursuant of Russian contemporary manners. It was intriguing, but never went further than that, and thus is quite weak.
January 20, 2024
The one story is timeless, the other is a victim of time.
October 19, 2024
Only read 'A Serendipitous Error'.
A pleasant comedy with sporadic insights, though I didn't get very much from it, apart from the hero being such a good man and the heroine a bit spoiled.
A pleasant comedy with sporadic insights, though I didn't get very much from it, apart from the hero being such a good man and the heroine a bit spoiled.
January 21, 2025
I stumbled upon this volume during a sale for classical works at a nearby Fully Booked. The cover and synopses seemed intriguing, and although I had never heard of its author before, I could be guaranteed of a good time since it was Russian! Quickly, I checked the reviews, and, to my surprise, there were incredibly little about it. So, I took my chance on it; now, I have one more reason why Russian classics are my favorite.
This volume principally contains two short stories: "A Serendipitous Error" and "An Evil Malady." On its back is a quote by Anton Chekhov: "Goncharov is ten heads above me in talent." Having read some Chekhov and having read some Goncharov, I can say that I wholly agree with the former. Goncharov is brilliant—my new symbol of the charm and wit and depth of Russian literature. To further exemplify this, I think it most appropriate to express my opinions by examining each story individually.
"A Serendipitous Error"
In this oh-so-shirt tale, Goncharov perfectly portrays the messy intricacies of that deep affection, infatuation that is often referred to as love—from religious adoration, to petty fears, to cries for revenge, to soaking tears, and then back to blind adoration. (I would know.) It's so flawed, so human; perhaps it is what encapsulates our nature the best. In an age when love (as a topic) often feels oversaturated, Goncharov's work is as the shining light of a new dawn—hopelessly predictable, but freshly, strikingly, and stunningly so.
His characters—particularly our two protagonists—are charmingly written. Their complexities are presented in a manner so digestible and entertaining that one would be as quick to laugh and be amused as he would be to see the mirror Goncharov is holding before him. Their musings are top tier; though they often verge on the melodrama we all tend to despise, there is just the right injection of comedy and satire to allow one to look beyond this.
Ultimately, I think the story is a fine commentary on its topic—entertaining, well-written, and meaningful. This also introduced me to the fact that Goncharov's narrators are some of the liveliest I've seen in fiction. What a drug love is! How it makes us so gladly dance with its strings and sing to its tunes!
"An Evil Malady"
This second story, on the other hand, veers closer to the realm of the ridiculous and absurd. I sense some commentary on mass hysteria, but if its object were hilariously real! Although remaining witty and clever all throughout, the story, unfortunately, does not hold me as much as the previous one, and it is slightly drawn out too long. It very quickly reaches a point of ridiculousness for ridiculous's sake, and without the richness seen in the previous story. It meanders without meaning. It took me about two days to finish the former; it took me five to finish this one.
Its characters fulfill their roles, but they are nothing beyond that. The plot sounds fun, but it does not translate into any corresponding emotions. It did occasionally make me laugh, but these were too sparse to justify everything else. The short story, I feel, is better watched as a performance than read as a text.
I do remain grateful that these two stories introduced me to Goncharov. He seems—from these hundred pages—to be one of those more memorable classical writers, and I am looking forward to exploring more of his works. I believe I am in for a treat.
This volume principally contains two short stories: "A Serendipitous Error" and "An Evil Malady." On its back is a quote by Anton Chekhov: "Goncharov is ten heads above me in talent." Having read some Chekhov and having read some Goncharov, I can say that I wholly agree with the former. Goncharov is brilliant—my new symbol of the charm and wit and depth of Russian literature. To further exemplify this, I think it most appropriate to express my opinions by examining each story individually.
"A Serendipitous Error"
In this oh-so-shirt tale, Goncharov perfectly portrays the messy intricacies of that deep affection, infatuation that is often referred to as love—from religious adoration, to petty fears, to cries for revenge, to soaking tears, and then back to blind adoration. (I would know.) It's so flawed, so human; perhaps it is what encapsulates our nature the best. In an age when love (as a topic) often feels oversaturated, Goncharov's work is as the shining light of a new dawn—hopelessly predictable, but freshly, strikingly, and stunningly so.
His characters—particularly our two protagonists—are charmingly written. Their complexities are presented in a manner so digestible and entertaining that one would be as quick to laugh and be amused as he would be to see the mirror Goncharov is holding before him. Their musings are top tier; though they often verge on the melodrama we all tend to despise, there is just the right injection of comedy and satire to allow one to look beyond this.
Ultimately, I think the story is a fine commentary on its topic—entertaining, well-written, and meaningful. This also introduced me to the fact that Goncharov's narrators are some of the liveliest I've seen in fiction. What a drug love is! How it makes us so gladly dance with its strings and sing to its tunes!
"An Evil Malady"
This second story, on the other hand, veers closer to the realm of the ridiculous and absurd. I sense some commentary on mass hysteria, but if its object were hilariously real! Although remaining witty and clever all throughout, the story, unfortunately, does not hold me as much as the previous one, and it is slightly drawn out too long. It very quickly reaches a point of ridiculousness for ridiculous's sake, and without the richness seen in the previous story. It meanders without meaning. It took me about two days to finish the former; it took me five to finish this one.
Its characters fulfill their roles, but they are nothing beyond that. The plot sounds fun, but it does not translate into any corresponding emotions. It did occasionally make me laugh, but these were too sparse to justify everything else. The short story, I feel, is better watched as a performance than read as a text.
I do remain grateful that these two stories introduced me to Goncharov. He seems—from these hundred pages—to be one of those more memorable classical writers, and I am looking forward to exploring more of his works. I believe I am in for a treat.
November 22, 2024
There are three items between the covers of this book. (1) In 'A Serendipitous Error,' young landowner Yegor Petrovich Aduyev is madly in love with 18-year-old Baroness Yelena Karlovna Neyleyna and wants to marry her (although he has not yet proposed, despite having the favor of her parents). But is Yelena in love with Yegor? She is young, a bit frivolous, and has attracted any number of beaus. There is an argument/misunderstanding...and the relationship is ruptured. What will happen next? -- This is a splendid tale, with a twist ending worthy of O. Henry. A delight! (2) 'An Evil Malady' has seemingly taken control of the lovely, cultured Zurov family, a fact that does not reveal itself to the narrator, who loves visiting them during the long winter evenings (though he spends his summers outside St. Petersburg), all at once. We see the narrator struggle with what to do about what he discovers, while trying to keep a safe distance, lest he, too, fall victim to the mysterious malaise. -- This tale is longer than its immediate predecessor; I personally did not find it quite so involving. (3) 'Reproach, Explanation, Farewell' is an odd three-page pendant to the preceding. Is it autobiographical? (The helpful notes in the back of the book seem to hint that it is.) Or merely a literary exercise? Was it a part of a project that did not reach fruition? One is left to wonder. -- I do not think this book would be harmed by its omission, but it is not harmed by its inclusion, either. Read this for 'A Serendipitous Error': that is my recommendation!
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