Two gentlemen were sitting in a carelessly decorated apartment in St. Petersburg, on one of the big streets. One was about thirty-five and the other was about forty-five years old.
The first was Boris Pavlovich Raisky, the second was Ivan Ivanovich Ayanov.
Boris Pavlovich had a lively, extremely mobile physiognomy. At first glance, he seemed younger than his years: his large white forehead shone with freshness, his eyes changed, sometimes they lit up with thoughts, feelings, gaiety, sometimes they became thoughtful and dreamy, and then they seemed young, almost youthful. Sometimes they looked mature, tired, bored and exposed the age of their owner. There were even three slight wrinkles gathering around the eyes, these indelible signs of time and experience. Smooth black hair fell to the back of the head and over the ears, and at the temples there were a few white hairs. The cheeks, as well as the forehead, around the eyes and mouth still retained their youthful color, but at the temples and around the chin the color was yellowish-swarthy.
In general, one could easily guess from the face that time of life when the struggle between youth and maturity had already taken place, when a person moved to the second half of life, when every lived experience, feeling, illness leaves a trace. Only his mouth retained, in the elusive play of thin lips and in his smile, a young, fresh, sometimes almost childish expression.
Raisky was dressed in a gray home coat and sat with his feet up on the sofa.
Ivan Ivanovich, on the contrary, was in a black tailcoat. White gloves and a hat lay next to him on the table. His face was distinguished by calm, or rather indifferent expectation to everything that might happen around him.
A smart look, intelligent lips, a dark-yellowish complexion, beautifully trimmed, heavily grayed hair on his head and sideburns, moderate movements, restrained speech and an impeccable suit - this is his outer portrait.
On his face one could read the calm self-confidence and understanding of others peeping out of his eyes. “A man has grown old, knows life and people,” an observer will say about him, and if he does not classify him as a special, superior nature, then even less so as a naive nature.
This was a representative of the majority of natives of universal St. Petersburg and together what is called socialite. He belonged to St. Petersburg and the world, and it would be difficult to imagine him anywhere in another city other than St. Petersburg, and in another sphere other than the world, that is, the well-known upper stratum of the St. Petersburg population, although he has both a service and his own affairs, but you most often meet him in most living rooms, in the morning - on visits, at dinners, at evenings: at the latter he is always at cards. He is so-so: neither character, nor spinelessness, nor knowledge, nor ignorance, nor conviction, nor skepticism.
Ignorance or lack of conviction is clothed in the form of some kind of easy, superficial denial of everything: he treated everything carelessly, not sincerely bowing to anything, not deeply believing in anything and not being particularly partial to anything. A little mocking, skeptical, indifferent and even in relations with everyone, not giving anyone constant and deep friendship, but also not pursuing anyone with persistent enmity.
He was born, studied, grew up and lived to old age in St. Petersburg, without traveling further than Lakhta and Oranienbaum on one side, Toksov and Srednyaya Rogatka on the other. From this, the whole St. Petersburg world, all St. Petersburg practicality, morals, tone, nature, service were reflected in him, like the sun in a drop - this second St. Petersburg nature, and nothing more.
He had no view of any other life, no concepts other than those given by his own and foreign newspapers. St. Petersburg passions, the St. Petersburg view, the St. Petersburg annual routine of vices and virtues, thoughts, deeds, politics and even, perhaps, poetry - this is where his life revolved, and he did not break out of this circle, finding in it complete satisfaction to his nature to the point of luxury.
For forty years in a row, he indifferently watched how, with each spring, crowded steamships sailed abroad, stagecoaches, and then carriages, left for the interior of Russia - how crowds of people moved “with a naive mood” to breathe a different air, to refresh themselves, to seek impressions and entertainment.
He had never felt such a need, and he did not recognize it in others either, but looked at them, at these others, calmly, indifferently, with a very decent expression on his face and a look that said: “Let them be my own, but I won’t go.” "
He spoke simply, moving freely from subject to subject, and always knew about everything that was happening in the world, in the world and in the city; followed the details of the war, if there was a war, learned with indifference about a change in the English or French ministry, read the latest speech in parliament and in the French Chamber of Deputies, always knew about the new play and about who was stabbed to death at night in Vyborg side. He knew the genealogy, the state of affairs and estates, and the scandalous chronicle of every large house in the capital; He knew every minute what was going on in the administration, about changes, promotions, awards - he also knew the city gossip: in a word, he knew his world well.
His mornings were spent wandering around the world, that is, in living rooms, partly on business and work - he often began the evening with a performance, and always ended with cards at the English Club or with friends, and everyone was familiar to him.
He played cards without mistakes and had a reputation as a pleasant player, because he was lenient towards the mistakes of others, never got angry, and looked at a mistake with the same decency as at great move. Then he played both big and small, both with big players and with capricious ladies.
He completed his military service well, spending about fifteen years in offices, in positions of executor of other people's projects. He subtly guessed the boss’s thought, shared his view of the matter and deftly put it on paper various projects. The boss changed, and with him the view and the project: Ayanov worked just as smartly and deftly with a new boss, on a new project - and all the ministers under whom he served liked his memos.
Now he was with one of them on special assignments. In the mornings he came to his office, then to his wife in the living room and actually carried out some of her instructions, and in the evenings on the appointed days he certainly formed a party with whomever they asked. He had a fairly large rank and salary - and no business.
If one is allowed to penetrate into someone else's soul, then in the soul of Ivan Ivanovich there was no darkness, no secrets, nothing mysterious ahead, and Macbeth's witches themselves would have found it difficult to seduce him with some more brilliant lot or take away from him the one to which he was marching so consciously and worthy. Promote from civil servants to active civil servants, and in the end, for long-term and useful service and “indefatigable labors,” both in service and in the cards, to privy councilors, and drop anchor in the port, in some imperishable commission or in committee, with the preservation of salaries - and there, worry about the human ocean, the century changes, the fate of peoples, kingdoms fly into the abyss - everything will fly past him until an apoplectic or other blow stops the course of his life.
Ayanov was married, widowed, and had a twelve-year-old daughter who was raised at the institute at public expense, and he, having settled his affairs, led the quiet and carefree life of an old bachelor.
Only one thing disturbed his calm - hemorrhoids from a sedentary life; in the future, an alarming event seemed to him - to interrupt this life for a while and visit somewhere on the waters. That's what the doctor threatened him with.
– Isn’t it time to get dressed: quarter past four! - said Ayanov.
“Yes, it’s time,” answered Raisky, waking up from his reverie.
-What are you thinking about? – asked Ayanov.
- About whom? - Raisky corrected. - Yes, everything about her... about Sophia...
- Again! Well! – Ayanov noted.
Raisky began to get dressed.
– Don’t you miss me dragging you there? – asked Raisky.
– Not at all: it doesn’t matter to play, what’s there, what’s with the Ivlevs? True, it is ashamed to beat the old women a little: Anna Vasilievna beats her partner’s cards blindly, and Nadezhda Vasilievna says out loud where she will go.
Boris Pavlovich Raisky, 35 years old, talks in his St. Petersburg apartment with Ivan Ivanovich Ayanov, a 40-year-old official. Friends are going to visit Sofya Nikolaevna Belovodova, second cousin Raisky.
Belovodova is a 24-year-old widow. Her mother died before her daughter’s marriage, and her father spent his fortune on women. Sophia lives with two rich aunts who love to play cards with Ayanov while Raisky talks with his cousin.
Raisky is bored. He observes the deep calm of his cousin, like a painting or a statue, and wants to understand whether she has feelings and passions. Boris persuades Sophia to live not according to the rules of her ancestors, but to live her own life, to love, to suffer. Raisky wants to paint a portrait of Sophia, and he is also planning a serious matter - to write a novel.
Raisky has been living in St. Petersburg for about 10 years. He is a retired college secretary. Raisky left his service as soon as he entered it. He was raised by a guardian. At school he loved to read and draw, he loved music, but he played it not from notebooks, but by ear. A German teacher characterizes him this way: “His abilities are amazing, but his laziness is even more amazing.”
After entering the university, Raisky went on vacation to his great-aunt Tatyana Markovna Berezhkova. The grandmother managed the estate of Raisky’s parents in the village of Malinovka near the Volga and raised her orphaned cousins, 6 and 5 years old, Verochka and Marfinka. Next to her parents’ old house, her grandmother ordered a new one to be built, in which she and Marfinka lived. Vera lived alone in an old house.
Raisky is hospitably greeted and treated like a host. Boris seemed to have a mother, sisters, and a kind uncle. This uncle is grandmother’s friend Vatutin Tit Nilych. He is a retired military man who bought a house in the city. There was a rumor that in their youth, grandmother and Vatutin loved each other, but they wanted to marry her off to someone else, which is why she remained an old girl.
Boris is attracted by the cliff above the Volga, from which a beautiful view opens. During the life of his parents, the jealous man killed his wife and lover on this cliff, and then stabbed himself to death and was buried right there. There is a gazebo below, now abandoned.
After staying there, Raisky returned to the university. It was difficult for him to study because he could not reason about anything, but saw images. He became close to the poor man Leonty Kozlov, the son of a deacon, who knew Greek and Latin and introduced Raisky to ancient authors. Raisky began writing poetry and prose.
After graduating from the university, Raisky entered the ranks of a cadet. He lived like all the “golden youth”. Then he applied for a transfer to the civil service, but he didn’t stay there long either and began going to the art academy, but rarely attended classes. Six months later he painted “Hector’s Farewell to Andromache.” The professors appreciated the artist’s talent, but advised him to study for another 3 years, and Raisky wanted immediate fame.
Raisky switched to the novel. He rereads and edits several autobiographical chapters of his future novel. It describes how Natasha, who fell in love with Raisky two years ago, dies. He became bored with her devotion and did not marry. Raisky began to sketch out the beginning of a new novel.
Raisky decided to complete the portrait of Sophia. Ayanov thought the portrait was too revealing, and the artist Kirilov didn’t like the portrait either: one arm was shorter than the other. Kirilov proposes to draw a praying figure and turn the portrait into a harlot.
Boris brings the portrait to Sophia and declares his love to her. Sophia believes that the portrait embellishes the original and offers friendship. Raisky suspects that she is in love with the Italian Count Milari. As soon as Sophia rejects Raisky, his passion fades away.
Part two
At the request of his grandmother, Raisky comes to his Malinovka estate for the summer. He is not interested in accounts and management reports; he admits that he tore them up in St. Petersburg. Boris wants to give the estate to his sisters Marfinka and Verochka. The grandmother does not agree, the girls have their own dowry, but, in the end, she undertakes to manage the estate further, fearing that Raisky will pawn it or sell it. Under her management, the estate is in complete order.
Raisky is dating Marfinka, a plump blonde cheerful girl 20 years old. Vera is across the Volga with a priest friend.
Raisky examines the city, which seems to him like a cemetery or desert. The city is a good setting for his future novel. Marfinka may become the center of the novel, but there is not enough passion: Marfinka is obedient to her grandmother and fearful, she did not go to the cliff with Raisky.
In the city, Raisky finds a student friend, Leonty Kozlov, a gymnasium teacher. Leonty is immersed in ancient books. Raisky helped him settle in a city near his estate and transferred books from his library to his care. In the letter, Kozlov wrote that several books were damaged by Mark Volokhov. Leonty compiled a catalog of library books from the Raisky estate. Later it turns out that Vera helped him. Raisky gives Kozlov his library and reproaches him for being out of touch with life.
Ugly Kozlov is married to Ulinka, the daughter of the steward of a government institution, where the students dined. Ulinka is still very good, her head reminds Kozlova antique statue. 5 years after graduation, Leonty took her from Moscow from her aunt, where she ended up after the death of her father and was seriously ill. Later, Ulyana admits to Raisky that she does not love Kozlov, she got married only because he called.
The grandmother believes that her grandson got away with it and that fate will punish him. Boris and Tatyana Markovna reach a truce and decide that everyone will live as they please. From Raisky’s point of view, the grandmother is torn between common sense and legends.
Marfinka is a happy child under her grandmother’s protection. Raisky wants to awaken passion in her, but he fails. Marfinka does not understand his hints, but she is excited and embarrassed by his conversations, and does not even say anything to her grandmother. Raisky draws a portrait of Marfinka and corrects the essay about Natasha in order to insert it into the novel.
On the estate, Raisky observes a drama: the peasant Savely punishes his wife Marina for fornication. The grandmother admits that the servants are all sinners, but Marina is especially promiscuous in her relationships. Passion for love adventures It also happens among landowners. Grandmother's guest Polina Karpovna Kritskaya, a widow, likes someone to be in love with her, she flirts with all the young people, with Raisky, but she doesn't go beyond words.
Raisky meets Mark Volokhov, whom he found climbing into the window of Leonty Kozlov. Mark is inclined to break traditions and even the law. Boris invites Mark to have dinner at his grandmother's. In the conversation, Mark calls Raisky a loser.
Raisky is overcome by boredom. Vera comes from the priest. The sisters are as different as day and night. Raisky leaves Marfinka, who has shown no hope of transforming from a child into a woman, and watches the dark-haired beauty Vera. He is indifferent to everything except beauty.
The landowner Vikentyev, 23 years old, Marfinka’s friend, comes to visit. They suit each other very well: lively and cheerful. Other guests arrive, each with their own character and story.
Raisky is bored. He draws the servants, goes to the city, visits Kozlov, but finds his wife with her lover. From there he goes to Mark Volokhov. Mark makes a bet with Paradise that in 2 weeks Boris will fall in love.
Vera avoids Raisky. He can't stop thinking about her. They explain themselves. Vera says that if she doesn’t feel free, she will leave. Raisky wonders who emancipated her. Raisky and Vera agree on friendship.
Part three
In order not to think about Vera, Raisky is engaged in imaginary activities: he goes to the fields, promises to go with his grandmother on visits. Guests arrive on Sunday. Nil Andreevich Tychkov (a well-known person in the city, chairman of the chamber, an example of morality) laughed rudely at Kritskaya. Raisky accuses him of insulting a woman and recalls the old story of how Tychkov once robbed his own niece and locked him in an insane asylum. Tatyana Markovna kicked out Nil Andreevich. Raisky, delighted with her act, kisses her.
Tychkov's authority has been undermined. His grandmother respected him for 40 years and kicked him out one day. Raisky draws a portrait of his grandmother. His relationship with Vera is improving. She is calmly indifferent to him, but allows him to talk to her.
A month has passed since the bet was made. Raisky is eager to leave. When he comes to say goodbye to Leonty, he finds Mark with him. Mark teases him that he won't finish the novel because he's a loser, and that he's in love.
Raisky asks Vera to show the letter she is reading. Boris suspects that Vera hid the letter on blue paper. Raisky, who thought that his feelings for Vera had subsided, is jealous of Vera for the author of the letter.
Raisky is forced to paint a portrait of Kritskaya and drives her to exhaustion. He wants to find out from Vera who the letter is from. Vera announces that she loves someone else.
Raisky, at the request of Mark, who, living in the city under police surveillance, gave him forbidden books to read, takes the blame upon himself and goes to explain himself to the governor.
Vera leaves again for the priest. Paradise is lonely. He asks his grandmother who Vera might be in love with. Grandmother assumes that he is a forester. This is the nickname of the landowner Ivan Ivanovich Tushin, with whom Vera is friends. Tushin has a steam saw factory, he sells timber and lives in its thicket with his sister.
Raisky spends a lot of time with Kritskaya, there is even a rumor in the city that he is in love. Boris comes to Kozlov to reason with his wife, who is constantly cheating on her husband. His persuasion ends in a love scene. Raisky is amazed by his own lack of will.
Vera admits to Raisky that her hero is not Tushin. To protect her, her grandmother orders a moralizing novel to be read aloud. After reading it, Vikentyev makes an offer to Marfinka, which she tells her grandmother about. The next day, Vikentyev’s mother arrived and the matchmaking ceremony took place.
Preparations for the wedding are underway in the house. Raisky talks to Vera. She believes that he does not love her, but is carried away by her, as he was carried away by other women.
Raisky, walking in the garden, is mistaken by Vera for someone else. This is how he finds out about Vera’s upcoming date. But he doesn’t know that this is a date with Mark, whom Vera met last summer when he was stealing apples from her garden.
Part four
Vera met Mark in an old gazebo. They have very different views on life, although they love each other. Vera asks not to give prohibited books to young people, to be quiet. Mark accuses her of wanting to get married, and he is looking for a comrade in her. They decide to break up.
Vera was unable to break off her relationship with Mark. She again leaves for the Volga to the priest. From there, Raisky receives friendly or mocking letters. As it turned out later, Vera and the priest wrote them one by one as a joke. One of the notes called on Raisky to help someone in need. Raisky sent him 220 rubles. Subsequently, it turned out that Vera did not know anything about this note; it was written by Mark, who already owed Raisky 80 rubles and threatened that he would not give them back.
Kozlov fell ill, and his wife and Frenchman Charles left him. The grandmother offers to take Leonty to her place.
Raisky receives a letter from Ayanov, from which he learns that Sophia was compromised by a note to Count Milari, and the Count himself emigrated to Paris, where he, it turns out, has a fiancee-cousin.
Raisky is saddened by Vera's departure, but suddenly she appears when he is pining over a cliff. She doesn't look like herself. She says passion changed her. When asked who she loves, Vera replies that Raisky. He doesn't believe her, he thinks she's crazy. Vera asks Raisky to help her: to hold her by force, not to let her go onto the cliff.
Vera, hearing the shot (conventional signal), ran to the cliff. Raisky detained her, but she begged “for Christ’s sake” for 5 minutes.
Vera and Mark in the gazebo decide to part forever. Vera insists that love is not an animal attraction, but a duty, Mark does not promise eternal love and is not going to get married. All year Vera wanted to influence Mark, but did not achieve her goal. Mark, although he overcame Vera’s heart, did not overpower his mind and will. When parting, Mark warns that if Vera turns around, she will be his. Vera turned around and shouted: “Mark, goodbye!”
Raisky waited for Vera until 11. He is in despair: for 5 months their relationship has not been defined. Raisky decides to see who Vera’s chosen one is. When Raisky found out everything, he was furious. He rudely pushes Kritskaya away in the garden, who was looking for a date with him, and waits until the morning for Vera to look into her eyes. Arriving home, Vera collapses.
Part five
Vera forgives Raisky for his ignoble act, tells the story of her relationship with Mark and asks him to pass everything on to his grandmother. The grandmother pretends not to notice anything, but she feels that Vera is in great grief and tells Raisky about this.
Vera finds the strength to go out to the guests who came for Marfinka’s name day. In the garden, Tushin proposes to her, but Vera, thinking that he has found out everything, hurries to tell him about her fall.
Marfinka leaves to visit the groom's mother. Raisky tells his grandmother about Vera and Mark. Grandma wanders through the fields like crazy for three days. On the third day she becomes seriously ill. The servants make vows in the hope of her recovery. The devout Saveliy promises to light a large gilded candle, and Varvara promises to go on foot to Kyiv. She was later released from her vow by a priest.
Raisky is amazed by the greatness of his grandmother’s personality. On the same day that her grandmother fell ill, Vera began to develop a fever and delirium. Hearing that Vera is sick, her grandmother goes to her, takes care of her and forgives her. Faith is confessed to grandmother.
Marfinka's name day passed quietly. Grandmother is affectionate with Vera and spends the night with her. Having gone to the city, Tatyana Markovna talked about something with Vatutin, after which he hastily left for his village. Grandma wants to confess her sin to Vera, but Vera dissuades her. Grandmother accepts this as God's forgiveness. She takes Vera to her house.
Faith finds joy in work. Marfinka, having returned for a short time and succumbing to general sadness, leaves again for the groom’s estate in Kolchino before the wedding, scheduled for October. Raisky went to pick up Titus Nilych, who happily returned to his home in the city.
Vera received a second letter from Mark. She read it along with the first one, which came earlier, the day after the last date. Mark writes that he is ready to get married and asks for a meeting. Vera began to trust people. She decides to let Tushin, whom she asks in a letter, to come, and her grandmother into everything, showing her Mark’s letters. The grandmother orders the destruction of the gazebo - the meeting place. Tushin gives Mark Vera’s note about the breakup. Mark reluctantly promises to leave. Suddenly he realizes that Vera’s cry at the foot of the mountain was not a call, but a cry for help. Soon Kozlov brings the news that Mark Volokhov is going to his aunt in the Novgorod province, and then wants to ask to become a cadet and go to the Caucasus.
Raisky stayed with Tushin, a wonderful host, for a week, but was suddenly called by his grandmother on urgent business. Tushin is traveling with Raisky.
The grandmother told Boris that Tychkov and Kritskaya spread a rumor about Vera’s relationship with either Raisky or Tushin. Tushin is ready to say that he asked for marriage and was refused, so Vera and Grandma were upset, they even got sick. Tushin wants to marry Vera, but his grandmother advises him to wait with the proposal until Vera recovers.
Raisky tells Kritskaya that he saw Tushin propose to Vera on a cliff, but she refused and told her to wait a year. Raisky learns about his grandmother’s love story, which happened 40 years ago. Her date with Vatutin in the greenhouse was discovered by the count who wooed her. Tit Nilych almost killed him for slapping him in the face. They agreed that the count would remain silent about what happened, and Vatutin would not marry Tatyana Markovna. The gardener witnessed this drama. From him, his wife found out about what happened, and she is spreading gossip now, 40 years later.
Marfinka's wedding was modest, only 50 guests. The estate was empty: Marfinka went to her husband, grandmother and Vera went to their grandmother’s estate Novoselovo, while Tushin hired an architect to restore the old house in Malinovka; Kozlov returned home. In winter, grandmother and Vera are going to invite Titus Nilych to stay. Raisky completed portraits of Vera and grandmother. The city is gossiping about the upcoming wedding of Vera and Tushin, but Vera knows nothing about it.
Raisky begins his novel about Vera, but it does not go beyond the epigraph and dedication. He is obsessed with a new idea - to go to Italy to “sculpt”. In January, Raisky leaves with Kirilov for Dresden, then to England and Paris, and in the spring to Switzerland and Italy. From everywhere he is drawn home, to Vera, Marfinka and grandmother. Behind these figures there is another “grandmother” – Russia.
- “Breakage”, analysis of Goncharov’s novel
- “Oblomov”, a summary of the chapters of Goncharov’s novel
- “An Ordinary Story”, a summary of the chapters of Goncharov’s novel
Why Goncharov’s novel is called “The Cliff” is not clear from the very beginning, so it is necessary to familiarize yourself with at least summary this work.
At the beginning of the novel “The Precipice,” we see how two friends Boris Pavlovich Raisky and Ivan Ivanovich Ayanov are going to visit the Pakhotins’ St. Petersburg house to spend the evening playing cards. In addition to playing cards with the old maids Anna Vasilievna and Nadezhda Vasilievna, Raisky is also interested in Sofya Belovidova, who lives with her aunts. He hopes that he can fill this cold woman with passion. Raisky has many hobbies - he draws, plays music, and writes a little. He came to St. Petersburg, trying to find his calling and sees it in art, in the opportunity to touch someone’s soul with his talents.
For the holidays, Boris Pavlovich goes to his estate - Malinovka. The estate is very beautiful, everything about it is wonderful, except for the cliff at the edge of the garden. All the inhabitants of the house are afraid to go there because they talk about it scary stories that at the bottom of a cliff, a city tailor killed his wife for treason, stabbed himself to death and was buried right there. Raisky’s great-aunt Tatyana Markovna is very happy about her grandson’s arrival. She wants to show off her farm, accustom her grandson to rural life and introduce and bring him closer to the inhabitants of the estate - Nil Andreevich, the Molochnikov family and the coquette Kritskaya. All this is not interesting to Raisky. His soul yearns to return to St. Petersburg. At St. Petersburg University, he becomes close to Leonty Kozlov, the poor and timid son of a deacon, but after completing his studies he leaves to work as a teacher in the provinces. Raisky still can’t decide what to do. He again begins to be interested in Sophia, writes a novel about her, wants to draw a portrait. One evening at the Pakhotins’ house, he meets Count Milari, but his desire still remains to ignite Sophia’s heart.
The next summer, Tatyana Markovna again called her grandson to Malinovka, and also from Leonty Kozlov, who taught not far from the estate. By that time, Raisky was already tired of spending time with Sophia, and besides, everyone to whom he showed Sophia’s portrait did not appreciate it.
Upon arrival at the estate, Raisky meets a graceful young girl feeding poultry. After cold St. Petersburg, this natural beauty captivates Boris Pavlovich. The girl Marfenka, who liked Raisky so much, turned out to be a servant in her grandmother’s house, and he is ready to give her an estate. Raisky meets with Kozlov, who by that time had married their mutual friend, Ulenka. Returning to the estate from Kozlov, Raisky sees full house guests - everyone came to look at the matured owner. Polina Karpvna tries to seduce him, but Raisky is not interested in this lady. He tries to accustom Marfenka to art - he tells her about literature and painting.
One day he meets with Mark Volokhov, an official under police supervision. Grandmother told him many horrors about this funny man. Mark is also trying to awaken people’s feelings, only this does not apply to a specific woman, like Raisky, but to abstract people - he wants to entice them to read forbidden books. At this time, Raisky’s cousin Vera, mysterious and enigmatic, comes to the estate, arousing great interest young man. He begins to spy on the girl, causing the latter's displeasure. A certain Vikentyev begins to court Marfenka, which worries Raisky. In addition, during a gala dinner in Malinovka, a scandal breaks out, and Raisky decides to return to St. Petersburg. Nobody believes in his imminent departure - Vera goes to see her friend, and Boris Pavlovich meets Ivan Ivanovich Tushin, who wants to woo Vera, but does not know how to approach this. Raisky alarmed his grandmother with thoughts that Vera was in love, and she was satisfied family reading edifying book about love. Vera is not interested in this reading, and after reading Marfenka and Vikentyev declare their love for each other.
Vera is interested in Mark Volokhov. She goes on dates with him on the cliff, dreaming of marrying him. In a Letter from St. Petersburg, Ayanov reports on Sophia’s affair with Count Milari and that the world considered this fact compromising for Sophia. However, this no longer worries Raisky - his thoughts are occupied with Vera. On the eve of Marfenka's engagement, Vera goes to the cliff on a date. Raisky is waiting for her at the very edge, understanding where his cousin was heading. Vera opens her soul to Raisky, and then to Tushin, but then falls ill with a fever. Tatyana Markovna looks after her, supports her and makes a terrible confession that she, too, had an old sin and that the young man who found her in the greenhouse with Titus Nikonovich and wooed her took an oath from her that she would never marry.
Written in 1869, the novel “The Precipice” became the third part of a trilogy, which included 2 others famous works Goncharova - “Oblomov” and “ An ordinary story" “The Cliff” was first published in the journal “Bulletin of Europe” in the same year, 1869. In 1870, the novel was published as a separate edition.
Main character In the novel, Boris Pavlovich Raisky lives without a specific goal in life. He believes that art is his calling. At the same time, Raisky cannot answer the question to himself: what kind of art is best for him to do. The main character is interested in music, painting, and poetry. However, Boris fails to achieve particular success in any of his chosen fields: he quickly loses interest in work.
Deciding to take a break from the noisy life of St. Petersburg, Raisky goes for the summer to his Malinovka estate, which is managed by Tatyana Markovna, a distant relative of Boris. Tatyana Markovna is raising two great-nieces, Vera and Marfenka, who were left orphans early. Grandmother (as Boris and his great-nieces call his relative) conscientiously fulfills her duties and wants Raisky to return to the estate forever and become the real owner of Malinovka. But Boris is not interested village life, he wants to give the estate to his cousins. Raisky becomes interested in Marfenka, spends a lot of time with her and tries to accustom her to art.
Vera returns to Malinovka, having stayed with her friend for some time. Raisky ceases to be interested in the provincial Marfenka. Now his older sister becomes the object of his attention. Boris follows the girl and learns that his cousin is in love with Mark Volokhov, a man with a dubious reputation who is under police surveillance. Raisky witnessed a love meeting between Mark and Vera, during which the girl gave herself to her lover. Boris is disgusted with his cousin. Vera herself repents of what she has done and becomes seriously ill.
Old sins
Having learned about what happened to her great-niece, the grandmother falls into despair. When Vera comes to her senses after illness, Tatyana Markovna tells her that she herself also sinned in her youth. Wanting to atone for her guilt, the grandmother vowed not to marry and devote herself to raising orphans. Tatyana Markovna believes that Vera was punished because of her sin.
Raisky decides to leave the village. He goes to Europe. Boris is sure that he has finally found his calling: he should become a sculptor. Marfenka marries a young man named Vikenty, who lived on a neighboring estate. Tatyana Markovna and Vera want to retire and atone for their sins together.
Boris Raisky
The main character of the novel is in constant search of inspiration. Raisky takes up writing poetry and paintings and dreams of writing a novel. However, due to his weak character, he cannot complete a single task.
Women are Raisky's main source of inspiration. Living in St. Petersburg, he takes care of a young widow and his distant relative, Sofia Belovodova. Boris considers Sophia a cold, unapproachable woman and sets himself the goal of kindling passion in her. Having failed to achieve success, Raisky goes to the village, where he shows interest first in one, then in another cousin. But here, too, Boris failed to evoke reciprocal feelings from anyone. Marfenka is too far from those sublime matters that her cousin constantly talks to her about. Vera sees Boris as a dreamer cut off from life and prefers the “realist” Mark to him.
At the end of the story, Raisky comes to the conclusion that he has finally found what he was looking for and leaves the country. However, the author makes it clear that perhaps in the near future Boris will be disappointed in his choice.
Vera Vasilievna
Tatyana Markovna's eldest grandniece is proud and independent. Vera is very secretive and does not let anyone in on her affairs. The girl’s independent, passionate character pushes her into the arms of Mark Volokhov. Vera believes that Mark is a real fighter for ideals common people. She wants to become his companion and share his life with him.
In fact, it turns out that Vera was mistaken about her lover. Volokhov is not who he is trying to pretend to be. Mark doesn't do anyone any good. All of his nihilism lies in his contempt for others and hatred of public morality. Vera’s repentance is so great that she, like Tatyana Markovna, agrees to devote her entire life to atonement for sin.
Marfenka was the first person Boris saw when he arrived in the village. At first, his cousin charms him with her simplicity and naturalness. However, very soon Raisky becomes convinced that Marfenka is a very narrow-minded and “down-to-earth” girl. When her cousin tells her about distant countries and asks if she would like to visit there, Marfa Vasilievna is perplexed: why does she need this? Marfenka considers herself part of the estate in which she lives. She doesn't care distant countries, she is completely immersed in the household chores of her home.
Marfenka is pious and obedient to her grandmother, which she is very proud of. The girl claims that she will even marry the one Tatyana Markovna chooses for her. Raisky's young cousin is the complete opposite of her rebellious sister. Marfa Vasilievna knows how to be content with what she has.
Tatyana Markovna
Grandmother Tatyana Markovna is the embodiment of conservative principles in the novel. She raises her great-nieces in accordance with the traditions in which she herself was raised. Tatyana Markovna is a zealous housewife who knows how to take care of not only her own, but also other people’s property.
However, behind the external rigor and conservatism hides a completely different woman. Tatyana Markovna became a victim of moral principles, which she puts above own desires. Not having the strength to resist the feeling, while at the same time trying to live up to the moral ideal created for her, Tatyana Markovna does not find a compromise and punishes herself.
The novel got its name not by chance. Almost every hero of the work finds his own cliff, from which he falls into the abyss.
Boris Raisky, who is in search of inspiration, does not find it in any woman he meets on his way: neither in the cold Sophia, nor in the stupid provincial Marfenka, nor in the rebellious “fallen” Vera. Raisky continues his search, which is unlikely to ever be crowned with success.
Mark Volokhov, who embodies the ideas of nihilism in the novel, does not arouse the author’s sympathy. Mark considers himself progressive modern man and to prove this, he becomes a nihilist. Volokhov, like many young people of the second half of the 19th century century, joined the fashion trend to keep up with the times. However, the useless denial of traditions cannot create something new. Mark has nothing in his life but problems with the authorities. It is no coincidence that the Latin word nihil means “nothing.”
Vera also found her break, trying to link her fate with Volokhov. Vivid image rebel and fighter for better life deceived her. As a result, the girl receives only remorse. The only thing that remains for Vera is to repeat the fate of her relative. Tatyana Markovna's breakup, a mistake she made in her youth, changed her whole later life.
There are also heroes in the novel who managed to get around the cliff. These people simply go with the flow, accepting life and their place in it as they are. Sofya Belovodova managed to become happy with her unloved husband. The young widow does not regret the death of her husband, remembering only the pleasant moments of their life together. Marfenka is quite happy with the fate she has been given. Her soul does not require rebellion. Raisky's longtime friend Leonty Kozlov does not strive for a dizzying career, content with the position of a teacher and a not very virtuous wife.
5 (100%) 2 votes