Episode Details

The Diary of a Superfluous Man by Ivan Turgenev audiobook.

Genre: drama

Written as a final confession, The Diary of a Superfluous Man follows a minor Russian landowner, Chulkaturin, who begins a diary when he senses his life is nearing its close. Alone with his thoughts, he looks back on the moments that shaped him: a youth spent observing rather than acting, a sharp awareness of his own awkwardness in society, and a longing to matter in a world that seems to have no place for him. His memories gather around a pivotal summer in the country, where a bright young woman, the routines of provincial visits, and the arrival of a more confident rival pull him into a quiet but devastating emotional contest. As Chulkaturin records each recollection, the diary becomes both a portrait of love and jealousy and a self-indictment of paralysis, pride, and self-deception. Turgenev's classic novella captures the ache of unrealized potential and the loneliness of a man who can describe life with piercing clarity, yet struggles to truly live it.

Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:31:10) Chapter 02

(00:54:50) Chapter 03

(01:24:07) Chapter 04

(01:57:11) Chapter 05

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices