I finished reading Dream Tales and Prose Poems (1879-1882) by Ivan Turgenev (translated by Constance Garnett). It contains the following short stories: “Clara Militch,” “Phantoms,” “The Song of Triumphant Love,” and “The Dream,” as well as a collection of numerous vignettes, titled “Poems in Prose.”

This was a great read! I love Turgenev’s writing and, although the topics and themes covered in the short stories often differ significantly from his novels, his writing was as beautiful as ever. The short stories collected here all have some element of the preternatural. One story even felt like a literary ancestor of H.P. Lovecraft.

The vignettes of “Poems in Prose” are beautiful little sketches, observations, and dreams. They are all excellently written and many feel as if more is being said than the words alone convey.

“I liked best reading, solitary walks, and dreaming, dreaming!”