First published 1833
Eugene Onegin has grown weary of St Petersburg's social whirl. The aristocratic dandy inherits a country estate and retreats there, seeking escape from urban sophistication. His isolation breaks when Vladimir Lensky arrives, a young poet brimming with romantic ideals. The unlikely pair forms a friendship. Lensky eagerly introduces his new companion to his fiancée Olga and her family. Olga's sister Tatiana falls deeply in love with the worldly newcomer. She pours her heart out to Onegin, confessing her passionate feelings. He responds with brutal coldness, rejecting her love without mercy. His harsh dismissal sets in motion events that will destroy their small circle. What begins as a simple country retreat becomes a catastrophe that engulfs everyone involved. The story moves with relentless momentum toward its tragic conclusion.
Genres: fiction, classic-literature, romance, literary-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, tragic-romance
Setting: St Petersburg, Russia
Period: 19th-century
304 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics
Content warnings: emotional-abuse