The Primer of Love by Ivan Bunin - A Short Story - 1915. - translated by David Richards - 1984 - included The Gentleman from San Francisco and other Stories by Ivan Bunin

The Primer of Love by Ivan Bunin - A Short Story - 1915. - translated by David Richards - 1984 - included The Gentleman from San Francisco and other Stories by Ivan Bunin 

Ivan Bunin

October 22, 1870 - Born Voronezh, Russia

March 28, 1920 - moves to Paris where he Will spend The rest of his Life, with countryside interludes

1933 - first Russian to win the Nobel Prize

November 8, 1953 - dies in Paris 

The Primer of Love” is considered one of Bunin’s three greatest works, along with “The Gentleman from San Francisco” and “Chang’s Dreams”.

Today’s story begins with a journey through the Russian country side.   The story begins with a trip

“Ivlev was travelling once at the beginning of June over to the far side of his province…Ivlev gave himself over to that calm and aimless watching the world pass by which goes so well with the rhythm of hooves and the tinkling of halter-bells.”

He was staying at his brother-in-laws estate.  He loaned Ivlev a three horse cart with a driver.  The driver is concerned about not tiring the horses out too much.  They make a stop at the home of a countessa.  The driver waits out in the rain, Ivlev enjoys tea with the countess.  

“The countess was wearing a flowing pink tea-gown, which revealed her powdered neck. She was smoking, inhaling deeply, and constantly adjusted her hair, baring her firm round arms to the shoulder. Inhaling and laughing, she kept bringing the conversation round to love and amongst other things spoke about her near neighbour Khvoshchinsky, who, as Ivlev had known since he was a child, had all his life been unhinged by love for his maidservant Lushka who’d died very young.”

His destination is the home of now deceased Lushka, he has been thinking about her since childhood.  When they arrive Ivlev meets her only child,a man in his late teens.  He tours her house, stopping at the library which he says he might buy.

He finds a hundred year old book, The Primer of Love, full of advise on all aspects of a man’s love for a woman.  Ivlev reads much of the advise.  It ends up being the only book he buys.

This story deals with the power of love to control lives, with the simple pleasures of existence as well as a celebration of late Czarist Russia.

There are 17 works in collection, including a novella.  I will, i hope read them all.  

Mel Ulm