First Love

“One of the most perfect things ever written.” —The Guardian (London)

“Narrator Edoardo Ballerini gives Turgenev’s classic novella a wonderfully expressive reading…The novella splendidly describes youthful infatuation and has an unexpected ending that breaks the young man’s heart. The listener definitely feels the young man’s pain. For those who are familiar with Turgenev’s works, at least it doesn’t end like Mumu. Ballerini is quite expressive, and his delivery conveys some of the breathlessness of the adolescent. His baritone gives subtly different voices to the several characters in the story and is just as skilled in reading the narrative.” —Audiofile