And kuprin pomegranate. Read the book “Garnet Bracelet” online completely for free - Alexander Kuprin - MyBook

Alexander Kuprin, the author of the story “The Garnet Bracelet,” is considered a recognized master of love prose. “Love is unselfish, selfless, not waiting for reward, the one about which it is said “strong as death.” Love, for which to accomplish any feat, to give one’s life, to suffer torment is not work at all, but one joy,” - this is the kind of love that touched an ordinary official of the middle level, Zheltkov.

He fell in love with Vera once and for all. And not ordinary love, but the kind that happens once in a lifetime, divine. Vera does not attach importance to the feelings of her admirer and lives life to the fullest. She marries a quiet, calm, good man from all sides, Prince Shein. And her quiet, calm life begins, not overshadowed by anything, neither sadness nor joy.

A special role is assigned to Vera’s uncle, General Anosov. Kuprin puts into his mouth the words that are the theme of the story: “...maybe your path in life, Verochka, was crossed by exactly the kind of love that women dream about and that men are no longer capable of.” Thus, Kuprin in his story wants to show the story of love, albeit unrequited, but nevertheless, this unrequitedness did not become less strong and did not turn into hatred. According to General Anosov, every person dreams of such love, but not everyone receives it. But Vera, in her family life, does not have such love. There is another thing - respect, mutual, for each other. Kuprin in his story sought to show readers that such sublime love is already a thing of the past; there are only a few people left, such as the telegraph operator Zheltkov, who are capable of it. But many, the author emphasizes, are not at all able to understand the deep meaning of love.

And Vera herself does not understand that she is destined to be loved. Of course, she is a lady who occupies a certain position in society, a countess. Probably, such love could not have a successful outcome. Kuprin probably himself understands that Vera is not able to connect her life with the “little” man Zheltkov. Although it still leaves her one chance to live the rest of her life in love. Vera missed her chance to be happy.

Idea of ​​the work

The idea of ​​the story “The Garnet Bracelet” is faith in the power of a true, all-consuming feeling, which is not afraid of death itself. When they try to take away the only thing Zheltkov has - his love, when they want to deprive him of the opportunity to see his beloved, then he decides to voluntarily die. Thus, Kuprin is trying to say that life without love is meaningless. This is a feeling that knows no temporary, social or other barriers. No wonder the main name is Vera. Kuprin believes that his readers will wake up and understand that a person is not only rich in material values, but also rich in his inner world and soul. The red thread running through the entire story is Zheltkov’s words “Hallowed be Thy name” - this is the idea of ​​the work. Every woman dreams of hearing such words, but great love is given only by the Lord and not by everyone.

The hero of the story “The Garnet Bracelet” is one of the most touching images in literature. The author himself cried over the manuscript of this work. Kuprin claimed that it was the most chaste of all that he created. Characteristics of the heroes (“Garnet Bracelet”) is the topic of this article.

Faith

The main characters are the Sheina spouses. It is noteworthy that the characteristics of the heroes (“Garnet Bracelet”) are given by the author very unevenly. Kuprin did not consider it necessary to describe the character of Princess Vera and her habits. He described the heroine’s appearance, comparing her with her sister Anna.

He has a flexible figure, a gentle, cold and proud face. That's almost all that is said about the main character. Her sister is depicted in more detail, although her presence in the story does not affect the plot in any way.

Each of the images is a kind of means for revealing the main theme of the work, namely the theme of love. And therefore the writer characterizes the characters quite selectively. “The Garnet Bracelet” is a story in which the fate and inner world of the characters can be understood from short phrases spoken by them and various small details.

Princess Vera is a kind, sensitive and honest woman. The ending of the story speaks about her ability to sympathize, when she comes to the house of the deceased Zheltkov to say goodbye to him. Honesty is indicated by the remorse of conscience that she experiences in one of the scenes. When a dispute breaks out between Vasily and Vera’s brother Nikolai about correspondence, which allegedly compromises all family members, Shein coldly notes that this epistolary phenomenon is exclusively one-sided. At her husband’s words, the princess blushes deeply. After all, only one single message was received by the person who presented this ill-fated garnet bracelet.

The main characters, whose characteristics are finally revealed in the denouement, are secondary characters throughout the main part.

Vasily Shein

Even less is said about this hero than about Vera Nikolaevna. As already noted, in the work “The Garnet Bracelet” the main characters, whose characteristics are given by the author at the beginning of the story laconically and restrained, show their best qualities at the end. Vasily Shein goes to Zheltkov and, unlike Vera’s brother, who accompanies him, behaves tactfully, politely and somewhat confused. The prince is able to see a huge tragedy in a man who has been in love with his wife for eight years. He knows how to feel someone else's pain even when someone else would only show hostility and acute irritation.

Later, after Zheltkov commits suicide, Vasily conveys to Vera his impressions of what he saw: “This man loved you, and he was not mad,” he says, and at the same time treats with understanding the princess’s desire to say goodbye to the deceased.

But at the same time, both Vera and Vasily are arrogant people. Which, however, is not surprising, given their position in society. This quality is not negative. This is not arrogance, nor is it a kind of condescension that manifests itself in their attitude towards people outside their circle. Vera is characterized by coldness and an authoritative tone. Vasily treats his wife’s secret admirer with excessive irony. And perhaps all this led to the tragedy.

After reading the summary of the work, one gets the impression that Kuprin dedicated “Garnet Bracelet” to love, which is so scarce in real life. The characteristics of the heroes, which are revealed in the story, give, however, credibility and truthfulness to this plot. To understand this, you need to read carefully and thoughtfully.

Anosov

The author devoted most of the fourth chapter to the image of this hero. The image of Anosov plays an important role in revealing the main idea of ​​the story. In one of the fragments, he talks with the heroine about true love, which he has never experienced in his entire long life, because such a feeling is born once every hundred years. And in response to Vera’s story about Zheltkov, he suggested that this was that rare case.

Zheltkov

This man is pale and has a gentle girlish face. There is no need to talk about the qualities of his character, since the meaning of his life is Vera Nikolaevna. In his last letter, he confesses to her that after he saw her for the first time, he stopped being interested in anything. The image of Zheltkov is central to the plot, but little is said about him. The strength of the feeling he experienced for the last eight years of his life is much more important than his personality.

Using a small diagram, you can summarize the analysis of images in the story “Garnet Bracelet”

Characteristics of heroes (table)

This is the characteristic of heroes. “Garnet Bracelet” - despite its small volume, is a profound work. The article provides a brief description of the imagery and lacks important details and citations.

A few words about my fellow countryman and my small homeland

I would like to start with the fact that I come from Penza, and Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born on August 26 (September 7), 1870 in the provincial town of Narovchat, Penza province. So the famous writer and I are fellow countrymen. I have been to Narovchat several times. There is a house-museum of A.I. Kuprin, where the future writer was born, and the Intercession Cathedral, where he was baptized. In the vicinity of Narovchat there are two most famous monasteries in the Penza region - the women's Trinity-Skanov Monastery and the men's cave monastery, consecrated in honor of Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev-Pechersk. By the way, the length of the caves of this monastery is several times greater than the length of the caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In general, Narovchat is a unique place, so I’ll tell you a little about it.

You can see a fairly complete biography of Kuprin by following this link , a biography in the form of a chronological table can be found, but a biography, presented quite freely and artistically, can be found .

But about Kuprin’s small homeland, where his memory is highly revered, you are unlikely to find enough information on the Internet, especially information of an illustrative nature. I'll fill this gap. I consider this quite appropriate also for the reason that the theme of Russia, which he lost, was the leading one for Kuprin during the years of emigration. So…

Description of the city of Narovchat 1868

As we remember, in the story by A.I. Kuprin’s “The Duel,” the main character was from Narovchat; in the same story there is a local saying: “Narovchat - Narovchat, only the pegs stick out,” which speaks of the repeated burning of the city to the ground. The cited document from 1868 states that in Narovchat there are 13 stone houses and 537 wooden ones. There was something to burn.

Kuprin spent only the first three years of his life in Narovchat, but they gave this place its hero, so I offer several recent photographs of A.I.’s small homeland. Kuprina.

House-Museum of A.I. Kuprina

Intercession Cathedral, where A.I. was baptized Kuprina

The writer’s birthday is traditionally widely celebrated in Narovchat, and a competition has been held as part of this holiday for more than 10 years "Garnet bracelet", the literary category of which is usually devoted to works on the theme of love. By the way, I am the winner of the Grand Prix of this competition in 2010 (for the book "Bakhta Bay").

I bring to your attention a few photographs taken at this holiday, before moving on to the analysis of the work that gave it its name.

Monument to A.I. Kuprin in Narovchat

Kuprinsky holiday in 2010

Writers at the Kuprinsky holiday in 2010

So good memory of A.I. Kuprine lives on Penza land and bears very pleasant fruits.

Photo gallery

A.I. Kuprin - cadet; A.I. Kuprin - young officer

Kuprins with daughters Ksenia and Zina, 1911

A.I. Kuprin in the last year of his life

Grave of A.I. Kuprin at the Volkovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg

"Garnet bracelet"

Now let's turn to the story of A.I. Kuprin's "Garnet Bracelet", written in 1910 and still very popular, considered an example of a work dedicated to a love theme.

Illustration by A. KupisevichIllustration by V. Yakubich

Please check out text of the story or listen to it at audio format

First you should listen to the melody, which is the core of the story about great, romantic, sacrificial love, which is extremely rare at all times. This melody is a symbol of Zheltkov’s unrealistic love for Princess Vera.

Video clip 1: Beethoven, “Appassionata”

Let us quote the words of General Anosov (who plays the role of a classicist reasoner in the story) regarding what this love is like:“Where is the love? Is love unselfish, selfless, not waiting for reward? The one about whom it is said “strong as death”? You see, the kind of love for which to accomplish any feat, to give one’s life, to suffer torment is not work at all, but pure joy. Wait, wait, Vera, now you want to tell me about your Vasya again? Really, I love him. He is a good guy. Who knows, maybe the future will show his love in the light of great beauty. But you understand what kind of love I'm talking about. Love must be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world! No life’s conveniences, calculations or compromises should concern her.”.

Let us recall the plot of the story. The action begins at the dacha of the princely Shein family with the celebration of the name day of Vera Nikolaevna, the prince’s wife. During the feast, the guests begin to play poker, and Prince Shein Vasily Lvovich entertains the guests with stories in which the truth is humorously distorted and brought to the point of absurdity. And among them there is a story about the loving telegraph operator P.P.Zh., who allegedly sent passionate letters to Vera Nikolaevna every day, and then became a monk; when he died, he bequeathed to her two buttons and a bottle with his tears. Here's how the story is presented in the film:

Video fragment 2. Film “Garnet Bracelet”.

In the middle of the celebration, the princess received a package from the maid, which contained a gift and a note from a fan with the initials G.S.Zh. The gift turned out to be a low-grade gold blown bracelet, decorated with blood-red garnets, and in the center of it was a rare green garnet. It was a gift from that same “telegraph operator in love”, which became the reason for the rapid development of events that ended with Zheltkov’s suicide and the princess’s bitter thoughts about his fate.

Illustration by A. Aidieva

In a fairly free adaptation of the story (film "Garnet Bracelet", 1964 ), which gapes with bills and bristles with inserts, for example, from “Gambrinus”, there are no stories of General Anosov about extraordinary love, the cases of which he had seen, that are extremely important for understanding the author’s position. The line of Anna, Vera’s sister, is also not shown, which allows us to highlight the happy marriage of Princess Sheina. Let's replenish the bills.

Anna despises her husband, flirts with other men, but remains faithful to him, he idolizes her, does not leave her one step and shows her funny and tiresome signs of attention. Anna is impetuous, religious, and the essence of her character is well expressed by the hair shirt under her neckline. Princess Vera is not like that: she is restrained, calm, loves her husband and cites their happy marriage to General Anosov as an example of family happiness, while Vasily Lvovich is sweet, handsome, rich, loves his wife and trusts her. Their marriage can be considered ideal when compared even with Anna’s marriage.

The stories told by General Anosov are much sadder than Anna's marriage. The first is the love of a young warrant officer for the depraved wife of a regimental commander: “In one regiment of our division (not ours) there was the wife of the regimental commander. Rozha, I’ll tell you, Verochka, is unnatural. Bony, red-haired, long, thin, with a big mouth... The plaster was falling off her like from an old Moscow house. But, you know, a sort of regimental Messalina: temperament, authority, contempt for people, passion for diversity. In addition, she is a morphine addict. And then one day, in the fall, they send to their regiment a newly promoted ensign, a completely yellow-throated sparrow, fresh from military school. After a month, this old horse completely mastered him. He is a page, he is a servant, he is a slave, he is her eternal cavalier in dances, wears her fan and scarf, and in one uniform jumps out into the cold to call her horses. It’s a terrible thing when a fresh and pure boy puts his first love at the feet of an old, experienced and power-hungry libertine.”. The result is sad - disability, and then the death of the ensign at the whim of this Messalina. If we compare this story with the story of Zheltkov and Princess Vera, then they are similar, with the only difference being that Vera is virtuous, and therefore does not indulge the unlawful love of her admirer.

The second story echoes Anna’s marriage just as clearly: “And the other case was completely pathetic. And the woman was the same as the first, only young and beautiful. She behaved very, very badly. It was easy for us to look at these domestic novels, but even we were offended. And the husband - nothing. He knew everything, saw everything and was silent. Friends hinted to him, but he just waved them off with his hands. “Leave it, leave it... It’s not my business, it’s not my business... Let only Lenochka be happy!..” Such a fool! In the end, she became firmly attached to Lieutenant Vishnyakov, a subaltern from their company. So the three of them lived in a bigamous marriage - as if this is the most legal type of marriage. And then your regiment was sent to war. Our ladies saw us off, she saw us off too, and, really, she was ashamed to even look: at least for the sake of decency she glanced once at her husband - no, she hanged herself on her lieutenant , like the devil on a dry willow tree, and doesn’t leave. At parting, when we had already sat down in the carriages and the train had started, she, still following her husband, shameless, shouted: “Remember, take care of Volodya! If anything happens to him, I will leave home and never return. And I’ll take the children.". After this, the husband, like a nanny, looked after his wife’s lover during hostilities until he died of illness to the joy of everyone around him. If Anna had not had a hair shirt under her neckline, i.e. if she had not been faithful to her husband, he would probably have behaved the same way, since he adored her beyond all measure.

What's the problem? What kind of love is the idealist Anosov looking for if the outcome of those two cases is known and unsightly? Maybe an honest marriage seems boring to him, since his wife ran away from him? This is how he speaks about marriage: “But in most cases, why do people get married? Let's take a woman. It’s a shame to stay with girls, especially when your friends have already gotten married. It's hard to be the odd one out in the family. The desire to be a housewife, the head of the house, a lady, independent... In addition, the need, the direct physical need of motherhood, and to start building your nest. But the man has other motives. Firstly, fatigue from a single life, from disorder in rooms, from tavern dinners, from dirt, cigarette butts, torn and scattered linen, from debts, from unceremonious comrades, and so on and so forth. Secondly, you feel that living as a family is more profitable, healthier and more economical. Thirdly, you think: when the kids come, I’ll die, but a part of me will still remain in the world... something like the illusion of immortality. Fourthly, the temptation of innocence, as in my case. In addition, there are sometimes thoughts about a dowry. Where is the love?”

Kuprin hints that Zheltkov’s love for Princess Vera is exactly that case, and its result is absolutely logical. Zheltkov could only die, because he could not stop loving, just as Vera could not reciprocate his feelings, since she was virtuous and happily married. Why does Anosov tempt Vera with the ideal love of this P.P.Zh.? Probably, in order for a third story of lofty love leading to death to appear, which could be told at leisure to interested listeners.

Here is the scene of Zheltkov’s conversation with princes Vasily Lvovich and Nikolai Lvovich Shein, who came to return his garnet bracelet and explain themselves.

Video fragment 3. Film “Garnet Bracelet”.

The outcome of this scene is known: Zheltkov commits suicide, fulfilling Princess Vera’s telephone request to “finish this story as quickly as possible” (by the way, the telephone conversation did not take place in the film: Zheltkov only remained silent on the phone), and also carrying out the exit from situations.

The problem is that Zheltkov's love religious, he deifies a person, but to Kuprin this passionate, unreasonable, painful, suicidal love seems lofty and worthy of praise. Through the mouths of various characters, including Prince Shein, he claims that Zheltkov is not a maniac, that this is exactly how love should be, that he is not to blame for his feelings. For Zheltkov, Princess Vera becomes the center of the universe. She replaces both God and the Mother of God: it is no coincidence that he bequeaths a garnet bracelet to be hung on the icon of Matka Boschi; it is no coincidence that in his suicide letter he addresses Princess Vera with a line from the prayer “Our Father” - the way one addresses only God: “Hallowed be the name Your!" Zheltkov commits the sin of suicide, which is not forgiven by the Church and does not give him the right to be buried in an Orthodox cemetery, does not provide the opportunity for posthumous commemoration... But for him there is no God except Princess Vera, and Princess Vera gave him a clear instruction over the phone “to finish this as soon as possible.” history." So he finished it, and even had the honor of having the deity descend on his corpse and even cry over his letter.

Illustration by V. Konopkin

Within the framework of Zheltkov’s individual religion, his fate can be considered quite happy

L. van Beethoven. 2 Son. (op. 2, no. 2).

Largo Appassionato.

I

In mid-August, before the birth of the new month, disgusting weather suddenly set in, such as is so typical of the northern coast of the Black Sea. Then, for whole days, a thick fog lay heavily over the land and sea, and then the huge siren at the lighthouse roared day and night, like a mad bull. From morning to morning there was a continuous rain, fine as water dust, turning the clay roads and paths into solid thick mud, in which carts and carriages got stuck for a long time. Then a fierce hurricane blew from the northwest, from the side of the steppe; from it the tops of the trees swayed, bending and straightening, like waves in a storm, the iron roofs of the dachas rattled at night, and it seemed as if someone was running on them in shod boots; window frames shook, doors slammed, and the chimneys howled wildly. Several fishing boats got lost at sea, and two never returned: only a week later the corpses of fishermen were thrown up in different places on the shore.

The inhabitants of the suburban seaside resort - mostly Greeks and Jews, life-loving and suspicious, like all southerners - hastily moved to the city. Along the softened highway, drays stretched endlessly, overloaded with all sorts of household items: mattresses, sofas, chests, chairs, washbasins, samovars. It was pitiful, sad, and disgusting to look through the muddy muslin of the rain at this pitiful belongings, which seemed so worn out, dirty and miserable; at the maids and cooks sitting on top of the cart on a wet tarpaulin with some irons, tins and baskets in their hands, at the sweaty, exhausted horses, which stopped every now and then, trembling at the knees, smoking and often skidding on their sides, at the hoarsely cursing tramps, wrapped from the rain in matting. It was even sadder to see abandoned dachas with their sudden spaciousness, emptiness and bareness, with mutilated flowerbeds, broken glass, abandoned dogs and all sorts of dacha rubbish from cigarette butts, pieces of paper, shards, boxes and apothecary bottles.

But by the beginning of September the weather suddenly changed dramatically and completely unexpectedly. Quiet, cloudless days immediately arrived, so clear, sunny and warm, which were not there even in July. On the dried, compressed fields, on their prickly yellow stubble, an autumn cobweb glistened with a mica sheen. The calmed trees silently and obediently dropped their yellow leaves.

Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, the wife of the leader of the nobility, could not leave the dacha because the renovations in their city house had not yet been completed. And now she was very happy about the wonderful days that had come, the silence, solitude, clean air, the chirping of swallows on the telegraph wires, huddled together to fly away, and the gentle salty breeze blowing weakly from the sea.

II

In addition, today was her name day - the seventeenth of September. According to the sweet, distant memories of her childhood, she always loved this day and always expected something happily wonderful from it. Her husband, leaving in the morning on urgent business in the city, put a case with beautiful earrings made of pear-shaped pearls on her night table, and this gift amused her even more.

She was alone in the whole house. Her single brother Nikolai, a fellow prosecutor, who usually lived with them, also went to the city, to court. For dinner, my husband promised to bring a few and only his closest acquaintances. It turned out well that the name day coincided with summer time. In the city, one would have to spend money on a big ceremonial dinner, perhaps even a ball, but here, at the dacha, one could get by with the smallest expenses. Prince Shein, despite his prominent position in society, and perhaps thanks to it, barely made ends meet. The huge family estate was almost completely destroyed by his ancestors, and he had to live beyond his means: to host parties, do charity work, dress well, keep horses, etc. Princess Vera, whose former passionate love for her husband had long since turned into a feeling of strong, faithful, true friendship, tried with all her might to help the prince refrain from complete ruin. She denied herself many things, unnoticed by him, and saved as much as possible in the household.

Now she walked around the garden and carefully cut flowers with scissors for the dinner table. The flower beds were empty and looked disorganized. Multi-colored double carnations were blooming, as well as gillyflower - half in flowers, and half in thin green pods that smelled like cabbage; the rose bushes were still producing - for the third time this summer - buds and roses, but already shredded, sparse, as if degenerate. But dahlias, peonies and asters bloomed magnificently with their cold, arrogant beauty, spreading an autumnal, grassy, ​​sad smell in the sensitive air. The remaining flowers, after their luxurious love and excessively abundant summer motherhood, quietly sprinkled countless seeds of future life onto the ground.

Close by on the highway the familiar sounds of a three-ton car horn were heard. It was Princess Vera’s sister, Anna Nikolaevna Friesse, who had promised by phone in the morning to come and help her sister receive guests and do housework.

The subtle hearing did not deceive Vera. She went forward. A few minutes later, an elegant car-carriage stopped abruptly at the country gate, and the driver, deftly jumping from the seat, opened the door.

The sisters kissed joyfully. From early childhood they were attached to each other with a warm and caring friendship. In appearance, they were strangely not similar to each other. The eldest, Vera, took after her mother, a beautiful Englishwoman, with her tall, flexible figure, gentle but cold and proud face, beautiful, although rather large hands and that charming sloping shoulders that can be seen in ancient miniatures. The youngest, Anna, on the contrary, inherited the Mongolian blood of her father, a Tatar prince, whose grandfather was baptized only at the beginning of the 19th century and whose ancient family went back to Tamerlane himself, or Lang-Temir, as her father proudly called her, in Tatar, this great bloodsucker. She was half a head shorter than her sister, somewhat broad in the shoulders, lively and frivolous, a mocker. Her face was of a strongly Mongolian type with quite noticeable cheekbones, with narrow eyes, which she also squinted due to myopia, with an arrogant expression in her small, sensual mouth, especially in her full lower lip slightly protruded forward - this face, however, captivated some then an elusive and incomprehensible charm, which consisted, perhaps, in a smile, perhaps in the deep femininity of all features, perhaps in a piquant, perky, flirtatious facial expression. Her graceful ugliness excited and attracted the attention of men much more often and more strongly than the aristocratic beauty of her sister.

She was married to a very rich and very stupid man who did absolutely nothing, but was registered with some charitable institution and had the rank of chamber cadet. She couldn’t stand her husband, but she gave birth to two children from him - a boy and a girl; She decided not to have any more children and did not have any more. As for Vera, she greedily wanted children and even, it seemed to her, the more the better, but for some reason they were not born to her, and she painfully and ardently adored her younger sister’s pretty, anemic children, always decent and obedient, with pale, mealy cheeks. faces and with curled flaxen doll hair.

Anna was all about cheerful carelessness and sweet, sometimes strange contradictions. She willingly indulged in the most risky flirtations in all the capitals and resorts of Europe, but she never cheated on her husband, whom, however, she contemptuously ridiculed both to his face and behind his back; she was wasteful, loved gambling, dancing, strong impressions, thrilling spectacles, visited dubious cafes abroad, but at the same time she was distinguished by generous kindness and deep, sincere piety, which forced her to even secretly accept Catholicism. She had a rare beauty of back, chest and shoulders. When going to big balls, she exposed herself much more than the limits allowed by decency and fashion, but they said that under her low neckline she always wore a hair shirt.

Vera was strictly simple, cold with everyone and a little patronizingly kind, independent and royally calm.

III

- My God, how good it is here! How good! - Anna said, walking with quick and small steps next to her sister along the path. – If possible, let’s sit for a while on a bench over the cliff. I haven't seen the sea for so long. And what a wonderful air: you breathe - and your heart is happy. In Crimea, in Miskhor, last summer I made an amazing discovery. Do you know what sea water smells like during the surf? Imagine - mignonette.

Vera smiled affectionately:

- You are a dreamer.

- No no. I also remember once everyone laughed at me when I said that there was some kind of pink tint in the moonlight. And the other day the artist Boritsky - the one who paints my portrait - agreed that I was right and that artists have known about this for a long time.

– Is being an artist your new hobby?

- You will always come up with ideas! - Anna laughed and, quickly approaching the very edge of the cliff, which fell like a sheer wall deep into the sea, she looked down and suddenly screamed in horror and recoiled back with a pale face.

- Wow, how high! – she said in a weakened and trembling voice. - When I look from such a height, I always have a sweet and disgusting tickling in my chest... and my toes ache... And yet it pulls, pulls...

She wanted to bend over the cliff again, but her sister stopped her.

– Anna, my dear, for God’s sake! I get dizzy myself when you do that. Please sit down.

- Well, okay, okay, I sat down... But just look, what beauty, what joy - the eye just can’t get enough of it. If you only knew how grateful I am to God for all the miracles he has done for us!

They both thought for a moment. Deep, deep below them lay the sea. The shore was not visible from the bench, and therefore the feeling of the infinity and grandeur of the sea expanse intensified even more. The water was tenderly calm and cheerfully blue, brightening only in slanting smooth stripes in places of flow and turning into a deep deep blue color on the horizon.

Fishing boats, difficult to spot with the eye - they seemed so small - were dozing motionless in the surface of the sea, not far from the shore. And then, as if standing in the air, without moving forward, was a three-masted ship, all dressed from top to bottom with monotonous white slender sails, bulging from the wind.

“I understand you,” the older sister said thoughtfully, “but somehow my life is different from yours.” When I see the sea for the first time after a long time, it excites me, makes me happy, and amazes me. It’s as if I’m seeing a huge, solemn miracle for the first time. But then, when I get used to it, it begins to crush me with its flat emptiness... I miss looking at it, and I try not to look anymore. It gets boring.

Anna smiled.

-What are you doing? - asked the sister.

“Last summer,” Anna said slyly, “we rode from Yalta in a large cavalcade on horseback to Uch-Kosh. It's there, behind the forestry, above the waterfall. First we got into a cloud, it was very damp and hard to see, and we all climbed up a steep path between the pine trees. And suddenly the forest suddenly ended and we came out of the fog. Imagine: a narrow platform on a rock, and there is an abyss under our feet. The villages below seem no bigger than a matchbox, the forests and gardens look like small grass. The entire area slopes down to the sea, like a geographical map. And then there’s the sea! Fifty or a hundred versts ahead. It seemed to me that I was hanging in the air and was about to fly. Such beauty, such lightness! I turn around and say to the conductor in delight: “What? Okay, Seid-ogly? And he just smacked his tongue: “Eh, master, I’m so tired of all this. We see it every day.”

“Thank you for the comparison,” Vera laughed, “no, I just think that we northerners will never understand the beauty of the sea.” I love the forest. Do you remember the forest in Yegorovskoye?.. Can it ever get boring? Pines!.. And what mosses!.. And fly agarics! Exactly made of red satin and embroidered with white beads. The silence is so... cool.

“I don’t care, I love everything,” Anna answered. “And most of all I love my sister, my prudent Verenka.” There are only two of us in the world.

She hugged her older sister and pressed herself against her, cheek to cheek. And suddenly I realized it. - No, how stupid I am! You and I, as if in a novel, are sitting and talking about nature, and I completely forgot about my gift. Look at this. I'm just afraid, will you like it?

She took from her hand bag a small notebook in an amazing binding: on the old, worn and grayed blue velvet, curled a dull gold filigree pattern of rare complexity, subtlety and beauty - obviously the labor of love of the hands of a skillful and patient artist. The book was attached to a gold chain as thin as a thread, the leaves in the middle were replaced by ivory tablets.

– What a wonderful thing! Lovely! – Vera said and kissed her sister. - Thank you. Where did you get such a treasure?

- In an antique shop. You know my weakness for rummaging through old trash. So I came across this prayer book. Look, you see how the ornament here creates the shape of a cross. True, I found only one binding, everything else had to be invented - leaves, clasps, a pencil. But Mollinet did not want to understand me at all, no matter how I interpreted it to him. The fasteners had to be in the same style as the whole pattern, matte, old gold, fine carving, and God knows what he did. But the chain is real Venetian, very ancient.

Vera affectionately stroked the beautiful binding.

– What a deep antiquity!.. How old can this book be? – she asked. – I'm afraid to determine exactly. Approximately the end of the seventeenth century, mid-eighteenth...

“How strange,” Vera said with a thoughtful smile. “Here I am holding in my hands a thing that, perhaps, was touched by the hands of the Marquise of Pompadour or Queen Antoinette herself... But you know, Anna, it was only you who could have come up with the crazy idea of ​​​​turning a prayer book into a ladies’ carnet.” However, let’s still go and see what’s going on there.

They entered the house through a large stone terrace, covered on all sides by thick trellises of Isabella grapes. Black abundant clusters, emitting a faint smell of strawberries, hung heavily among the dark greenery, gilded here and there by the sun. A green half-light spread across the entire terrace, causing the women’s faces to immediately turn pale.

-Are you ordering it to be covered here? – Anna asked.

– Yes, I thought so myself at first... But now the evenings are so cold. It's better in the dining room. Let the men go here and smoke.

– Will there be anyone interesting?

- I do not know yet. I only know that our grandfather will be there.

- Oh, dear grandfather. What a joy! – Anna exclaimed and clasped her hands. “It seems like I haven’t seen him for a hundred years.”

– There will be Vasya’s sister and, it seems, Professor Speshnikov. Yesterday, Annenka, I just lost my head. You know that they both love to eat - both the grandfather and the professor. But neither here nor in the city you can get anything for any money. Luka found quails somewhere - he ordered them from a hunter he knew - and he’s playing tricks on them. The roast beef turned out to be relatively good - alas! – inevitable roast beef. Very good crayfish.

- Well, it’s not so bad. Don't worry. However, between us, you yourself have a weakness for tasty food.

“But there will also be something rare.” This morning a fisherman brought a sea rooster. I saw it myself. Just some kind of monster. It's even scary.

Anna, greedily curious about everything that concerned her and what did not concern her, immediately demanded that they bring her the sea cock.

The tall, shaved, yellow-faced cook Luka arrived with a large elongated white tub, which he held with difficulty and carefully by the ears, afraid of spilling water on the parquet floor.

“Twelve and a half pounds, your Excellency,” he said with special chef’s pride. - We weighed it just now.

The fish was too big for the tub and lay on the bottom with its tail curled up. Its scales shimmered with gold, its fins were bright red, and from its huge predatory muzzle two long pale blue wings, folded like a fan, extended to the sides. The gurnard was still alive and was working hard with its gills.

The younger sister carefully touched the fish's head with her little finger. But the rooster suddenly flicked his tail, and Anna pulled her hand away with a squeal.

“Don’t worry, your Excellency, we’ll arrange everything in the best possible way,” said the cook, who obviously understood Anna’s anxiety. – Now the Bulgarian brought two melons. Pineapple. Kind of like cantaloupes, but the smell is much more aromatic. And I also dare to ask your Excellency what kind of sauce would you order to serve with the rooster: tartar or Polish, or maybe just breadcrumbs in butter?

- Do as you please. Go! - ordered the princess.

Garnet bracelet- The story of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, written in 1910. The plot was based on a real story, which Kuprin filled with sad poetry. In 1964, a film of the same name was made based on this work.

Plot

On her name day, Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina received a bracelet decorated with a rare green garnet as a gift from her longtime, anonymous admirer. Being a married woman, she considered herself not entitled to receive any gifts from strangers.

Her brother, Nikolai Nikolaevich, assistant prosecutor, together with Prince Vasily Lvovich found the sender. He turned out to be a modest official Georgy Zheltkov. Many years ago, he accidentally saw Princess Vera in the box at a circus performance and fell in love with her with pure and unrequited love. Several times a year, on major holidays, he allowed himself to write letters to her.

Now, after talking with the prince, he felt ashamed of those actions that could compromise an innocent woman. However, his love for her was so deep and selfless that he could not imagine the forced separation that the princess’s husband and brother insisted on.

After they left, he wrote a farewell letter to Vera Nikolaevna, in which he apologized to her for everything and asked her to listen to L. van Beethoven. 2 Son. (op. 2, No 2).Largo Appassionato. Then he took the bracelet that had been returned to him to the landlady with a request to hang the decoration on the icon of the Mother of God (according to Catholic custom), locked himself in his room and shot himself, seeing no point in the rest of his life. Zheltkov left a posthumous note in which he explained that he shot himself because of embezzlement of government money.

Vera Nikolaevna, having learned about the death of G.S.Zh., asked her husband’s permission and went to the suicide’s apartment to look at least once at the man who had unrequitedly loved her for so many years. Returning home, she asked Jenny Reiter to play something, without doubting that she would play exactly the part of the sonata that Zheltkov wrote about. Sitting in a flower garden to the sounds of beautiful music, Vera Nikolaevna pressed herself against the trunk of an acacia tree and cried. She realized that the love that Anosov spoke about, which every woman dreams of, passed her by. When the pianist finished playing and entered the princess, she began to kiss her and said: “No, no, he has forgiven me now. Everything is fine.”

Notes

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

• Granatov (village)
• Pomegranate Festival

See what “Garnet Bracelet (story)” is in other dictionaries:

Bracelet - get an active ElytS coupon on Academician or buy a profitable bracelet at a low price on sale at ElytS

Garnet bracelet- (story) story by A. I. Kuprin. Garnet Bracelet (film) film based on the story by A. I. Kuprin ... Wikipedia

Kuprin, Alexander Ivanovich- Wikipedia has articles about other people with the same surname, see Kuprin. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin ... Wikipedia

A. A. Kuprin

A. I. Kuprin- The request "Kuprin" is redirected here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: village of Narovchat ... Wikipedia

A. I. Kuprin- The request "Kuprin" is redirected here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: village of Narovchat ... Wikipedia

Kuprin A.- The request "Kuprin" is redirected here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: village of Narovchat ... Wikipedia

Kuprin A.I.- The request "Kuprin" is redirected here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: village of Narovchat ... Wikipedia

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich- The request "Kuprin" is redirected here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: village of Narovchat ... Wikipedia

Kuprin- Kuprin, Alexander Ivanovich The request “Kuprin” is redirected here; see also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: August 26 (September 7) 1870(... Wikipedia

Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich- (1870 1938), Russian writer. Social criticism marked the story “Moloch” (1896), in which modern civilization appears in the image of a monster factory that enslaves a person morally and physically, the story “The Duel” (1905) about the death... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Garnet bracelet Olesya The Wheel of Time, Kuprin A.. We present to your attention a magnificent gift edition by Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich, which includes the stories “The Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya” and the novel “The Wheel of Time” .. GARNET…