Before writing your review on the “Garnet Bracelet”, you need to get acquainted with the personality of the author of the story and the opinion of authoritative literary critics. A.I. Kuprin is one of the outstanding writers of the turn of the century. His work is on the same level with famous masters of the word, such as Tolstoy, Bunin. A distinctive feature of Kuprin prose is that for him in the first place were the people themselves with their ability to feel and do great things. One of the most sensual and amazing works of the writer was the story "Garnet Bracelet", reviews of which will be considered in this article.
Personality A.I. Kuprin
Kuprin was a completely unusual person. Everything that he did in life was reflected in his work. Books by Alexander Ivanovich are a kind of map of his life and observations. He was an opponent of senseless fantasies and believed that if he writes, for example, about fishermen, then he himself must possess this skill. All the feelings that fill his works are sincere and natural, since they are taken from life itself. Numerous reviews about the book “Pomegranate Bracelet” are confirmation of how well he managed to embody such a different palette of emotions in his masterpieces. It was no accident that his contemporaries called him precisely an artist. He used the words as if in paints, drawing on the pages of his works lively and incredible pictures.
Features of creativity
A lot of difficulties fell on Alexander Ivanovich. He has seen war and failure in family life, which ended in divorce. There were good moments: true love, the appearance of children, unexpected and well-deserved fame. All this was a kind of test for him, having passed which, he drew the undeniable wisdom of life. Kuprin argued that a person can be happy only when his life is in full swing, when he has to fight, to achieve something. Life is happiness, albeit with agony and anxiety, but this is how one can know it. Overcoming difficulties and suffering, a person goes back to an absolute understanding of happiness.
The critic Vronsky, analyzing the writer's work, said that one of the most important features of Kuprin's prose is the seriousness of the image of life. It seems that for him there is nothing empty and insignificant in it. Whether Kuprin’s novel “Pomegranate Bracelet” received contemporaries' reviews deservedly or not, we will consider further.
The main theme in the work of Kuprin
The most important topic that runs through the red thread through the work of Kuprin, was love. She fills every his work. But this is not a happy and serene mutual love, but a tragic feeling that dooms a person to suffering. But at the same time, she makes the person gifted with her sublime and special. In the reviews of the novel “Pomegranate Bracelet” one can find many very conflicting opinions about the elevation of such a feeling.
How was the “Garnet Bracelet” created
Odessa became the place that helped Kuprin to realize his ideas in the “Pomegranate Bracelet”. It was here that he began and completed his creation. The composition was promoted with notable efforts, but it brought Kuprin incredible joy and satisfaction.
Case in the Lyubimov family
The plot for the future masterpiece was a real story that happened in the family of good friends of the writer. Dmitry and Lyudmila Lyubimov found their embodiment in the book in the person of the prince and princess Sheinykh. Lyudmila Ivanovna had a longtime admirer, a petty official, Zheltikov, who wrote letters to her with explanations and sent gifts. Once he gave her a gilded bracelet decorated with a small egg with the inscription "Christ is Risen". After that, the husband of Lyudmila Ivanovna was forced to have a conversation with Zheltikov. He took back his gift and no longer bothered the couple.
This story was perceived by the Lyubimov family as comic. Zheltikov was just crazy for them. But Kuprin saw her in a completely different way. In this comic, he caught the ghost of true love. Thus was born the idea of the story "Garnet Bracelet", the contemporaries' reviews about which were very mixed. A story based on this story had a tragic ending. In reality, Zheltikov did not die, but simply disappeared from the life of the Lyubimovs.
Summary of the story
Spouses Sheina spend time in the country. On the princess's birthday, guests gather here: sister, brother and General Anosov. An interesting conversation between the characters, in which the general reveals the author's point of view on the nature of love. During entertainment, Vera is brought a letter and a case. Opening it, a woman discovers a gold bracelet decorated with garnets. From the letter she learns that her old secret admirer, who began to send her messages before her marriage, made a present to her. She asks her husband to read the letter. Her brother also finds out about the contents of the message, who is furious that Vera is in such a situation and can be compromised by such a gift. He forces Prince Vasily to go with him to this admirer and demand that he stop pursuing the Princess.
After spending the night, they come to the apartment where Zheltkov lives. During the conversation, the Prince feels that he has witnessed true great love. Zheltkov makes a promise to leave Vera alone and hide from the city. He asks only permission to write a farewell letter for her.
After her husband’s story about this conversation, the princess realizes that Zheltkov is going to lay hands on himself. She does not leave a feeling of near tragedy.
In the morning, after reading the press, she learns that her fears have been confirmed. And Zheltkov committed suicide, in the newspaper they called the embezzlement committed by him the reason for such an act. In the evening, a letter is brought from him for Vera Nikolaevna. In it, he admires his beloved and thanks God for sending love as a reward to him. Like a prayer, the words addressed to a beloved woman sound like a refrain: “Hallowed be thy name ...”.
Faith goes to Zheltkov to say goodbye. Being in his apartment in front of the coffin, she suddenly realizes that a huge and unique love passed by, which every person dreams of touching.
Later, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata sounds in the Sheikhs' house. Zheltkov wrote about her in his letter. Vera suffers while listening to music and feels that right now the unfortunate lover forgives her.
Reviews of the work “Garnet Bracelet” prove that Kuprin managed to achieve his goal - to show real strong feelings.
Kuprin’s attitude to the story “Garnet Bracelet”
During the creation of the story, in one of his letters, Kuprin notes that “Pomegranate Bracelet” is a very sad story of a madly in love telegraph official. Kuprin seeks to put hopeless love into the work.
For Alexander Ivanovich, this became his favorite work. Once he almost took part in a duel because of a debate about which of his stories is the best. His interlocutor claimed that it was Junker, while Kuprin selflessly argued that the crown of his work was the Garnet Bracelet.
Critics' Opinions
In the reviews of critics, “Garnet Bracelet” received many positive comments. Contemporaries Kuprin story was very well received. A. Volkov noted that General Anosov is the mediator of the author in the transfer of his thoughts about the essence of love. It is in his mouth that Kuprin puts the words that real feelings must be overwhelming, tragic. Uncompromising. These are the feelings of Zheltkov. He, not hoping for reciprocity, simply worships his chosen one, humbly accepting the trials of fate.
A.N. Afanasyev believed that such a sad ending was necessary for Kuprin to show against her background the beauty of a sincere feeling.
However, there were critics who in their works blamed Zheltkova for having limited his entire world to Faith alone. Because of this, he was credited with some inferiority and spiritual poverty.
Reviews by contemporary writers
The writers' comments on the novel “Pomegranate Bracelet” were mostly enthusiastic. Among those who managed to discern something new in Kuprin's work , the deep tragedy of the soul and feelings, were K. G. Paustovsky and M. Gorky. Gorky in his letter to Malinovskaya said after reading the Bracelet that this story marks the beginning of a new good literature.
No matter how the fate of the story “Pomegranate Bracelet” develops, reviews of it still cause real controversy among readers. Someone agrees with the author in his theory of tragic love, while someone disputes the common sense of Zheltkov. The decision is made by everyone for himself. One has only to listen to how this work will respond in your heart.