Some works by Nikolai Semenovich Leskov are held at school. To get a good mark, you need to know the plot, the main characters. Then the student will correctly fill out the reader’s diary and on the basis of this he will be able to answer well when the time comes to study the story “Old Genius”. Summary will help with this.
Written Response Structure
Usually a reading diary consists of four main columns. The first is the title of the work. In it, the student writes: "Old genius." A summary for the reader's diary should be short. It is written in the fourth column.
In the second, the author is indicated. Here is Nikolai Semenovich Leskov. If the teacher asks to write the years of his life, indicate the dates 1832-1895. If you need to put the year of writing the story, write that it is 1864.
The third column is dedicated to the heroes of the work. You will recognize them by reading the story "Old Genius." Summary - the most voluminous graph, so then we proceed to retelling a small story.
“Glaring business”
The work consists of five chapters. At the beginning of the story, the author introduces the reader to an old woman who arrived in St. Petersburg on a “blatant case” - these are her words. What made an elderly woman leave her native land and hit the road? Trouble. The old woman’s house was mortgaged, she had nothing to pay. She lived with a young granddaughter and a sick daughter. If they took their house away, the family would simply perish, because then they would have nowhere to live.
Why the old woman mortgaged her house, this is written in the story "The Old Genius." The summary also tells about this fact. It happened because the old woman was very kind. She felt sorry for the man whom she asked her for a loan. He spent his money, and now he had nothing to get from the area where the old woman lived, to St. Petersburg, where he lived. This fashionable dandy told her that he needed to somehow get to his hometown, and then he would give the money back.
Debtor
The old woman believed, moreover, she once knew the mother of a man. She didn’t have that kind of money, so she took money from a bank on bail at home.
But the man, having reached St. Petersburg, sank into the water. He did not repay the debt, but did not answer the letters that this woman began to write to him. At first, she only hinted slightly that the time was right and she had to pay. Then, dejected by the silence of the dandy, she began to insistently demand what was due to her, but he did not answer.
That is why the old woman had to pack on the road and go. After all, she was warned that they would soon sell the house, on the security of which she took money. The summary of the story “Old Genius” goes on to the next moment.
In the town
Arriving in St. Petersburg, an elderly woman went to court. She came across a good lawyer who won the case. A verdict was issued stating that the debtor needed to pay money. But the good news ended there.
Wherever the woman turned, they answered her that they did not know where the debtor lives. She said that she knew where his wife’s house was. She was told that the spouse can live there, but that dandy does not appear in this house.
The old woman hinted to officials that after returning the money she would thank them by giving one or three thousand rubles, but they still did not agree to help. They said that this dandy has reputable patrons, so no one will contact him.
The saddened woman told her story to the narrator, on whose behalf the work “Old Genius” was written. A very brief summary will tell about this episode.
Woman seeks a way out
The old woman, apparently, was brisk and was not used to giving up. She was strengthened by the fact that her dependent had a sick daughter and granddaughter. It was necessary to return the money so that relatives would not be on the street.
Decision was given to her by the news from the house that after Christmas her house should be sold, so it was impossible to hesitate. In addition, an elderly woman accidentally met that dandy and found out that he and his well-to-do lady the next day would forever go abroad. In this case, he would never repay the debt.
Subsequent events are transmitted from the mouth of the narrator. So we find out that the old woman went to one person who introduced himself as Ivan Ivanovich. He promised to help her for 500 rubles - 200 is his reward, and 300 must be given to the direct executor of the plan, which was invented by Ivan Ivanovich.
For some time the old woman thought, but then decided that she had no other choice. She came to the narrator to ask for the missing 150 rubles. He turned out to be a hearty man. When the woman told what the money would be spent on, he gave it to her.
The plan of Ivan Ivanovich - the old genius
Having borrowed 150 rubles from the narrator, the woman went to the appointed place, where Ivan Ivanovich was waiting for her. She told him she agreed. He replied that then the matter was small. He cannot be a performer, as his face is known to many. For this purpose it is necessary to find a “Serbian fighter”. So then they called those who fought during the Turkish-Serbian war.
Not immediately they managed to find such a person - they had to travel, but the search was successful. Now, three noble conspirators were sitting in a tavern and discussing the details. The former military said he agreed to 300 rubles, the negotiations ended there.
The train with the debtor was departing the next day. After spending the night, the trio went to the station. Here the old woman, fearing to be recognized, quietly pointed out the debtor to the men. He drank tea and waited for the train to leave.
Ivan Ivanovich and the woman hid, began to observe further action from a safe distance. The Serbian warrior three times passed the dandy, and then, dissatisfied (to provoke a scandal), asked why he was looking at him like that? After a hassle, the soldier hit the debtor, a policeman came to the noise.
He asked the men to show the documents. Seeing a familiar surname, the law enforcement officer handed the dandy a paper indicating the amount of the debt. To let him out of the country, a man paid a debt with interest and everything was decided well. The old woman gave 150 rubles to the storyteller.
On the positive ends the little story “Old Genius”. Brief summary is different from this. In the presented retelling, you will find more important details of the story that will help answer additional questions from the teacher and get an excellent grade.