Tale Garnet bracelet: analysis of the work. Alexander kupringarnet bracelet Author of the story garnet bracelet

One of the most famous creations of Alexander Kuprin is the Garnet Bracelet. The genre of this work is not so easy to determine. It is called both a story and a story. What is the difference between these genres? And which of them does the "Garnet Bracelet" refer to?

Plot

The work "Garnet Bracelet", the genre of which will be defined in this article, is dedicated to extraordinary, unearthly love. The main characters are a married couple Vera and Vasily Shein. The action takes place in a small provincial town on the seashore. Vasily Shein occupies the honorary position of the head of the nobility, which obliges a lot. He attends dinner parties of the highest caliber, has an appropriate appearance, and his family life is exemplary. Vasily and his wife have friendly, warm relations. Vera has not experienced passionate love for her husband for a long time, but she understands him perfectly, which can be said about Vasily.

The plot takes place in the fifth chapter, when the name day of the hostess is celebrated in the Sheins' house. Unnoticed by the guests, Vera receives a gift and a rather lengthy letter attached to it. The message contains a declaration of love. The gift is a massive inflated bracelet made of low-grade gold, decorated with a garnet.

Later, the reader will learn the backstory. Even before Vera's marriage, the author of the letter abandoned her. But one day, secretly from her husband, she in writing forbade him to send such messages. From now on, he was limited only to congratulations on the New Year, Easter and name day. He did not stop the correspondence, however, he did not speak about love anymore in his messages.

Vera's relatives, and especially brother Nikolai, were extremely outraged by the gift. And so we decided to take effective methods to neutralize the restless admirer. One day, Vasily and Nikolai went straight to the house of a man who had loved Vera unrequitedly for more than eight years, and insistently demanded that they stop writing. The garnet bracelet was also returned to the donor.

Genre

In literature, there are various types of works: from a small lyric poem to a large-scale novel in several volumes. The content of the work "Garnet Bracelet" was briefly outlined above. The genre must be defined. But first it is worth saying a few words about this literary concept.

Genre - a set of works that have some characteristic common features. It can be a comedy, and an essay, and a poem, and a novel, and a story, and a short story. We will consider the last two options. The genre of Kuprin's Garnet Bracelet, of course, cannot be either a comedy, or a poem, or a novel.

There is a significant difference between a short story and a novel. These genres cannot be confused. The main feature of the story is its small volume. It is much more difficult to draw a line between him and the story. But there is still a difference. The story describes events that are components of one integral plot. This genre originated in the times of Ancient Rus'. His first examples were works about the exploits of Russian soldiers. Much later, Karamzin began to develop this genre. And after him - Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev. The story is characterized by a slow unhurried development of events.

This genre is a small realistic work. It resembles a Western European short story, but many literary critics single out the story as a separate, special type of work. The story has an unexpected twist. This genre differs from the story in the absence of background, a limited number of characters, and a focus on the main event.

So all the same - a story or a story?

At the beginning of the article, the plot of the work "Garnet Bracelet" was outlined. What genre comes to mind after reading this work or even its brief retelling? Undoubtedly a story. The "Garnet Bracelet" depicts characters who are not directly related to the main events. Some are mentioned in passing, others in great detail. The work gives a detailed description of Anna, the younger sister of Vera. In addition, the biography of General Anosov, a friend of the Shein family, is presented in some detail. He is not only depicted by the author brightly and colorfully. His presence in the plot has a symbolic meaning. Anosov discusses with Vera the topic of "true love, which men are now not capable of." He also utters an essential phrase about the feeling that Vera met on the path of life and which every woman in the world dreams of. But this hero does not affect the course of events in any way. Its meaning in the story is only symbolic.

It should also be recalled that there is a backstory. Vera tells the same Anosov about the events of recent years, namely about the admirer who presented her with a compromising gift. All this allows us to state with confidence that the genre of Kuprin's work "Garnet Bracelet" is a story. Although it is worth adding that this concept is inherent exclusively in Russian literature. It has no exact equivalent in other languages. In English and German, for example, Kuprin's work is called a short story. And therefore, the one who determines the "Garnet Bracelet" with a story will not make a gross mistake.

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 adorned 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. It turned out to be a modest official Georgy Zheltkov. Many years ago, at a circus performance, he accidentally saw Princess Vera in a box 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 disinterested that he could not imagine the forced separation that the husband and brother of the princess 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 returned to him to the landlady with a request to hang the decoration on the icon of the Mother of God (according to the Catholic custom), locked himself in his room and shot himself, not seeing the point in his later life. Zheltkov left a posthumous note in which he explained that he shot himself due to the waste of state money.

Vera Nikolaevna, having learned about the death of G.S.Zh., asked her husband’s permission and went to the apartment of the suicide to look at least once at the person who had loved her unrequitedly for so many years. Returning home, she asked Jenny Reiter to play something, no doubt that she would play exactly the part of the sonata that Zheltkov wrote about. Sitting in the flower garden to the sound of beautiful music, Vera Nikolaevna clung to the trunk of an acacia tree and wept. She realized that the love that Anosov spoke about, which every woman dreams of, passed her by. When the pianist finished playing and went in to the princess, she began to kiss her with the words: "No, no - he has forgiven me now. Everything is fine."

Notes

Links

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See what "Garnet bracelet (story)" is in other dictionaries:

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

Wikipedia has articles about other people with that surname, see Kuprin. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin ... Wikipedia

"Kuprin" redirects here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: Narovchat village ... Wikipedia

"Kuprin" redirects here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: Narovchat village ... Wikipedia

"Kuprin" redirects here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: Narovchat village ... Wikipedia

"Kuprin" redirects here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: Narovchat village ... Wikipedia

"Kuprin" redirects here. See also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: September 7, 1870 Place of birth: Narovchat village ... Wikipedia

Kuprin, Alexander Ivanovich "Kuprin" redirects here; see also other meanings. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin Date of birth: August 26 (September 7), 1870 (... Wikipedia

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

Books

• Pomegranate bracelet Olesya The Wheel of Time, Kuprin A.

In mid-August, before the birth of the new moon, the bad weather suddenly set in, which is so characteristic of the northern coast of the Black Sea. Sometimes for whole days a thick fog lay heavily over the land and the sea, and then the huge siren in the lighthouse roared day and night like a mad bull. Then from morning till morning it rained incessantly, fine as water dust, turning clay roads and paths into solid thick mud, in which wagons and carriages got bogged down for a long time. That blew from the northwest, from the side of the steppe, a ferocious hurricane; from it the tops of the trees swayed, bending down and straightening up, like waves in a storm, the iron roofs of the dachas rattled at night, and it seemed as if someone was running along them in shod boots; window frames trembled, doors slammed, and howled wildly in the chimneys. Several fishing boats got lost in the sea, and two did not return at all: only a week later the corpses of fishermen were thrown out in different places on the coast.

The inhabitants of the suburban seaside resort - mostly Greeks and Jews, cheerful and suspicious, like all southerners - hurriedly moved to the city. Cargo drogs stretched endlessly along the softened highway, overloaded with all sorts of household items: mattresses, sofas, chests, chairs, washstands, samovars. It was pitiful, and sad, and disgusting to look through the muddy muslin of rain at this miserable belongings, which seemed so worn out, dirty and beggarly; on the maids and cooks sitting on the top of the wagon on a wet tarpaulin with some kind of irons, tins and baskets in their hands, on sweaty, exhausted horses, which now and then stopped, trembling at the knees, smoking and often carrying sides, on hoarsely cursing quails, wrapped up from the rain in mats. It was even sadder to see the 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's vials.

But by the beginning of September, the weather suddenly changed abruptly and quite unexpectedly. Quiet, cloudless days immediately set in, so clear, sunny and warm that there were none even in July. On the dry, compressed fields, on their prickly yellow bristles, autumn cobwebs shone with a mica sheen. The calmed trees silently and obediently dropped their yellow leaves.

Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, the wife of the marshal of the nobility, could not leave the dachas, because the repairs in their city house had not yet been completed. And now she was very glad of the lovely days that had come, the silence, the solitude, the clean air, the chirping of the swallows on the telegraph wires, which had strayed away to fly away, and the gentle salty breeze that weakly pulled from the sea.

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

She was alone in the whole house. Her unmarried brother Nikolai, a fellow prosecutor, who usually lived with them, also went to the city, to the court. For dinner, the husband promised to bring a few and only the 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 on a ball, but here, in the country, one could manage with the smallest expenses. Prince Shein, despite his prominent position in society, and perhaps thanks to him, could barely make ends meet. The huge family estate was almost completely upset by his ancestors, and he had to live above his means: to make receptions, do charity, dress well, keep horses, etc. Princess Vera, whose former passionate love for her husband had long since passed into a strong, faithful feeling, true friendship, tried with all her might to help the prince refrain from complete ruin. She in many ways, imperceptibly for him, denied herself and, as far as possible, economized in the household.

Now she was walking in the garden and carefully cutting flowers for the dinner table with scissors. The flower beds were empty and looked disordered. Multi-colored terry carnations were blooming, as well as levka - half in flowers, and half in thin green pods that smelled of cabbage, rose bushes still gave - for the third time this summer - buds and roses, but already shredded, rare, as if degenerate. On the other hand, dahlias, peonies and asters bloomed magnificently with their cold, arrogant beauty, spreading an autumnal, grassy, ​​sad smell in the sensitive air. The rest of the flowers, after their luxurious love and excessive abundant summer motherhood, quietly showered countless seeds of a future life on the ground.

Close by on the highway came the familiar sound of a three-ton car horn. It was the sister of Princess Vera, Anna Nikolaevna Friesse, who had promised in the morning to come by phone to help her sister receive guests and take care of the house.

Subtle hearing did not deceive Vera. She walked towards. A few minutes later a graceful carriage came to an abrupt halt at the dacha gate, and the driver, deftly jumping down from the seat, flung open the door.

The sisters kissed happily. From early childhood, they were attached to each other by 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 of her shoulders, which can be seen in old 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, 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 rather noticeable cheekbones, with narrow eyes, which, moreover, she squinted due to myopia, with an haughty expression in her small, sensual mouth, especially in her full lower lip slightly protruding 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, provocatively coquettish facial expression. Her graceful ugliness excited and attracted the attention of men much more often and stronger than her sister's aristocratic beauty.

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 title of chamber junker. She could not 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 never did. 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 the pretty anemic children of her younger sister, always decent and obedient, with pale mealy faces and curled flaxen doll hair.

Anna consisted entirely of cheerful carelessness and sweet, sometimes strange contradictions. She willingly indulged in the most risky flirting in all the capitals and in all the resorts of Europe, but she never cheated on her husband, whom, however, she contemptuously ridiculed both in the eyes and behind the eyes; she was extravagant, terribly fond of gambling, dancing, strong impressions, sharp spectacles, visited dubious cafes abroad, but at the same time she was distinguished by generous kindness and deep, sincere piety, which forced her even to secretly accept Catholicism. She had a rare beauty back, chest and shoulders. Going to big balls, she was exposed much more than the limits allowed by decency and fashion, but it was said that under the low neckline she always wore a sackcloth.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a Russian writer who, without a doubt, can be attributed to the classics. His books are still recognizable and loved by the reader, not only under the compulsion of a school teacher, but at a conscious age. A distinctive feature of his work is documentary, his stories were based on real events or real events became the impetus for their creation - among them is the story "Garnet Bracelet".

“Garnet Bracelet” is a real story that Kuprin heard from friends while viewing family albums. The governor's wife made sketches for letters sent to her by a certain telegraph official who was unrequitedly in love with her. Once she received a gift from him: a gilded chain with a pendant in the shape of an Easter egg. Alexander Ivanovich took this story as the basis for his work, turning these meager, uninteresting data into a touching story. The writer replaced the chain with the pendant with a bracelet with five grenades, which, according to King Solomon in one story, mean anger, passion and love.

Plot

The "Garnet Bracelet" begins with preparations for the celebration, when Vera Nikolaevna Sheina suddenly receives a gift from an unknown person: a bracelet in which five garnets adorned with green splashes. On a paper note that was attached to the gift, it is indicated that the gem is able to endow the owner with foresight. The princess shares the news with her husband and shows a bracelet from an unknown person. In the course of the action, it turns out that this person is a petty official named Zheltkov. For the first time, he saw Vera Nikolaevna in the circus many years ago, and since then, suddenly flared feelings have not faded away: even the threats of her brother do not stop him. Nevertheless, Zheltkov does not want to torment his beloved, and he decides to commit suicide so as not to bring shame on her.

The story ends with the realization of the strength of the sincere feelings of a stranger, which comes to Vera Nikolaevna.

Love Theme

The main theme of the work "Garnet Bracelet" is, of course, the theme of unrequited love. Moreover, Zheltkov is a vivid example of disinterested, sincere, sacrificial feelings that he does not betray, even when his loyalty cost his life. Princess Sheina also fully feels the power of these emotions: years later she realizes that she wants to be loved and love again - and the jewelry presented by Zheltkov marks the imminent emergence of passion. Indeed, soon she falls in love with life again and feels it in a new way. you can read on our website.

The theme of love in the story is frontal and permeates the entire text: this love is high and pure, a manifestation of God. Vera Nikolaevna feels internal changes even after Zheltkov's suicide - she knew the sincerity of a noble feeling and readiness to sacrifice herself for the sake of someone who would not give anything in return. Love changes the character of the whole story: the princess's feelings die, wither, fall asleep, being once passionate and hot, and turned into a strong friendship with her husband. But Vera Nikolaevna in her soul still continues to strive for love, even if it became dull over time: she needed time to let passion and sensuality come out, but before that her calmness could seem indifferent and cold - this puts a high wall for Zheltkov.

Main characters (characteristic)

1. Zheltkov worked as a minor official in the control chamber (the author placed him there to emphasize that the main character was a small person). Kuprin does not even indicate his name in the work: only the letters are signed with initials. Zheltkov is exactly what the reader imagines as a low-ranking person: thin, pale-skinned, straightening his jacket with nervous fingers. He has delicate features, blue eyes. According to the story, Zheltkov is about thirty years old, he is not rich, modest, decent and noble - even the husband of Vera Nikolaevna notes this. The elderly mistress of his room says that for all the eight years that he lived with her, he became like a family to her, and he was a very sweet interlocutor. “... Eight years ago I saw you in a circus in a box, and then in the first second I said to myself: I love her because there is nothing like her in the world, there is nothing better ...”, - this is how the modern fairy tale about Zheltkov's feelings for Vera Nikolaevna, although he never cherished hopes that they would be mutual: "... seven years of hopeless and polite love ...". He knows the address of his beloved, what she does, where she spends time, what she wears - he admits that nothing but her is interesting and joyful to him. you can also find it on our website.
2. Vera Nikolaevna Sheina inherited her mother's appearance: a tall, stately aristocrat with a proud face. Her character is strict, uncomplicated, calm, she is polite and courteous, kind to everyone. She has been married to Prince Vasily Shein for more than six years, together they are full-fledged members of high society, arrange balls and receptions, despite financial difficulties.
3. Vera Nikolaevna has a sister, the youngest, Anna Nikolaevna Friesse, who, unlike her, inherited her father's features and his Mongolian blood: a narrow slit in the eyes, femininity of features, flirty facial expressions. Her character is frivolous, perky, cheerful, but contradictory. Her husband, Gustav Ivanovich, is rich and stupid, but idolizes her and is constantly nearby: his feelings, it seems, have not changed from the first day, he courted her and still adored her very much. Anna Nikolaevna cannot stand her husband, but they have a son and a daughter, she is faithful to him, although she is quite contemptuous.
4. General Anosov is Anna's godfather, his full name is Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov. He is fat and tall, good-natured, patient, does not hear well, he has a large, red face with clear eyes, he is very respected for the years of his service, fair and courageous, has a clear conscience, constantly wears a frock coat and cap, uses a hearing horn and a stick.
5. Prince Vasily Lvovich Shein is the husband of Vera Nikolaevna. Little is said about his appearance, only that he has blond hair and a big head. He is very soft, compassionate, sensitive - he treats Zheltkov's feelings with understanding, unshakably calm. He has a sister, a widow, whom he invites to the celebration.

Features of Kuprin's creativity

Kuprin was close to the theme of the character's awareness of the truth of life. He saw the world around him in a special way and strove to learn something new, his works are characterized by drama, some anxiety, excitement. "Cognitive pathos" - this is called the hallmark of his work.

In many ways, Dostoevsky influenced Kuprin's work, especially in the early stages, when he writes about fatal and significant moments, the role of chance, the psychology of characters' passion - often the writer makes it clear that not everything can be understood.

It can be said that one of the features of Kuprin's work is a dialogue with readers, in which the plot is traced and reality is depicted - this is especially noticeable in his essays, which in turn were influenced by G. Uspensky.

Some of his works are famous for their lightness and immediacy, poetization of reality, naturalness and naturalness. Others - the theme of inhumanity and protest, the struggle for feelings. At some point, he becomes interested in history, antiquity, legends, and this is how fantastic stories are born with motives for the inevitability of chance and fate.

Genre and composition

Kuprin is characterized by love for stories within stories. The “Garnet Bracelet” is another proof: Zheltkov’s note about the qualities of the jewelry is the plot in the plot.

The author shows love from different points of view - love in general terms and Zheltkov's unrequited feelings. These feelings have no future: the marital status of Vera Nikolaevna, the difference in social status, circumstances - everything is against them. In this doom, the subtle romanticism invested by the writer in the text of the story is manifested.

The whole work is ringed by references to the same piece of music - Beethoven's sonata. So the music, "sounding" throughout the story, shows the power of love and is the key to understanding the text, resounding in the final lines. Music communicates the unsaid. Moreover, it is Beethoven's sonata at the climax that symbolizes the awakening of the soul of Vera Nikolaevna and the realization that comes to her. Such attention to melody is also a manifestation of romanticism.

The composition of the story implies the presence of symbols and hidden meanings. So a fading garden implies the fading passion of Vera Nikolaevna. General Anosov tells short stories about love - these are also small plots within the main narrative.

It is difficult to determine the genre of the "Garnet Bracelet". In fact, the work is called a story, largely due to its composition: it consists of thirteen short chapters. However, the writer himself called "Garnet Bracelet" a story.

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The story "Garnet Bracelet", written in 1910, occupies a significant place in the writer's work and in Russian literature. Paustovsky called the love story of a petty official to a married princess one of "the most fragrant and languishing stories about love." True, eternal love, which is a rare gift, is the theme of Kuprin's work.

In order to get acquainted with the plot and the characters of the story, we suggest reading the summary of the "Garnet Bracelet" chapter by chapter. It will provide an opportunity to comprehend the work, to comprehend the charm and lightness of the writer's language and to penetrate into the idea.

Main characters

Vera Sheina- Princess, wife of the leader of the nobility Shein. She married for love, over time, love grew into friendship and respect. She began to receive letters from the official Zheltkov, who loved her, even before her marriage.

Zheltkov- official. Unrequitedly in love with Vera for many years.

Vasily Shein- Prince, provincial marshal of the nobility. Loves his wife.

Other characters

Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov- General, friend of the late Prince Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky, father of Vera, Anna and Nikolai.

Anna Friesse- sister of Vera and Nikolai.

Nikolay Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky- assistant prosecutor, brother of Vera and Anna.

Jenny Reiter- a friend of Princess Vera, a famous pianist.

Chapter 1

In mid-August, bad weather came to the Black Sea coast. Most of the inhabitants of coastal resorts hastily began to move to the city, leaving their summer cottages. Princess Vera Sheina was forced to stay at her dacha, as repairs were going on in her city house.

Along with the first days of September, it was warm, it became sunny and clear, and Vera was very happy about the wonderful days of early autumn.

Chapter 2

On the day of her name day, September 17, Vera Nikolaevna was expecting guests. The husband left in the morning on business and had to bring guests for dinner.

Vera was glad that the name day fell on the summer season and there was no need to arrange a magnificent reception. The Shein family was on the verge of ruin, and the position of the prince obliged a lot, so the spouses had to live beyond their means. Vera Nikolaevna, whose love for her husband long ago degenerated into "a feeling of lasting, faithful, true friendship", supported him as much as she could, saved money, denied herself in many ways.

Her sister Anna Nikolaevna Friesse came to help Vera with the housework and to receive guests. Not similar in appearance or characters, the sisters were very attached to each other from childhood.

Chapter 3

Anna had not seen the sea for a long time, and the sisters briefly sat down on a bench above the cliff, “falling like a sheer wall deep into the sea” - to admire the lovely landscape.

Remembering the prepared gift, Anna handed her sister a notebook in an old binding.

Chapter 4

By evening, guests began to arrive. Among them was General Anosov, a friend of Prince Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky, the late father of Anna and Vera. He was very attached to his sisters, they, in turn, adored him and called him grandfather.

Chapter 5

Those gathered in the Sheins' house were entertained at the table by the host, Prince Vasily Lvovich. He had a special gift for storytelling: humorous stories were always based on an event that happened to someone he knew. But in his stories, he so "exaggerated", so bizarrely combined truth and fiction, and spoke with such a serious and businesslike look that all the listeners laughed non-stop. This time his story concerned the failed marriage of his brother, Nikolai Nikolaevich.

Rising from the table, Vera involuntarily counted the guests - there were thirteen of them. And, since the princess was superstitious, she became restless.

After dinner everyone except Vera sat down to play poker. She was about to go out onto the terrace when the maid called her. On the table in the office, where both women went, the servant laid out a small package tied with a ribbon, and explained that a messenger had brought it with a request to hand it over to Vera Nikolaevna personally.

Vera found a gold bracelet and a note in the bag. First, she began to examine the decoration. In the center of a low-grade gold bracelet stood out several magnificent garnets, each about the size of a pea. Looking at the stones, the birthday girl turned the bracelet, and the stones flared up like "charming dense red living lights." With anxiety, Vera realized that these fires looked like blood.

He congratulated Vera on Angel Day, asked him not to be angry with him for daring to write letters to her a few years ago and expect an answer. He asked to accept as a gift a bracelet, the stones of which belonged to his great-grandmother. From her silver bracelet, he, exactly repeating the location, transferred the stones to the gold one and drew Vera's attention to the fact that no one had yet worn the bracelet. He wrote: “however, I believe that there is no treasure in the whole world worthy of decorating you” and admitted that all that is now left in him is “only reverence, eternal admiration and slavish devotion”, every minute desire for happiness to the Faith and joy if she is happy.

Vera pondered whether to show the gift to her husband.

Chapter 6

The evening passed smoothly and lively: they played cards, talked, listened to the singing of one of the guests. Prince Shein showed several guests a home album with his own drawings. This album was an addition to the humorous stories of Vasily Lvovich. Those looking at the album laughed so loudly and contagiously that the guests gradually moved towards them.

The last story in the drawings was called "Princess Vera and the telegraph operator in love", and the text of the story itself, according to the prince, was still "prepared". Vera asked her husband: “It’s better not to,” but he either did not hear, or did not pay attention to her request and began his cheerful story about how Princess Vera received passionate messages from a telegraph operator in love.

Chapter 7

After tea, a few guests left, the rest settled on the terrace. General Anosov told stories from his army life, Anna and Vera listened to him with pleasure, as in childhood.

Before going to see off the old general, Vera invited her husband to read the letter she had received.

Chapter 8

On the way to the crew waiting for the general, Anosov talked with Vera and Anna about the fact that he had not met true love in his life. According to him, “love should be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world."

The general asked Vera about what was true in the story told by her husband. And she gladly shared with him: "some madman" pursued her with his love and sent letters even before marriage. The princess also told about the parcel with the letter. In thought, the general noted that it was quite possible that Vera's life was crossed by "a single, all-forgiving, ready for anything, modest and selfless" love that any woman dreams of.

Chapter 9

After seeing off the guests and returning to the house, Sheina joined in the conversation between her brother Nikolai and Vasily Lvovich. The brother believed that the "nonsense" of the fan should be stopped immediately - the story with the bracelet and letters could ruin the family's reputation.

After discussing what to do, it was decided that the next day Vasily Lvovich and Nikolai would find Vera's secret admirer and, demanding to leave her alone, would return the bracelet.

Chapter 10

Shein and Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky, Vera's husband and brother, paid a visit to her admirer. It turned out to be an official Zheltkov, a man of thirty or thirty-five.

Nikolai immediately explained to him the reason for the arrival - with his gift, he crossed the line of patience of Vera's relatives. Zheltkov immediately agreed that he was to blame for the persecution of the princess.

Turning to the prince, Zheltkov spoke about the fact that he loves his wife and feels that he can never stop loving her, and all that remains for him is death, which he will accept "in any form". Before speaking further, Zheltkov asked permission to leave for a few minutes to call Vera.

During the official’s absence, in response to Nikolai’s reproaches that the prince was “limp” and sorry for his wife’s admirer, Vasily Lvovich explained to his brother-in-law what he felt. “This person is not capable of deceiving and lying knowingly. Is he to blame for love, and is it possible to control such a feeling as love - a feeling that has not yet found an interpreter for itself. The prince was not just sorry for this man, he realized that he had witnessed "some kind of enormous tragedy of the soul."

When he returned, Zheltkov asked permission to write a last letter to Vera and promised that the visitors would never hear or see him again. At the request of Vera Nikolaevna, he "as soon as possible" stops "this story."

In the evening, the prince gave his wife the details of the visit to Zheltkov. She was not surprised by what she heard, but was slightly agitated: the princess felt that "this man will kill himself."

Chapter 11

The next morning, Vera learned from the newspapers that the official Zheltkov committed suicide due to the waste of state money. All day Sheina thought about the "unknown person", whom she never had a chance to see, not understanding why she foresaw the tragic denouement of his life. She also remembered the words of Anosov about true love, which may have met on her way.

The postman brought Zheltkov's farewell letter. He admitted that he regards love for Vera as a great happiness, that his whole life lies only in the princess. He asked for forgiveness for the fact that “an uncomfortable wedge crashed into Vera’s life”, thanked her simply for the fact that she lives in the world, and said goodbye forever. “I tested myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love, which God was pleased to reward me for something. Leaving, I say in delight: “Hallowed be thy name,” he wrote.

After reading the message, Vera told her husband that she would like to go and see the man who loved her. The prince supported this decision.

Chapter 12

Vera found an apartment that Zheltkov rented. The landlady came out to meet her, and they started talking. At the request of the princess, the woman told about the last days of Zheltkov, then Vera went into the room where he was lying. The expression on the face of the deceased was so peaceful, as if this man "before parting with life, learned some deep and sweet secret that resolved his whole human life."

At parting, the landlady told Vera that in case a woman suddenly died and a woman came to say goodbye, Zheltkov asked me to tell her that the best work of Beethoven - he wrote down his name - “L. van Beethoven. Son. No. 2, op. 2. Largo Appassionato.

Vera wept, explaining her tears by the painful "impression of death."

Chapter 13

Vera Nikolaevna returned home late in the evening. At home, only Jenny Reiter was waiting for her, and the princess rushed to her friend with a request to play something. Without doubting that the pianist would perform “the very passage from the Second Sonata that this dead man with the funny surname Zheltkov asked for,” the princess recognized the music from the first chords. Vera's soul seemed to be divided into two parts: at the same time she was thinking about the love that had passed by once in a thousand years, and why she should listen to this particular work.

“The words were forming in her mind. They so coincided in her thoughts with the music that they were like couplets that ended with the words: “Hallowed be thy name.” These words were about great love. Vera cried about the past feeling, and the music excited and calmed her at the same time. When the sounds of the sonata died down, the princess calmed down.

To Jenny's question why she was crying, Vera Nikolaevna answered only to her with an understandable phrase: “He has forgiven me now. Everything is fine" .

Conclusion

Telling the story of the hero’s sincere and pure, but unrequited love for a married woman, Kuprin encourages the reader to think about what place a feeling occupies in a person’s life, what it gives the right to, how the inner world of someone who has the gift of love changes.

Acquaintance with the work of Kuprin can begin with a brief retelling of the "Garnet Bracelet". And then, already knowing the storyline, having an idea about the characters, it is with pleasure to plunge into the rest of the writer's story about the amazing world of true love.

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