Rudin, by Ivan Turgenev, is a Russian fiction classic and a nostalgic story of a man in his late twenties, torn between his much loved but barbaric homeland and a comfortable but unsatisfactory life in Europe. Translated by Constance Garnett, 1894 edition. The novel begins with the introduction of three of the characters Aleksandra, Lezhnev, and Pandalevskii. Pandalevskii relates to Aleksandra Dar'ya Mikhailovna's invitation to come and meet a Baron Muffel'. Instead of the Baron, Rudin arrives and captivates everyone immediately with his intelligent and witty speeches during the argument with Pigasov.