King Lear of the Steppes

Turgenev’s novella King Lear of the Steppes published in 1870 is a creative adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, set in the Russian countryside.

Believing he has dreamed of his own impending death, a larger-than-life father makes a life-altering decision when he transfers ownership of his estate to his two daughters.

Turgenev’s novella highlights the ill-mannered treatment he then receives from his ungrateful children—and the delicious revenge he eventually wreaks upon them.

IVAN TURGENEV (1818–1883) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His novel Fathers and Sons is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century fiction. He is also known for such masterworks as The Diary of a Superfluous Man, First Love, Torrents of Spring, King Lear of the Steppes, and Smoke.