“The Grammar of Love” summary of Bunin’s story

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The story “The Grammar of Love” by Bunin was written in 1915. Like most of the writer’s works, the book is dedicated to love. This was the favorite theme of Bunin’s entire work, who, like no one else, could show all the diversity and versatility of this feeling.

We recommend reading a summary of “The Grammar of Love” online, and then taking a test to test your knowledge. This retelling will be useful in preparing for a literature lesson.

The material was prepared jointly with a teacher of the highest category, Kuchmina Nadezhda Vladimirovna.

Experience as a teacher of Russian language and literature - 27 years.

Bunin I.A. — Grammar of Love

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A certain Ivlev was traveling one day in early June to the far edge of his district. The ride was pleasant at first. Warm, dim day, well-trodden road. Then the weather became dull, clouds began to gather, and when the village appeared ahead, Ivlev decided to call on the count. An old man plowing near the village said that there was only a young countess at home, but we stopped by anyway. The Countess was wearing a pink bonnet, with her powdered breasts exposed. She smoked, often straightened her hair, exposing her tight and round arms to her shoulders. She focused all her conversations on love and, by the way, told about her neighbor, the landowner Khvoshchinsky, who died this winter and, as Ivlev knew from childhood, all his life he was obsessed with love for his maid Lushka, who died in early youth.

When Ivlev drove on, the rain had already started to really stop. “So Khvoshchinsky died,” thought Ivlev. “You should definitely stop by and take a look at the empty sanctuary of the mysterious Lushka... What kind of a person this Khvoshchinsky was.” Crazy. Or just a dazed soul? According to the stories of old landowners, Khvoshchinsky was once known in the district as a rare clever man. And suddenly this Lushka fell on him - and everything went to dust. He locked himself in the room where Lushka lived and died, and sat on her bed for more than twenty years... It was getting dark, the rain was thinning, and Khvoshchinskoye appeared behind the forest. Ivlev looked at the approaching estate, and it seemed to him that Lushka lived and died not twenty years ago, but almost in time immemorial. The façade of the estate, with its small windows in the thick walls, was unusually boring.

But the gloomy porches were huge, on one of which stood a young man in a school blouse, black, with beautiful eyes and very pretty, although completely freckled. To somehow justify his visit, Ivlev said that he wanted to see and maybe buy the library of the late master. The young man, blushing deeply, led him into the house. “So he is the son of the famous Lushka!” - thought Ivlev, looking around the house and, gradually, its owner. The young man answered questions hastily, but in monosyllables, out of shyness, apparently, and out of greed. He was so terribly happy about the opportunity to sell books at a high price. Through the dim entryway, covered with straw, he led Ivlev into a large and inhospitable hallway, covered with newspapers. Then they entered a cold hall, which occupied almost half of the entire house.

In the shrine, on a dark ancient image in a silver robe, lay wedding candles. “Father bought them after her death,” muttered the young man, “and they even always wore a wedding ring...” The floor in the hall was covered with dried bees, as was the empty living room. Then they passed some gloomy room with a couch, and the young man with great difficulty unlocked the low door. Ivlev saw a closet with two windows. There was a bare cot against one wall, and two bookcases—a library—at the other. Strange books made up this library. “The sworn tract”, “The morning star and the night demons”, “Reflections on the mysteries of the universe”, “A wonderful journey to a magical land”, “The newest dream book” - this is what the lonely soul of the recluse fed on, “there is being... it is neither a dream nor a vigil ..."

The sun peeked out from behind the lilac clouds and strangely illuminated this poor haven of love, which had transformed an entire human life into some kind of ecstatic life, a life that could have been the most ordinary life, if Lushka hadn’t happened to be mysterious in its charm... “What is this?” - Ivlev asked, leaning towards the middle shelf, on which lay only one very small book, similar to a prayer book, and stood a darkened box. In the box lay the necklace of the late Lushka - a bunch of cheap blue balls. And such excitement took possession of Ivlev when he looked at this necklace, lying on the neck of the once so beloved woman, that his heart began to beat wildly. Ivlev carefully put the box in place and took up the book. It was the charming “Grammar of Love, or the Art of Loving and Being Mutually Loved,” published almost a hundred years ago.

“Unfortunately, I cannot sell this book,” the young man said with difficulty, “it is very expensive...” Overcoming awkwardness, Ivlev began to slowly leaf through the “Grammar.” It was all divided into small chapters. “About beauty”, “About the heart”, “About the mind”, “About the signs of love”... Each chapter consisted of short and elegant maxims, some of which were delicately about Then came “an explanation of the language of flowers”, and again there was something noted.

And on the blank page at the very end there was a quatrain written in small beads with the same pen. The young man craned his neck and said with a fake grin. “They made it up themselves...” Half an hour later, Ivlev said goodbye to him with relief. Of all the books, he bought only this little book at an expensive price. On the way back, the coachman said that young Khvoshchinsky lived with the deacon’s wife, but Ivlev did not listen. He kept thinking about Lushka, about her necklace, which left in him a complex feeling, similar to what he once experienced in an Italian town when looking at the relics of a saint. “She entered my life forever!” - he thought. And, taking the “Grammar of Love” out of his pocket, he slowly re-read the poems written on its last page.

The hearts of those who love will tell you. “Live in sweet legends!” And they will show their grandchildren and great-grandchildren this Grammar of Love..

Summary

At the beginning of June, the landowner Ivlev went “to the far edge of his district.” At first, the trip pleased him: it was a warm summer day, permeated with the aromas of forbs and the singing of a lark. But soon “the weather became dull, mottled clouds came from all sides,” and a light rain began to fall. In order not to find himself in the middle of a field in the pouring rain, Ivlev decided to stop by a friend of the count who lived nearby. From the old plowman he learned that “there is only a young countess at home,” but this did not stop him.

The Countess greeted the guest in an open dress with a deep neckline and powdered breasts. “She smoked, taking deep drags,” and all conversations invariably turned to love. In the conversation, the countess mentioned “her close neighbor, the landowner Khvoshchinsky,” who died this winter. All his life he suffered from love for the maid Lushka, whom he literally idolized.

Ivlev continued on his way, and “the rain had already stopped for real.” Thinking about the fate of Khvoshchinsky, he decided to visit the “empty sanctuary of the mysterious Lushka.” Ivlev wanted to find out for himself whether he was crazy or just a hostage to a fatal passion.

“According to the stories of old landowners” Khvoshchinsky once had the reputation of being a rare clever man. But, like a bolt from the blue, this love for Lushka fell on him, “then her unexpected death,” and the man’s life went awry. He locked himself in the room where his beloved lived and died, and “sat on her bed for more than twenty years.” Khvoshchinsky “not only did not go anywhere, but did not even show himself to anyone at his estate.”

A handsome “young man in a gray school blouse” stood on the porch of an unkempt estate, looking at the unexpected guests with surprise. Ivlev realized: “this is the son of the famous Lushka,” and he explained his sudden arrival to the young man by saying that he “wanted to look and maybe buy Khvoshchinsky’s library.”

During the conversation, the young man became embarrassed, spoke hastily, but in monosyllables, and often blushed. It was noticeable that he was very happy about the opportunity to sell books. When Ivlev casually mentioned his father’s illness, the young man flushed and remarked that “they were not mentally ill at all,” and this was all idle gossip.

In that half of the house where the landowner Khvoshchinsky spent his last days, it was very cold: no one lived here, and the room was not heated. In the hall, Ivlev noticed wedding candles near the images. To his undisguised surprise, the young man replied with embarrassment that “after her death they bought these candles... and even always wore a wedding ring...”. He led his guest into a small, dark room containing only a bare iron cot and two bookcases.

Ivlev began to look at the library of the late Khvoshchinsky. It was based on novels and dream books - “this is what fed that lonely soul that forever shut itself off from the world in this closet.” On the middle shelf, Ivlev noticed a thin book and an old box in which there was Lushka’s necklace - “a worn cord, with cheap blue balls on it.”

Looking at the beads of the woman who was loved so much during life and after death, Ivlev’s head began to spin. The tiny book turned out to be “The Grammar of Love, or the Art of Loving and Being Mutually Loved.” The young man timidly said that he could not sell it, since it was very dear to his late father.

Ivlev asked permission to at least look at it and, having received consent, began to slowly leaf through it. The book was divided into small chapters, and each of them “consisted of short, elegant, sometimes very subtle maxims.” On the last blank page, written in beaded handwriting, was a quatrain composed by Khvoshchinsky.

Of all the books, Ivlev chose only one - “The Grammar of Love...”, paying a lot of money for it. On the way home, the coachman began to tell him that young Khvoshchinsky lived with the deacon’s wife, but Ivlev did not listen to him. All his thoughts were occupied by Lushka and the excitement that gripped him at the sight of her modest necklace. These feelings were similar to those he experienced in Italy “when looking at the relics of a saint.”

Ivlev realized that Lushka, unknown to him, who died twenty years ago, had entered his life forever. Taking out “The Grammar of Love...”, he once again re-read the lines written by Khvoshchinsky.

The hearts of those who love will tell you: “Live in sweet traditions!” And their grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be shown this Grammar of Love.

Summary of Bunin's story “The Grammar of Love”

1915 Summary of the story Readable in 4 minutes, original - 15 minutes

The beginning of June. Ivlev travels to the far edge of his district. At first it’s pleasant to drive: a warm, dim day, a well-trodden road. Then the sky becomes cloudy. and Ivlev decides to stop by the count, whose village is just along the road. An old man working near the village reports that only the young countess is at home, but Ivlev drops by anyway.

The Countess in a pink hood, with an open powdered chest, smokes, often straightening her hair and exposing her tight and round arms to the shoulders. She reduces all conversations to love and, by the way, talks about her neighbor, the landowner Khvoshchinsky, who died this winter and all his life was obsessed with love for his maid Lushka, who died in her early youth.

Ivlev travels further, thinks what kind of person the landowner Khvoshchinsky was, and wants to look “at the empty sanctuary of the mysterious Lushka.” According to the stories of old landowners, Khvoshchinsky was once known in the district as a rare clever man, but he fell in love - and everything went to dust. He locked himself in the room where Lushka lived and died, and sat on her bed for more than twenty years...

It’s getting dark, and Khvoshchinskoye appears behind the forest. On the gloomy porch of the estate, Ivlev notices a handsome young man in a school blouse. Ivlev justifies his visit with the desire to see and possibly buy the library of the late master. The young man leads him into the house, and Ivlev guesses that he is the son of the famous Lushka.

The young man answers questions hastily, but in monosyllables. He is extremely happy about the opportunity to sell his books at a high price. He leads Ivlev through the dim vestibule and large hallway into a cold hall that occupies almost half of the house. Wedding candles lie on a dark ancient image in a silver robe. The young man says that “the priest bought them after her death... and even always wore a wedding ring...”.

From the hall they go into a gloomy room with a couch, and the young man with difficulty unlocks the low door. Ivlev sees a closet with two windows; there is a bare cot against one wall, and a library in two bookcases against the other.

Ivlev discovers that the library consists of very strange books. Mystical novels and dream books—that’s what the lonely soul of the recluse fed on. On the middle shelf, Ivlev finds a very small book that looks like a prayer book, and a darkened box with the late Lushka’s necklace - a string of cheap blue balls.

When looking at this necklace, lying on the neck of the once so beloved woman, Ivlev is overcome with excitement. He carefully puts the box back in place and takes the book. This turns out to be the charming “Grammar of Love, or the Art of Loving and Being Mutually Loved,” published almost a hundred years ago. The young man considers it the most expensive book in the library.

Ivlev slowly leafs through the Grammar. It is divided into small chapters: “About Beauty”, “About the Heart”, “About the Mind”, “About Love Signs”... Each chapter consists of short and elegant maxims, some of which are delicately marked with a pen. Then comes the “explanation of the language of flowers,” and again something is noted. And on a blank page at the very end, a quatrain is written in small beads with the same pen. The young man explains with a fake grin: “They made it up themselves...”.

Half an hour later, Ivlev says goodbye to him with relief. Of all the books, he buys only this little book for a lot of money. On the way back, the coachman says that young Khvoshchinsky lives with the deacon’s wife, but Ivlev does not listen. He thinks about Lushka, about her necklace, which left in him a complex feeling, similar to the one he experienced in one Italian town when looking at the relics of the saint. “She entered my life forever!” - Ivlev thinks and rereads the poems written with a pen on a blank page of “The Grammar of Love”: “The hearts of those who loved will say to you: “Live in sweet traditions!” And they will show their grandchildren and great-grandchildren this Grammar of Love.”

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