Varenka Olesova by Maxim Gorky. Short summary

5 seconds

Professor Polkanov falls in love with Varenka Olesova, a beautiful but wild and undeveloped girl. One day he sees the beauty bathing naked. He observes her. Insulted, Varya beats him and leaves.

1 minute

Professor Polkanov comes to visit his widowed sister, who needs help with her inheritance affairs. Here he meets Varenka Olesova, a very beautiful, but wild and undeveloped girl brought up on novels.

At first he tries to talk sense into her and enlighten her, they go for a lot of walks and have fun. But gradually he falls passionately in love with the beautiful girl. One night he and his sister spend the night at the girl’s father’s estate.

All night long he dreams of her. Early in the morning he comes out to the river and sees the girl bathing there naked. She notices the man and asks him to leave. But the man, mad with passion, waits for her on the bank. The furious girl comes out of the water and beats him with a wet rag. He tries to apologize, but the girl leaves.