The Illusions of Doctor Faustino
13 hrs. 28 min.
Language
Russian
Author
Juan Valera
Author
Juan Valera
Narrator
Alexander Dunin
Narrator
Alexander Dunin
Description
Juan Valera was a Spanish writer, diplomat, and philosopher who spent six months in Saint Petersburg due to official duties. That time inspired him to write “Letters from Russia,” where, in a humorous manner, he described everyday life in Petersburg, shared diplomatic news, and reflected on the development of Russian literature—from chronicles to works by Pushkin and Gogol. Critics in Western Europe often compared him to the Russian writer Turgenev.
The title of the novel “The Illusions of Doctor Faustino” evokes associations with Goethe’s “Faust” and hints at the themes of “lost illusions” found in the works of Balzac and Flaubert. But Dr. Faustino is a simplified version of Faust: he lacks outstanding talents, does not encounter the devil, and doesn’t strive for immortality. He is a impoverished aristocrat immersed in illusions. Having finished university and received a doctorate, he hopes that moving to Madrid will instantly make him a prominent philosopher, poet, or politician.
Dr. Faustino also hungers for ideal love and is ready to give his soul to the devil for it. He searches for this love in his cousin Constance—the daughter of notary Rosita, and the mysterious Eternal Friend, an invisible observer. Juan Valera challenges the principles of romanticism, allowing the ideal to come true, but in the end the illusions fall apart, and without them, ideal love loses its appeal.
The title of the novel “The Illusions of Doctor Faustino” evokes associations with Goethe’s “Faust” and hints at the themes of “lost illusions” found in the works of Balzac and Flaubert. But Dr. Faustino is a simplified version of Faust: he lacks outstanding talents, does not encounter the devil, and doesn’t strive for immortality. He is a impoverished aristocrat immersed in illusions. Having finished university and received a doctorate, he hopes that moving to Madrid will instantly make him a prominent philosopher, poet, or politician.
Dr. Faustino also hungers for ideal love and is ready to give his soul to the devil for it. He searches for this love in his cousin Constance—the daughter of notary Rosita, and the mysterious Eternal Friend, an invisible observer. Juan Valera challenges the principles of romanticism, allowing the ideal to come true, but in the end the illusions fall apart, and without them, ideal love loses its appeal.
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