One of the proudest achievements of Russian culture, Eugene Onegin stands at the head of the country's famous tradition of nineteenth-century realist literature. It is an enchanting work, half novel, half poem, more complex and beguiling than Pushkin's easy narrative manner seems to suggest. Alongside the Russian text and notes and glossary, this provides an introduction in English which looks closely at the poetry and then - taking the death of Lensky as the most important event, considers the story, the characters and the hidden meanings of the novel.