These short stories of Turgenev were an adventure in storytelling that includes unique characters, a deep appreciation of nature described with beautiful prose, and an empathy for the people of the historical period in Russia in which the serfs or peasants were working for the landowners and nobles. Hunting birds with a dog is a major theme and yet the focus is also on the unusual experiences of the narrator. The fact that the narrator mentions “to you the listener” several times indicates that storytelling has a long-standing oral tradition and that Turgenev seemed to be expecting that his stories would be heard more than read. The narrator is very good. Yes at one point he uses an accent for a character that seems like a Southern drawl. However that is a very small section of one story. If you look at Steven Marvels web page you will see positive reviews and awards. Enjoy the experience and the Russian names of characters and places.