RORY: I read a lot. I’m into the Russians lately.
DARREN: Tolstoy, Turgenev?
Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), Russian novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright and translator. His 1862 novel Fathers and Sons is regarded as one of the major works of 19th century fiction, and he helped to popularise Russian literature in the West. He was friends with Gustave Flaubert, another author Rory likes, and an influence on writers such as Henry James and Joseph Conrad.
Tolstoy is a favourite of Rory, and Gogol’s Dead Souls is referenced again in this scene.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 