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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I read this book directly after I finished “Germinal,” and I’m reflecting now on how both Zola and Turgenev have meditated on youth and vigor and having for oneself a set of guiding principles. Yet both authors seem to offer, at least superficially, little more than a condemnation of nihilism and of the status quo, at least as it requires exploitation of the lower classes of workers in the mid-19th century.
A character in “Germinal” is even quite similar in his views to Barasov …
A character in “Germinal” is even quite similar in his views to Barasov …
There’s something delightfully charming and special about the novels of the masters of 19th century Russian literature. It was easy to read and had a few funny moments. Entertaining and, in parts, exciting. Russians love their duels and Turgenev loves a failed romance.
A timeless story of the unbreachable generational divide and a reflection on a nation going through a major social change. Bazarov is undoubtedly the anti-hero of the story and his character accurately represents the idealism and political activism of youth. Nikolai Petrovich represents the parent who tries to be progressive and accommodating to the changes that the younger generation are trying to usher in. Pavel Petrovich is emblematic of those in the older generation who are demanding respect and deference, and I can't help but think there is something of Turgenev himself in his portrayal. Set against the backdrop of the emancipation of the serfs and the profound social upheaval this entailed, this novel has a deserved place in history.
One of the great classics of Russian literature, Fathers and Sons follows two young men, their parents and their friendships at a time of great social change. It explores class and generational divide in a narrative that switches from fast-paced action to less exciting discussions on society, philosophy and politics. This translation by Peter Carson is solid and well annotated but at times a little stilted and opaque.
"...headstones have been displaced as if someone has pushed them aside from below..."
A slow start, but so much is compressed into this little novel; all of Pride and Prejudice or Middlemarch is condensed and conveyed in these pages. The characters are types in the same way as the characters in Turgenev’s short stories, but in that way they also somehow transcend themselves.
7/10
Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" is driven by two elements: a character study of a 'nihilist' named Barazov and the difficulty of communication between generations. Bazarov is a provocative, frequently maddending, and occasionally inspiring character struggling to live life on his own terms. His nihilism is a kind of crude one - detesting all authroity, superstition, sentimentality, displays of emotion, etc. His strength of will and individualism give him a certain power and influence over others, but also a kind of weakness, which recurs in his inability manage romantic relationships or accept and endure his parents love and care. Turgenev avoids grandiose plot design, as the story mostly follows Bazarov's rather aimless wanderings with his friend Arkady in the country side on the way to visit their parents. Despite Bazarov's frequent rants against sentimentality, Turgenev sprinkles the text with moving, heart-rending scenes. My edition has a lecture from Isaiah Berlin which I skipped as it seemed to go into detail about the plot, but will return to now.
Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" is driven by two elements: a character study of a 'nihilist' named Barazov and the difficulty of communication between generations. Bazarov is a provocative, frequently maddending, and occasionally inspiring character struggling to live life on his own terms. His nihilism is a kind of crude one - detesting all authroity, superstition, sentimentality, displays of emotion, etc. His strength of will and individualism give him a certain power and influence over others, but also a kind of weakness, which recurs in his inability manage romantic relationships or accept and endure his parents love and care. Turgenev avoids grandiose plot design, as the story mostly follows Bazarov's rather aimless wanderings with his friend Arkady in the country side on the way to visit their parents. Despite Bazarov's frequent rants against sentimentality, Turgenev sprinkles the text with moving, heart-rending scenes. My edition has a lecture from Isaiah Berlin which I skipped as it seemed to go into detail about the plot, but will return to now.
Дети такие же, как отцы, а отцы и сами, все до единого — как маленькие дети. Дети хорохорятся, но только до поры, пока не влюбятся. Базаров выкобенивается, потому как любовь ему не возвратили, и это практически сюжет последнего Саус Парка, в котором истоки злости списаны на длину известных органов. К концу Тургенев открыто разбомбил Базарова, да стоило ли его еще и убивать, лишь для того, чтобы победоносно провозгласить, что смерть отрицать нельзя?
The tussle between the old and the new generations, the conservative and the modern...which remains relevant even a century and a half after it was written