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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I read about Turgenev many times before I sat down to this novel. He was a contemporary and friend of Flaubert, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, the latter of which disliked him immensely and even challenged him to a duel. He was a certain type of character by all accounts so I was glad to finally read one of his more famous works. Early 19th century Rus authors aren't the easiest to read so I was surprised how accessible and moving this story was. This was interesting to read shortly after Dostoevsky's The Devils which also deals with the revolutionary social movements rippling across Europe at that time, causing upheaval in the traditional aristocratic classes. In any event, this is a great novel and Turgenev turns out to be worth the wait.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This made me think about the famous Jackie Robinson quote about a life not being important except in the impact it has on other lives. I found Bazarov pretentious and irritating, yet his charisma is undeniable and his influence profound. The arc of the story is poignant, and I loved the storytelling style -- especially the history of each character as he is introduced. At first I wondered if the translation was at fault for the formality of the narration, but it grew on me.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Russian literature. There is something fantastic in its delicacy, its biting satire, its strength of emotion and the fragility of its love.
Turgenev describes a society which is on the cusp of great change, and does so with a great awareness of social mores and of the relationship between different classes. I found the two main young characters, Arkady and Bazarov, compelling and convincing, especially Bazarov, whose ridiculous nihilism which bordered on naivety so many times demonstrated the ignorance of the new generation, although Turgenev was careful to make the reader aware that nothing, in the end, changes in human nature. The duel scene was also really well done and illustrates this.
The relationships between fathers and sons were really well done, and I enjoyed especially the description of Bazarov's family: it was easy to see how he worked out the way he did. As for Arkady's family, there was something of Chekhov's Cherry Orchard in the inefficacy of his father, and I really liked Fenichka.
However I didn't like it as much as I have enjoyed other Russian works, probably because the scope of the writing was much narrower. It dealt with much fewer characters than other works and although I think it was sufficient to communicate its message, a much fuller and richer portrayal of society could have been possible if Turgenev had made more of, say, the Sitnikov character.
"Pavel, on the contrary, a solitary bachelor, had entered upon that confused and darkling time of life - a time when regrets look like hopes and hopes like regrets - when youth is over but old age has not yet begun."
"What's important is that twice two is four and all the rest's nonsense."
"When you squint from a distance at the dull life our honoured 'fathers' live here, you think: what could be better? ... but no - the boredom of it'll kill you."
"You see what I'm doing - there's an empty space in my trunk and I'm stuffing hay into it. It's the same with the luggage of our own lives. It doesn't matter wheat you fill it with so long as there's no empty space."
Turgenev describes a society which is on the cusp of great change, and does so with a great awareness of social mores and of the relationship between different classes. I found the two main young characters, Arkady and Bazarov, compelling and convincing, especially Bazarov, whose ridiculous nihilism which bordered on naivety so many times demonstrated the ignorance of the new generation, although Turgenev was careful to make the reader aware that nothing, in the end, changes in human nature. The duel scene was also really well done and illustrates this.
The relationships between fathers and sons were really well done, and I enjoyed especially the description of Bazarov's family: it was easy to see how he worked out the way he did. As for Arkady's family, there was something of Chekhov's Cherry Orchard in the inefficacy of his father, and I really liked Fenichka.
However I didn't like it as much as I have enjoyed other Russian works, probably because the scope of the writing was much narrower. It dealt with much fewer characters than other works and although I think it was sufficient to communicate its message, a much fuller and richer portrayal of society could have been possible if Turgenev had made more of, say, the Sitnikov character.
"Pavel, on the contrary, a solitary bachelor, had entered upon that confused and darkling time of life - a time when regrets look like hopes and hopes like regrets - when youth is over but old age has not yet begun."
"What's important is that twice two is four and all the rest's nonsense."
"When you squint from a distance at the dull life our honoured 'fathers' live here, you think: what could be better? ... but no - the boredom of it'll kill you."
"You see what I'm doing - there's an empty space in my trunk and I'm stuffing hay into it. It's the same with the luggage of our own lives. It doesn't matter wheat you fill it with so long as there's no empty space."
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a wonderful read. Turgenev was so talented.