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mikenyby 's review for:
Fathers and Children
by Ivan Turgenev
funny
reflective
slow-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
A little underwhelming, though perhaps that can be chalked up to my expectations and a general ambivalence towards domestic fiction. The purpose seems to be a send-up of a certain type of arrogant young intellectual embodied in Bazarov, a type that must have been common in mid 19th century Russia. The disconnect maybe lessens the impact, but still I think the critiques have some parallel in the pseudo-intellectual reactionary culture we see effect mostly young men today.
I did enjoy the jabs at the prevailing classist worldview and lack of self-awareness on the part of the upper class, especially this exchange:
Bazarov: "Alas, we shall not have beef today. Poverty is no crime."
Arkady: "How many serfs do you have?"
Bazarov: "Twenty-three."
I did enjoy the jabs at the prevailing classist worldview and lack of self-awareness on the part of the upper class, especially this exchange:
Bazarov: "Alas, we shall not have beef today. Poverty is no crime."
Arkady: "How many serfs do you have?"
Bazarov: "Twenty-three."