Fathers and Children (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

By Ivan Turgenev

Fathers and Children is Turgenev’s best known work and possibly the first truly modern Russian novel. Yevgeny Bazarov, a young medical student and nihilist, challenges the old order of his father’s generation, rejecting any authority or faith not based on science and experience. When Yevegeny falls victim to the emotional pains of his unrequited love for the alluring yet capricious Anna Odintsova—and then to an accidental exposure to typhus—he comes face to face with forces beyond philosophical control.   

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Jan 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781411464483

Ivan Turgenev

Ivan Turgenev was born on 9th November 1818 to noble and wealthy parents in Oryol, Russia. His father a Colonel in the Russian Cavalry and his mother came from the nobel Lutovinov house of the Oryol Governorate. Turgenev spent the majority of his younger life in Moscow with his two younger brothers, where he was brought up having a proper education. Turgenev started out university life at the university of Moscow in 1833, before moving to the University of St Petersburg to study Classic Russian Literature and philology between 1834 to 1837, it was during this time Turgenev started to write poetry. Whilst he was studying there he would lose his father to kidney stoney disease and his youngest brother to epilepsy.From 1838 to 1841, Turgenev studied philosophy and history at the university of Berlin before finishing his master in St Petersburg. Unable to get a professorship at St Petersburg University, Turgenev ventured into the world of politics and government where he spent two years between 1843 and 1845 at the Russian Ministry of Interior. Here he would continue to write poetry before venturing into play writing with 'The Rash Thing To Do', in 1843. Though he never married, Turgenev did have a love with the well renowned Spanish singer Pauline Viardot. Though this relationship would only be a platonic one, the two would become close friends exchanging letters with Viardot helping Turgenev later on in life. Turgenev was known to have many love affairs with his family servants, with one of these love affairs in 1842 leading to the birth of his illegitimate daughter Paulinette. Turgenev would later entrust his dear friend Viardot to bring-up his daughter Paulinette. Turgenev's writing career began in the 1840's, writing long poems before transitioning into plays, novels and short stories. Unlike a lot of writers of the time Turgenev's works shied away from the religious influences of the time and preferred to revolve his work around the political and social issues of Russia during the 1800's. This would come and haunt him when he wrote his greatest novel 'Father and Sons' in 1862, where it was given a hostile reaction by the Russian audience leading him to go into self-exile. This self-exile first sent Turgenev to Germany but at the outbreak of the Franco-German war in 1870, he moved to London and then Paris, where he would settle. Turgenev's final piece of word was a short story called 'The Mysterious tales' in 1883, later that year he would die at the age of 64 on the 3rd September 1883 in Bougival, France. His body was then transported back to St Petersburg where he was buried in Volkovo Cemetery.

Reviews for Fathers and Children (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

[deeehmm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Was surprised by my love for this book. It was gripping, funny, touching. Who knew. I picked it up because of a memoir I was reading in which the narrator was enamored of "The Russians," and because I'd always been curious. So glad I did.

[magadri-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible read. The story holds your interest, the characters are very realistic and believable, and the content/theme is still relevant and always will be.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unquestioningly, a classic. Different in its substance from the gripping and heart-rending prose of Dostoyevsky, but a classic nevertheless. Apart from the main plot and the ever-existing question of a generation gap, Turgenev brings to light such relevant to that day and age issues as the peasant question (with all its tormenting difficulties just prior to abolition of serfdom in Russia), the highly controversial idea of nihilism, and description (even though in a slightly caricature form) of a burgeoning feminism trend. Some minor characters are stereotypically comical, but the main ones are given a thoroughly thoughtful and serious portrayal. Bazarov's father impressed me the most. I read this book in the original years ago (it was a part of high school curriculum and was required reading, thus making it less appealing at the time) and now refreshed my memory, with deeper understanding of the book, in translation, which is quite adequate, though, naturally, cannot quite be a substitute for the original - but it fell into my hands at a used books shop and grabbed my nostalgic attention.

[ursula_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Literature is full of proof that generational conflicts are eternal. Kids are always convinced their parents don't understand them, and in some ways, that's true. But in other ways, the parents understand more than the kids can even believe. If everyone lives long enough, one day that will become clear.Arkady is coming home after graduating from university to stay with his parents for a while, and his friend Bazarov comes with him. Bazarov is the classic "bad influence" that worries parents. He's cynical and not respectful of his elders' experience, and worst of all, he's a nihilist. (This was probably less comical before The Big Lebowski was made, or if you've never seen it. If you have, you may have the same reaction as I did every time someone brings it up, which was: hearing "We belieff in NUFFINK!" in a German accent.) Anyhow, there are tensions between the generations as well as tensions between contemporaries. After all, the older generation will always have a variety of ideas about the younger, from "get off my lawn!" to "oh, to be young and carefree." And the younger generation will be busy trying to find out where they fit in the world, how to define themselves and who to use as a model. On a larger scale, these conflicts are played out in the same way in countries, and Russia was in transition at the time when the book is set.Although I approached this novel with some trepidation because 19th-century Russian literature has always been difficult for me (I've tried Dostoevsky and Tolstoy and come to the conclusion that I need to read up on Russian history before trying again), it was an involving read. I didn't feel lost in the political situations (that references were amply footnoted helped).Recommended for: Generation X, people looking to ease into Russian literature.Quote: "The tiny space I occupy is so minute in comparison with the rest of space, in which I am not, and which has nothing to do wtih me; and the period of time in which it is my lot to live is so insignificant beside the eternity in which I have not been, and shall not be.... But in this atom, this mathematical point, the blood is circulating, the brain is working and wanting something.... Isn't it loathsome? Isn't it petty?"

[varwenea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are so many ways to start the review of “Fathers and Sons”. Do I address the obvious “generation gap” concept that is FAR ahead of its time? How’s about the role it played in the transitional Russia during the rumbling years against the old money and serfdom? What about the criticisms that Turgenev received from BOTH the Left and the Right accusing Turgenev of being both “Father” and “Son”? Should I examine Turgenev’s personal view which he claimed to align most with Bazarov, the steely, indifferent nihilist (except on art)? The many facets of this book are made the more interesting in this edition, which was enriched with a sizable lecture by Isaiah Berlin and an informative introduction by the translator, Rosemary Edmonds. Regardless of one’s view, Turgenev’s burial was attended by the Imperial Government, the intelligentsia, and the workers’ organizations – noted by Berlin in 1970 as perhaps the first and last time where these groups met peacefully in Russia. That’s got to be worth something to note a career! Turgenev’s writing charm is not in the heavy subjects or weighty writing style akin to Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, his great contemporaries. He allows the reader to connect empathically to his characters. We have in Nikolai, the kindly widowed father, in Arkady, the son finding his new path (or not), in Bazarov, the brazen mentor and vocal “nihilist” who frees himself from allegiance to anything and anyone, in Anna, the strength of a woman in her daily estate dealings - both beautiful and clever, in Pavel, the ‘lost’ uncle who gave his life away for love, and many more. Each character is richly crafted that you have an empathy and comprehension of their motivations. Despite an insistence that women opt to be silent and even beaten, Turgenev created many strong women, both in the home and in their business. I won’t attempt to elaborate further on this classic except to say it is certainly charming with some heart string tucking, but not overtly. (I loved Bazarov’s sweet, sweet parents.) 4.0 stars for the book plus 0.5 stars for the bonuses in this edition.Favorite Character: Anna Sergeyevna Odintsov – for her many strengths but also her melancholyLeast Favorite Character: Yevgeny Vassilyich Bazarov – for hating art (blasphemy!) and being self-centeredSome Quotes:On the generation divide:"Once I quarrelled with our late mamma: she stormed and would not listen to me… At last I said to her, ‘Of course, you cannot understand me: we belong to two different generations,’ I said. She was dreadfully offended but I thought to myself, ‘It can’t be helped. It is a bitter pill but she must swallow it.’ You see, now our turn has come, and our successors say to us, ‘You are not of our generation: swallow your pill’.”On nihilism:“Aristocratism, liberalism, progress, principles – think of it, what a lot of foreign.. and useless words! To a Russian they’re not worth a straw…… In these days the most useful thing we can do is to repudiate – and so we repudiate. Everything.”“…But one must construct too, you know.”“That is not our affair… The ground must be cleaned first.”“…In the old days young people had to study. If they did not want to be ignorant they had to work hard whether they liked it or not. But now they need only say, ‘Everything in the world is rubbish!’ – and the trick’s done. The young men are simply delighted. Whereas they were only sheep’s heads before, now they have suddenly blossomed out as nihilists!” On individuality (or the lack thereof!):“… I assure you the study of separate individuals is not worth the trouble it involves. All men are similar, in soul as well as body. Each of us has a brain, spleen, heart, and lungs of similar construction; and the so-called moral qualities are the same in all of us – the slight variations are of no importance. It is enough to have one human specimen in order to judge all the others. People are like trees in a forest; no botanist would dream of studying each individual birch tree.”On women, men, and love:“Anna Sergeyevna was a rather strange person. Having no prejudices of any kind, and no strong convictions even, she was not put off by obstacles and she had no goal in life. She had clear ideas about many things and a variety of interests, but nothing ever completely satisfied her; indeed she did not really seek satisfaction. Her mind was at once probing and indifferent; any doubts she entertained were never soothed into oblivion, nor ever swelled into unrest…… Like all women who have not succeeded in falling in love she hankered after something without knowing what it was. In reality there was nothing she wanted, though it seemed to her that she wanted everything…… She had conceived a secret repugnance for all men, whom she could only think of as slovenly, clumsy, dull, feebly irritating creatures.” On melancholy:“I have no desire, no longing for life. You look at me incredulously; you think those are the words of an aristocrat covered in lace and sitting in a velvet armchair. I don’t deny for a moment that I like what you call comfort, but at the same time I have very little desire to live. Reconcile that contradiction as best you can.”On family:“It can’t be helped, Vasya. A son is an independent person. He’s like a falcon that comes when he wills and flies off when he lists; but you and I are like the funguses growing in a hollow tree: here we sit side by side, not budging an inch. It is only I who will stay with you always, faithful for ever, just as you will stay with me.”On love and connection:“They were both silent; but the way in which they were silent, the way in which they were sitting together, spoke eloquently of the trustful intimacy between them, each seemed unmindful of the other and yet full of an inward joy at being together.”

[bayardus-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm surprised this book was so controversial when it was published, as it's largely a standard Russian novel- the focus on the lower nobility, attending balls, falling in love, fighting duels, unreturned affection, marriages, and a glimpse of the stunted lives and intellect of the peasants. Lermontov satirizes this type of novel long before Turgenev put pen to paper. The only notable divergence from the paint-by-numbers plot is the addition of Bazarov, a medical student who is a self-proclaimed nihilist, who denies all rules and traditions. According to his notes for the novel Turgenev wanted Bazarov to be "like a comet" (as Freeborn translates it), knocking everyone out of there rut. At this Turgenev fails; Bazarov comes off as less a comet than a contrarian, disagreeing with his elders and society more for the sake of disagreement itself than because of any true belief in the pointlessness of life.

The writing is largely functional, but there are a few places where the writing is noticeably bad. The arguments Turgenev writes out between Bazarov and Pavel are confusing, with characters giving responses that make little sense given the previous comment, and in general the segments where this occurs have no flow and feel stilted. Perhaps at the time this novel was written the characters conformed to easily defined types, allowing readers to fill in the leaps in dialogue in a satisfactory way, but that is no longer the case. There is also a line in the book that leads readers to believe a character has died when in fact that is not the case. I checked both the Garnett and the Freeborn translation and this is clearly a flaw in the original text, not in the translation.

There's a reason Turgenev exists today in the shadow of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. Read Fathers and Sons if you want to experience more Russian literature, but don't expect it to reach the heights of the masterpieces in the genre.

[russellbittner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“‘It can’t be helped, Vasya. A son is like a lopped-off branch. As a falcon he comes when he wills and goes where he lists; but you and I are like mushrooms growing in a hollow tree. Here we sit side by side without budging. But I shall stay with you for ever and unalterably, just as you will stay with me.’


Vassily Ivanich removed his hands from his face and embraced his wife, his constant companion, with a warmth greater than he had ever shown her in his youth; she had consoled him in his grief.” (p. 141).


And so it was that Eugene Bazarov’s parents reconciled themselves to an only child grown cold, detached – apparently even aloof. By p. 202, that same only son is dead of pyaemia. As a parent, myself, of two children now entering early adulthood and consequently moving out and away into the world, I must confess that Turgenev’s portrayal of this unhappy – albeit necessary – fact of life was quite moving.


Like most (if not all) of the Russian classics, however, there’s a kind of “preciousness” in both the dialogue and comportment of the characters – at least to this American eye and ear. Can one fault Turgenev (or Tolstoy, Chekhov, Goncharov, Dostoevsky and Gogol) for portraying an aristocracy that is, well, aristocratic in its entire modus operandi? Probably not. It’s just that all of it grows wearisome with wear.


Where I would give Turgenev exceptional credit, however, in his ability to distinguish the ages and stations of his several characters through their dialogue alone, slight though their differences in age or station might be. This is no mean accomplishment for a writer (and, I might add, for the translator – George Reavy in this case).


Can I, in good conscience, recommend Fathers and Sons as a “must-read?” Only if you’re intent on covering the gamut of what the world considers to be great Russian literature – or want to discover how the other half (or one-hundredth?) once lived, spoke and thought.


RRB
08/04/14
Brooklyn, NY

[davemac_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book - thanks to my son who introduced it to me. It is a book I hope to reread a few times.

[porius_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bazarov turns everyones life upsidedown. He regards nothing and in the end he gets nothing. Not a bad egg though the Russians to this day can't decide just what made him tick. I read the Norton Critical Edition. The little essay by Isaiah Berlin I found made the most sense to me. I must admit that I've never felt at home in the Great Tangle that is Russian Literature, though as I get older I'm finding my way a little better. Turgenev is pretty much smooth weather compared to the stormy climes of Dostoyevsky and company. And I have no doubt that he was every bit as lovable that old Henry James says he was. I'm what you would call a cold reader, but I had a little tear in my eye as my thoughts were cast upon Bazarov's old parents after his untimely (was it?) death. Death brought on by a pin prick from his trusty scalpel.

[deebee1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is easy to see why this novel is considered a masterpiece of Russian literature. Written in the mid-19th century, it deals with intergenerational conflict (i read somewhere that originally, the title was something like "Parents and Children"), with each major character personifying types found in Russian society - the older generation who come from the fading world of the nobility but at the same time attempting to be liberal in their views, and those of the younger generation who advocate nihilism and free thought. The protagonist, an intelligent young doctor, Barazov, represents youth, strength, new ways and ideas, but with very little awareness of his own naïveté and hypocrisy. He is arrogant of any manifestation of "weakness" such as the finer emotions, and when he falls deeply in love with a woman, who was his equal in strength of will and ideas, he goes through an intense struggle with himself. The other characters in the novel provide a brilliant counterpoint to the personality of Barazov, and the exchange between and among them in a subtly woven plot underlies the the slowly changing political and social landscape of the country, signaling a restlessness that characterize periods of transition or upheaval. This book has all the elements I look for in a work of fiction, which means I liked it immensely. It is intense but not tedious, written with economy without being terse, lyrical without romanticizing, and revolve around themes that appeal to both intellect and heart.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a little conflicted by "Fathers and Sons"; when I read it oh so many years ago I was heavily into Dostoevsky, and in reading that he and Turgenev were at odds with one another, I confess I had a bias before reading the first page.Turgenev was the "Westerner" and liberal; moreover, he meant the nihilist character Bazarov to be a positive figure and sympathized with by the reader. At the time I found it ironic and somehow a discredit to him that the effect on Russia was the exact opposite. In laying bare the beliefs of those who would tear down all social conventions, as Alan Hodge stated in the introduction to this slim text, "Turgenev was horrified to find himself congratulated by crusty old believers in serfdom, whose friendship he did not welcome, and bitterly reproached by the young reformers, whose views he largely shared."Over the years, however, I have read other works by Turgenev and while I prefer the weightier angst of Dostoevsky, I have come to appreciate the humanity and pastoral charm of Turgenev. Maybe it's analogous to liking the intellectual John Lennon best in youth, but then coming to appreciate the heart of Paul McCartney more with time. :-)This book was a lightning rod when it was published in 1862; it's certainly worthy of a read not only for its insight into the politics and generational rift of its time, but also for the beauty of its writing.Some quotes....On "death":“Look!” Arcady suddenly exclaimed. “A withered maple leaf has left its branch and is falling to the ground; its movements resemble those of a butterfly in flight. Isn’t it strange? The saddest and deadest of all things is yet so like the gayest and most vital of creatures.”On individuality:“…may I state that it’s not worth the trouble to make a separate study of individuals? All men are similar in body and soul; each one of us has a brain, a spleen, a heart, and identically formed lungs; and the so-called moral qualities attributed to us are the same in all: slight variations only prove the rule. One human specimen affords an adequate basis for judging the rest. People are like trees in a forest; no botanist would dream of studying each birch tree in detail.”On life:"Here, in the cool shade, she read and worked, or surrendered herself to that sensation of perfect peace with which we are all presumably familiar and whose charm lies in a barely conscious and silent observation of the sweeping wave of life that for ever rolls all round us as well as within us."On meaninglessness:“The confined space I occupy is so minute when compared with the rest of the universe, where I am not and have no business to be; and the fraction of time I shall live is so infinitesimal when contrasted with eternity, in which I have never been and shall never be…And yet here, in this atom of myself, in this mathematical point, blood circulates, the brain is active, aspiring to something too…What a monstrous thing! How absurd it seems!”On nihilism, hey there has to be at least one quote on that here. :-)“Aristocracy, liberalism, progress, principles,” Bazarov said in the meantime, “just think, what a lot of foreign – and useless – words!” … “Our actions are governed by utility,” Bazarov said. “In these days, negation is the most useful thing of all – and so we deny.”“…But it is essential to construct as well.”“That is not our affair…First we must make a clean sweep.”“…Formerly, young men had to study; they had no wish to be known as ignoramuses, and so willy-nilly they had to apply themselves. Now all they can say is ‘Everything is rubbish!’ And they have made their point. The young men are simply delighted. To be sure, before they were only blockheads, now they have suddenly become Nihilists.”On togetherness:“It can’t be helped, Vasya. A son is like a lopped-off branch. As a falcon he comes when he wills and goes where he lists; but you and I are like mushrooms growing in a hollow tree. Here we sit side by side without budging. But I shall stay with you for ever and unalterably, just as you will stay with me.”On the younger generation:"Once I had a quarrel with our late mama; unwilling to hear me, she was shouting her head off…I finally told her that she was incapable of understanding me: ‘We belong to different generations,’ I said."Reading "Fathers and Sons" makes it clear that life in mid-19th century Russia was very different from my own life, and being transported is one of the great joys of reading to me. Another great joy is the opposite effect which is highlighted in that last quote; to see that many aspects of the human condition were the same, have always been the same, and will probably always be the same.

[ecbesa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first novel by Turgenev and was very impressive. Good reason to go back on classics.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I picked up Fathers and Sons because it seemed an approachably slim volume to start me off in Russian literature. I'm going to jump into that ocean headfirst eventually, but let me dabble my toes a bit first and get used to the temperature. The title hints that it is a story about generational differences, how family members with wildly different philosophies interact with one another, and it is that on one level. But it is also a portrayal of the different positions (or branches of the family) of philosophy in general. Modern nihilism squares off with traditional religiosity and the liberal Russian politics of 1862. Sounds like fun, right? In many ways this felt like a screenplay. I'm not exactly sure why, but as I was reading I was struck by the theatricality of the scenes and descriptions. Especially in the beginning, Turgenev gives us a lot of background information on the characters and their histories... the sort of things that a movie would show us to set up the characters and their surroundings. Sometimes it was choppy, a little too much of an info dump. I found some of the the characters quite underdeveloped, like Fenichka and Katya. Others, like Nicholas and his brother Paul, get great attention when they're onscreen and then just... disappear. Arcady is us, I think... drawn along by Bazarov's genius and admiring his ways not for their own merit, but because they are his. There is something magnetic about him. Or maybe we are Nicholas and Vasily, floundering around in a world that is changing too quickly for our comfort. What about Fenichka, content to leave the wrangling to others and follow her natural impulses? Or Bazarov's mother, terrified because of her son's philosophy? Maybe we are each of these characters at some point in our lives. Bazarov was one of those characters you just enjoy, not because you like him but because he's just so unpredictable and masterful. He's fascinating to watch, a bundle of contradictions because of his nihilism. He believes in pure science, but is that really kosher for a strict nihilist, to believe in anything? Why should one study so hard to be a doctor, if nothing means anything and every institution should be pulled down? Why bother? I guess this is the thing that disappointed me the most in this story: I still feel quite in the dark as to nihilistic philosophy. It seemed like Bazarov is supposed to be just a mouthpiece for the nihilistic worldview — which is fine by me, actually, in a novel like this — but whenever he gets into philosophical discussions, they always stop short. It could be that I was missing it, but the arguments and opposing viewpoints ended right when I wanted them expanded upon, just when things were getting good! Maybe Turgenev was being careful of not weighing his story down too much, leaving room for some plot and character development. And maybe I just have unrealistic expectations of Russian literature. My copy is translated by George Reavy. Aficionados of Russian lit can tell me if it's a good translation or not. I'm glad I read this, but I can't conjure up any real enthusiasm for it. Tolstoy is bound to be better.

[stpnwlf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel is about a young man's struggle with his father's ambition for his life as the young man alternately fights and embraces that future.

[clif_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fathers and Sons, first published in 1862, is a classic of Russian literature that examines youthful idealism and its pitfalls. It is a depiction of two generations with widely differing political and social values. The setting is 19th Century Russia shortly after the emancipation of the Russian serfs. The narrative follows two young men returning home after spending years attending College. The result is a confrontation between the traditional fathers (but liberal minded) and their idealistic sons. The antagonism portrayed in the book demonstrates the timeless conflict between youth and their elders. There are plenty of contemporary generational and political resonances contained in the story if the reader looks for them. Frankly, listening to the conflict portrayed in this book wasn't a pleasant experience for me. Thus, I can't recommend it as a book that others are likely to enjoy. But I felt better about the book after finishing it. I think the book's message is that the older and younger generations need to be more understanding of each other. We all need to mellow out a bit. It's interesting to note that from our own perspective in history, the changes in 1862 were nothing compared to what was going to happen to Russia 50 years later. It's sad to realize that the presence of idealistic young people and liberal minded parents does not necessarily lead to peace for later generations. When will it ever end?

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The novel was a little less than I expected, but the point of interest is the letters and literary criticism that comes at the end of the book. Top-notch!

[michael8xolotl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars. I would've liked it much more when I was younger, but, nearing eighty, the first thoughts and loves and rebellions and other conceits of the characters were a bit flat. Reading it felt a little like watching kittens--their behavior is amusing and endearing but every miscalculated jump and tumble is foreseen.

[thothj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great example of Russian literature at its finest. The only great writers coming out of this country weren't only Tolstoy and Doesevski. After reading this novel for a history class, I downloaded a bunch more of his work to my Kindle, for later reading. Enjoy!

[eyejaybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Possibly the first modern Russian novel. The central figures Barazov and Arkady show a marked contrast in their eventual approaches to life. Bazarov is a self-professed nihilist, believing that the established order should always be challenged.Arkady is initially in thrall to Bazarov's tenets, to the extent that he risks alienating his old-fashioned father and even more traditional uncle. The novel is one of self discovery, though, and Arkady eventually marries Katya Lokteva, having previously been infatuated with her elder sister Anna. However, it is Bazarov who falls irredeemably in love with Anna, thus compromising the beliefs that have been the pillar of his entire being.

[arelenriel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is Turganevs best work. Many of his situations mirror the modern father son relationships and the generation gap. Turganev is one of the best Russian writers of the 19th century. I really enjoyed this book. I would also reccomend Hunters Sketches

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The novel Fathers and Sons, like other great works of literature, has a timeless quality. The characters are memorable and the plot, while not terribly complicated, is universal in its aspect. It reads like Dostoevsky written by Flaubert. Bazarov represents the nihilist while his friend Arkady appears to agree. They flummox Arkady's father Nikolay and his brother Pavel. But it is soon the women who get the upper hand, whether the lower-class Fenichka or the wealthy widow Anna Odintsov. Of the characters Bazarov stands out as most significant. His nihilism is particularly interesting since it was not the sort of nihilism I had previously encountered in Western European intellectual history, but it is more like a sort of empiricism. As such it was a Russian intellectual movement in the 19th century that insisted that one should not believe in anything that could not be demonstrated to be true. As a critical approach to virtually everything it is a powerful force used by Turgenev through the character of Bazarov to provide an alternative to the traditions and romanticism of the 'fathers' of the novel. The force does not prevail however. The strength of Bazarov's intellectual approach to everything crumbles in the face of both nature and love. His adoring friend Arkady loses interest in it and Bazarov himself succumbs; first to the personality of Madame Odintsov and finally to the infection that leads to his untimely death. The world goes on, but the ideas presented are not vanquished but merely lie dormant, to be resurrected in continuing political unrest in Russia.

[sandydog1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. The dueling scene is priceless. Let's go nihilists!

[tigermel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After working on it for most of the month, i finished up Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. I didn't think I was going to like it but the ending really saved it for me. I haven't read any Russian lit since college and even then i only read plays by Chekov. There are seventy pages of introduction in my volume that i skipped and i may actually go back and read it now.The story centers on two young men in 1860's Russia, both of whom are part of the upper class. There is Bazarov, the older of the two and a doctor by training, and Arkady, who is younger. We follow them as the visit their family homes and those of various friends. Bazarov is the philosopher; while the blurb on the back of the book lists him as "one of the first angry young men" he seems far more nihilistic to me than angry. He seems to care about little, not himself or his family or his friends. Both the men seem almost like teenagers, for most of the book they have the whole attitude of "we are always right about everything, everyone else is just dumb and can't understand us because the others are too old, or are just peasants, or are women. But towards the end both young men fall in love, for good and for ill, and we see, if not exactly a happily ever after, a very satisfying ending.So i give it a 4, after fully expecting to give it a 2. Books like this are why i so rarely abandon the ones i am not liking. i do recommend it; you just have to give it a chance and overlook everyone calling everyone else by their full names.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A marvellous novel about misunderstandings between the generations that is still relevant today, but also about how love can defy logic and humanise anyone. A very sad ending with Bazarov's parents weeping over his grave.

[drfp_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of those shocking things - a supposed masterpiece that actually lives up to the hype.Turgenev is definitely the best "novelist" of the great Russian authors of the 19th century. Tolstoy spent more time writing epics and short stories; Dostoevsky was more concerned with forcing his politics into his novels rather than writing simply good stories like Turgenev.F&S is Turgenev's best work. All I can say is that on a personal level Turgenev's themes speak to me a great deal. As a result the crux of this novel wasn't the generational gap but more Bazarov’s complicated nature and his relationship with everyone around him.As far as I'm concerned: a flawless read.

[borrows0n0wants · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible read. The story holds your interest, the characters are very realistic and believable, and the content/theme is still relevant and always will be.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

19th century Russian literature set in 1859. (Follows the Paris Revolution, Crimean War, Nicholas I) A book about fathers and their sons. The sons have been to university and been educated. They have embraced nihilism. The Nihilist movement was a Russian movement in the 1860s which rejected all authorities.It is derived from the Latin nihil, meaning "nothing". The decision has been made to emancipate the serfs which happened in 1861. The fathers are doing their best to cooperate with the mandate. The opposite of nihilism is romanticism and the author has set the book up through the fathers and sons to contrast the different philosophy. "All moral disease derives from poor education, from all the rubbish with which people's heads are filled from birth onwards--in short, from the shocking state of society. Reform society, and there'll be no more disease". This is a statement by Bazarov. I think this statement has proven to be untrue many times. Poor education does not equal moral disease, nor does good education preclude moral disease. The origin is something else. The women characters are interesting. We have Fenichka who is "living with Nikolai and has a son but no marriage", we have Anna who is a widow and has been alluded to as empty headed who is quite intelligent and a bit of a nihilist herself, and Katerina the young lady who is quiet but probably the strongest of all. And not to omit, Bazarov's mother who is the one with the property and money but also a lot of superstitions. Bazarov's attitude is quite antifeminist but over all the book is filled with storng women. I enjoyed the book. As a Russian novel it wasn't hard to read. I am not a fan of nihilism but I learned a lot and find it interesting that it was a Russian movement. The novel contributes to the Russian literature and Russian history, it is not only relevant to its 19 century setting but also offers some relevance to the present and a good reminder that generations do change. The characters were well crafted. This is more a character study than a plot driven book.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fairly short and easy to read (at least in this translation). More thoughts to come later...

[vkyrt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Easy and pleasant to read, but hardly a "masterpiece". There is a structure and a kind of plot, but no sense of purpose. Characters just drift without a convincing explanation as to their motives, if they have any. You get the impression that Turgenev first thought up Bazarov the "nihilist" - actually a depressed cynic who can't stand his own emotions - then sketched some feeble storyline to justify his existence in the novel. The book is not without qualities, however. The other characters, particularly the elderly, are finely sketched and there are some scenes which are very moving. There is tension here and there, but no development into something grand. "Torrents of Spring", by the same author, has a clear direction and is more fun.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mooie, vooral trefzekere psychologische tekening van de karakters. Salonroman-allures, met dikke romantische onderlaag.Figuur Bazarov is tragisch getekend.