|
Bazarov , whose introduction into the home of his friend Arcady sets the story in motion, is a self-proclaimed nihilist and his idealism and passion are the straw that stirs the drink of much that follows. Turgenev's Fathers and Sons is a rare classic novel that combines a story set in an era of social and political change in feudal Russia with a theme regarding generational conflict that has a timeless relevance to any age. His characters capture the tensions of youth filled with passion over new ideas clashing with the established ways of their elders.It is classically Russian in that the flow of the novel is driven by dialogue between the various characters rather than significant action on their part, although there is a romantic element to the story that fits perfectly as a subplot echoing the family tensions between the 2 young men and their fathers. Some of Turgenev's characters are reluctant to face the obvious changes taking place in their society and the resulting gap between modern and traditional beliefs and ways of life underly much of what drives these characters to act in the way they do.Fathers and Sons is a relatively easy book to read and enjoy when compared with the more challenging works of other Russian novelists but it is as extremely rewarding as it is accessible. I found it to be memorable, enriching and a good investment of time.
There are social themes but it seemed to me the social issues were a backdrop for the inner lives of the characters. Turgenev definitely writes with a lighter touch than Tolstoy or Dostoevsky--which is not to say he's lightweight, just that he doesn't dwell on the heavy (maybe ponderous) "God and Man" issues of the other two. Many Russians see Turgenev as more Western than other Russian writers, almost French, and his writing does have a certain elegance to it. Bazarov is indeed a nihilist but that seems incidental to the nuances of his personality, which Turgenev develops masterfully. Each of the characters could easily lapse into typecasting but Turgenev has a fundamental sympathy for and awareness of their personalities, so the writing is good even if you have no particular interest in the historic dynamics of the dawn of post-serfdom Russia.
There is a lot going on here, reflective not only of how people interact with each other, but also of Russia at a certain period. Having been introduced to Turgenev through his "Sketches From a Hunter's Album" -- a most enjoyable, lyrical collection -- I decided to read "Fathers and Sons" and was not disappointed. The wordsmithing here is masterful, either a tribute to the author or the translator or both. Turgenev's insights into human thought and behavior are as incisive here as they were in the other book. This relatively short book seems simple, but it really isn't. But the real power of this novel is the classic story of the interaction between generations, between the sexes and between the classes. This is a book well worth your reading.
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. Published by MobileReference (mobi).Everything in the novel testifies to Turgenev's faith in humanity, without ever seeming didactic or boring. All of the characters are sympathetic, and I could imagine actually traveling with them or engaging in conversation with them. Turgenev is a wonderful stylist - economical, precise, and lyrical when it befits his characters.
Finally after some days he says he is bored and wants to leave. Turgenev was not well liked in Russia in his lifetime and is not now, even, regarded as among the foremost of Russian novelists and for good reason. Ivan Turgenev's novel, Fathers and Sons is, in my view, such a book. The tragedy that occurs comes suddenly and unexpectedly and touches the lives of all the characters. Arcady, for his part, finds solace with the younger and more submissive Katya. The greatness of the book, where it leaves an indelible impression, comes in the last 50 pages.
More to the point, in the two young men who are the focal point of the story, Turgenev created characters who display a negative and even hostile view of Russia.The novel has three settings. In the novel he also has a son (Arcady) gently remove from his father a book by Puskin he was reading, substituting for it a book by a German writer no less--high sacrilege even in 19th century Russia. The first is at the country estate of Nicholas Petrovich Kusimov whose son, Arcady has just graduated from the university and is returning home accompanied by his fellow graduate and mentor, Eugene Vassilich Bazarov. It is Bazarov who becomes the lighting rod and center of the plot. A great book, in my estimation, is one that touches your heart and causes you to change for the better. Both young men fall in love with the widow, Arcady with the sort of hopeless puppy love attraction for an older woman and Eugene without admitting it, in a more mature manner. Madame Odinizov is drawn to Eugene's mental acuities and intensity, but it is not clear that she loves him.
Finally Bazarov blurts out his love for Madame Odinizov which she seemingly rejects and the two young men leave to visit Bazarov's parents.Vassily Ivanich Bazarov is a retired army doctor who now lives with his kind-hearted wife, Arina, on a farm. Both parents, especially, Arina, are thrilled that their son has returned home, but Eugene scorns them as he has all others. Arcady shares Eugene's nilistic view of life, but is clearly softer and less critical than his intense friend. Turgenev scorned his mother country, spending much of this life in France living with the woman he loved and her husband. The parents are heartbroken, but understand that their son has greatness in him and cannot be confined to living in obscurity.
He instantly quarrels with Nicholas' brother, Paul, an aristocratic defender of the status quo. After a time the pair go to town where they meet Madame Anna Sergeyevna Odinizov, a youngish (29) widow living in relative luxury with her younger sister, Katya. Arcady then returns to Madame Odinizov's and develops his relationship with Katya, while Eugene returns to the Kusimov estate to resume his biological experiments. It will touch your life too and leave you with a greater appreciation for life in all its wonders and futility.
|
