Rating: 
Summary: Still modern after all these years
Review: In Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, as in most of Chekhov, nothing much really happens. People talk a lot and that's about it. Should be dull, right? But it isn't. The talk, and the characters revealed, reflect the profound changes that were being felt in Russian society at the end of the 19th Century; changes that would set the stage for much of what was to happen in the 20th Century. But more important to a modern reader, the ideas and the real life implication of those ideas are as current and relevant as when Turgenev wrote. Bazarov, the young 'nihilist', sounds just like the typical student rebel of the 60's (or of the Seattle WTO protests just recently). He has the arrogance and the innocence of idealistic youth. He is as believeable, and as moving in his ultimate hurt, as any young person today might be confronted with the limitations of idealism and the fickle tyranny of personal passion. I loved this book when I first read it as a teenager and I enjoyed it even more on subsequent rereadings. It makes the world of 19th century Russia seem strangely familiar and it gives many a current political thread a grounding in meaningful history.
Rating:
Summary: What?
Review: Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, who lived through 1818-83, is thought to be one of the finest Russian writers. He studied in Moscow, St Petersburg and Berlin, then became a strong advocate of Russia's westernization. Here we see his masterpiece "Fathers and Sons" which I personally came across through the recommendation of a close friend. Turgenev is a master of engaging the reader through the complexities of his characters. While you may initially feel contempt for some them, the more you learn of their contrasting personalities, you will eventually love them all in the end. If not for their beliefs and actions story-wise, then for how deep and well thought-out their various histories are. You may find yourself endlessly devouring page after page, wanting to know more about these fascinating people he's created. For me, reading this book was like opening my eyes to a world I long neglected. In the next few days, I will no doubt find myself hunting down more of his works. In "Fathers and Sons" he focuses on every character's humanity and principles, then lets it all play out with such craft and unmistakable skill. From their conflicts and influences with each other, every character develops and yet remains the same. Every scene he creates, is depicted vividly, with descriptions of subtle details in the backgrounds bringing his world to life. From the effortless way he lets the reader see his visions, we can easily grasp the character of his creations, their moods, their thoughts, and how we can relate to their emotions. It is certainly a crime for someone who's even remotely interested in novels not to read this book. And for those who aren't, they shouldn't neglect reading this either, they might just find something they will love.
Rating:
Summary: Imaginatively dynamic and intellectual reading
Review: Of what I call the "Russian Inklings" Turgenev is by far the most accessible, this book being the apogee of his career, much like B&K with Dostoyevsky, and W&P with Tolstoy. Fathers and Sons not only is a shorter read than the two masterpieces mentioned above, it is subsequently faster paced and less of a cerebral and psychological labyrinth. There seems to be two protagonists, something that Russian writers did fairly often in contrast to western literature which usually has only one hero, or protagonist. Turgenev's usage of two protagonists conveys two invaluable view to every circumstance, character, and event that transpires in this books 350 pages. The novel takes place during the "scientific enlightenment," of Russia where romanticism currently, or perhaps already has been dethroned by the resident naturalistic sciences and breeds secular agnosticism, or Deductionary Atheism. **The book was received hilariously by critics. Many radical naturalistic atheists both loved and hated it. The critics that loved the book (in the late 1880's) were enamored with Turgenevs scientific objectivity, and humored pokes at both radical romanticism and radical nihilism. The critics who despised the book felt that their intellectual camp had been fraudulated, and required reconciliation. **I want to point out that many themes spoken of by these Russian authors, and explicitly Turgenev, are issues that are still at the forefront of political and philosophical debate. Nihilism is really the anthem of Hume's deductionary logical philosophy of indeterminism. It is the purest form of naturalistic sciences and often times is confused with empiricism. I wish to point out that governmental forms like socialism, that wish to divide any personal belief with public display, (similar to Socialist France) are displaying the very same traits and political referendums fought for by the youth in this book. **The youth of today, I would say as a majority (and being one of them), are not sympathetic towards selfish conservatism, which is represented in this book by Arkady's uncle, (Arkady being the Romantic protagonist). The emotional turmoil and intellectual struggle that the characters go through in the throngs of political debate are incredible. ***MOST IMPORTANTLY: *** Bazarov (the 2nd of the two protagonists) represents the theoretical Jesus of nihilism. Turgenev constructs him faithfully and without bias, and allows the man to live and breathe and think so perfectly throughout the enirity of the work. For that reason alone the book is worth reading.
**Bazarov may be my favorite character in any novel, only short of Alyosha in B.K. I say this because Bazarov represents the secular humanist who is self gratified in his scientific altruism, but (not to spoil anything) rounds with an ironic existence.
Five stars, awesome, objective russian literature, that like most, is dynamically applicable to the modern political melting pot.
Rating:
Summary: Social Awareness
Review: The one factor that keeps being brought up in other reviews is the apparent lack of plot. A key point is not being brought in; the nature of Russian literature is to create a socially conscious society. While American and European authors can enter whatever realms they choose and write vivid, thrilling stories, Russian novelists enter a more subdued state. Their concern is not whether their readers are on the edge of their seats in suspense, their concern is that society be made aware of the changes and problems that are arising. 'Fathers and Sons' achieves that very well, pitting old Muscovite traditions against the new Western ideas. It's not a page turner, because it isn't supposed to be. I thought it was a brilliant piece. Turgenev outlines quite clearly using only a handful of characters just how opposed the two sides of Russia are. And in the end, he makes very clear that one will have to give. The story is made better because Turgenev shows no favoritism. He carries out his job as an author to the letter: to present the problem, without offering the solution. That is for the reader to decide. And as the book draws to a close, the reader is left wondering, 'Which direction is better?'
Rating: 
Summary: A Plotless Classic
Review: This was required reading for my Russian literature class because it is considered a classic. My favorite part of this book is the fact that it gives the reader a glimpse of what life was like for the average nobleman of the day...(in the 1850's) It has some interesting descriptions of Russian family life, the life of the peasantry and how the younger generation interacted with the older generation (hence the title, "Fathers and Sons" although the original Russian is called "Fathers and Children"). One of the main characters, Bazarov, is a self proclaimed nihilist who rejects all forms of authority, causing problems for the older generations (his parents & his friend's parents), but attracting the attention of the people of his (the younger) generation. This book has no real plot...it is merely the story of how one man brings his nihilist ideas into other peoples' lives & it gives accounts of everybody else's reactions to these nihilist ideas. It is an interesting book & a pretty quick read, but it can drag in places...especially if the reader is waiting for something interesting to happen. All in all, I believe this book is worth reading, if just to get a taste of "Old Russia", but if you are looking for an exciting "can't-put-it-down-sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat-page-turner", you won't find it in this book.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite Russian work!
Review: Sure, Turgenev lacks the epic vision or knee-deep allegorical satire that defines other prominent Russian authors, but his claim to fame is being about a century ahead of his time. His stoic, objective writing voice was light-years ahead of anything else at that time in Russia or anywhere else, and even by today's standards, it does stand out. How many writers have the intellectual maturity to keep their personal biases from ruining the purity of the story? To be sure, there weren't many back then and there aren't many now with that kind of self-discipline. But aside from that, what a work this is! Bazarov is likely the ORIGINAL "angry young man" in literature, and one would have to think that the stereotypical sixties radical tried to pattern himself after this intriguing character. There is so much in this work that reflects the modern world. The relative decadence of the sixties generation and the ways their children struggle to seek meaning in their lives (forget nihilism, today it's often outright anarchism....) through new ways of thinking. Today we can read of this society generations past and on the other side of the world, and we can see ourselves and our society reflected. Turgenev touched on some human intangibles that the more famous Russian writers were unable to get at because they were doing epics or satires. Instead of all that jazz, Turgenev just wrote plain, objective truth to the best of his ability. That's the ultimate compliment for a work of fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Great political treatise, lousy literature
Review: Bless him for keeping this one short, unlike his contemporaries in Russian literature. Unfortunately, the fact that this book is 200 pages is the best thing I can say about it. This is so clearly the case of an author who had a political statement to make and decided, unwisely, to couch it in a fictional as opposed to non-fictional format. This would have made for a great political or sociological treatise, but it is not good literature. The characters and plot are so obviously secondary to the message. The characters are one-dimensional, predictable, and transparent. The plot is forgettable and really almost seems to have been an afterthought. The only real merit of this book is that it captures the birth of an important social and political movement, at a very pivotal time in Russian history.
Rating:
Summary: "Revolting" Stuff
Review: This is an eminently readable book - really a novella at only a couple of hundred pages. Arkady, a student, brings his nihilistic friend Bazarov home to meet his father and uncle. The latter, Pavel Petrovich, is an embittered traditionalist who becomes the natural butt of Bazarov's disrespectfulness and intellectual superiority. A medical student, Bazarov's politics are revolutionary but his main way of putting himself across to his elders is merely to yawn discontentedly. Petrovich abhors and fears the potential consequences of Bazarov's sceptism for people, institutions, ideas, all the marks of "civilisation".
Nihilism, which spawned the Russian revolution, was an intellectual movement in Russia in the mid-nineteenth century. It supported the end of serfdom for the workers on estates. Its growth and influence, plus its effect on people of all shades of belief, has recently been brilliantly dramatised, with Turgenev himself as a character, in a trilogy of plays by Tom Stoppard (who wrote the screenplay of _Shakespeare in Love_): _The Coast of Utopia_ ,well worth seeing and reading. Turgenev's novel, drawn from his own contacts and experiences, was profoundly disturbing in its day and still rings uncomfortably true. Apart from the politics, the characterisation is adept and the descriptions, though scarce, poetic. Lack of a plot is not serious here; I found the book to be a real page-turner because the ideological conflicts drive it.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating look at Russian nihilism
Review: This book is an interesting look at Russia in a time of change. Nihilism was gaining favor, the serfs had been emancipated, and the old way of life had begun to die. In this work, Turgenev explores the nature of the conflict between old, traditional values of class and custom and the new way of thinking. The title, Fathers and Sons, is aptly named, for this novel examines the gap between two generations' way of thinking. On the one side, the sons represent a new way of thinking called nihilism. Bazarov, the main character in the nihilist camp, represents the new generation of thinkers, those who accept nothing on authority and question everything. He influences a young man named Arkady, who becomes a sort of disciple of his. On the other side, Nikolai and Pavel, Arkady's father and uncle, respectively, represent "Old Russia." Nikolai is a landowner and, though he has emancipated his peasants and tries to be progressive, is stuck in the past. Pavel is the extreme traditionalist, representing everything that Russia was at the turn of the nineteenth century.
Turgenev uses these characters to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each way of thinking. The book seems to make the statement that the old way of life is inadequate and needs to be replaced, though he does not provide a solution. At any rate, Turgenev does not seem confident that nihilism can provide the necessary change. In the end, Arkady drifts away from Bazarov's influence, and becomes a sort of compromise between Bazarov's way of thinking and Nikolai's, and in this there is, it seems, at least a partial solution. Though he does not propose to solve the problems he points out in this novel, Turgenev sheds some interesting light on the subject of nihilism vs. traditionalism at a time of social upheaval in Russia.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless
Review: A classic piece of literature is defined by its ability to transcend time. _Fathers and Sons_ is one such book. It is the story of a son, returning from college with a fellow student, and his father. It is also about the generation gap that exists within the family, the dynacmic of college friends, the marvelous magic of youth, and the strength of familial ties. I first read this in college, but, like good wine, the story has imporved with age. As I have gained experience and wisdom with years, so has my appreciation of the brilliance and wisdom of Turgenev's observations. All too often we think of ourselves as the first to see or experience things - from love, to ideas, to the exuberance and idealism that being young is all about. Turgenev shows us the folly in that line of thinking. And in so doing, gives us a glimpse of the universality of what it is to be human. _Fathers and Sons_ ranks as one of my favorite books for this reason. After a reading, I am sure you will agree.
|
