Fathers and Sons

Rating:
Summary: What happened to the part with the clown?
Review: What's with this translation?! It left out the part with the clown! That was the best part in the book! Without the clown, the whole thesis collapses altogether! You're better off learning Russian or waiting for a new translation to come out, because without the clown it's rubbish!

Rating:
Summary: Placid Turbulence
Review: Like the other Russian literary giants with whom he is so often compared, Turgenev displays a remakable facility for writing about profound ideas and issues in a way that is entertaining and never oppressive. Turgenev comments on topics ranging from social conditions in the Russian Empire to the transitory nature of philosophical systems of belief. The tone of the book is gentle, even affectionate, toward its characters, hardly the tone that one expects from a highly controversial novel. I believe that its is what makes it so effective in communicating Turgenev's meaning. Perhaps it is this, in turn, that made it so controversial.

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Summary: an excellant insight into the relationships
Review: A must for human beings who want to understand and realise the importance and the value of relationships.

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Summary: A perfectly written Russian masterpiece
Review: Ivan Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" ranks with his "Sketches from a Hunter's Album" as one of the most perfectly written and deeply moving books I have ever read. It far surpasses most of Dostoyevsky's works and possibly, in my opinion, could outrank even Tolstoy. A reader with a good knowledge of Russia will not fail to appreciate "Fathers and Sons" and will not at all regret the cost of this book. I was not able to put it down, not so much from being riveted to an adventurous plot, but from being captivated by the sublime, marvelous beauty of Turgenev's prose (and, of course, Rosemary Edmonds' wonderful translation). "Fathers and Sons" is a very powerful book, eye-opening and profoundly sad, which every reader will appreciate.

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Summary: Fathers and Sons is art
Review: The art involved in creating this novel is what makes it a truly amazing and valuable piece of literature. Each character has characteristics that are very human. The thoughts,ideas, and ideals of the very different characters are the entirety of the plot. Turgenev does such an implorable job of creating conflict, that he doesn't need to place the characters in any action in order to attract the reader. This is a must read for any fan of Russian literature!

Rating:
Summary: Like Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky? Don't ignore Turgenev!
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. Turgenev was a supremely devoted artist and his characters truly shine in this novel, his masterwork. I like to think of him as the Russian version of Hemingway, because Turgenev writes in such a beautiful, engaging manner. However, the comparison ends there...besides, Turgenev was a better writer than Hemingway. Very highly recommended for all lovers of Russian literature...belongs in your collection right next to Crime & Punishment, Dead Souls, War & Peace, etc.

Rating:
Summary: thought provoking, compulsive reading - a masterpiece
Review: The book concerns the lives of two young men and their fathers, or more precisely the relationship between the 'new generation' and the old. Bazarov, the book's central character is a nihilist, he claims to depise art, social institutions of any kind and any sort of emotion. Turgenev illustrates his contempt for people prepared to embrace nihilism at this expense with bazarov's ultimate disillusionment and unhappiness; as such it is a very political book and it had him labeled a conservative by his contemporaries.

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Summary: turgenev's fathers and sons - an appreciation
Review: Following a link from Hamsun to Gogol found Fathers and Sons. Like the manic haunted heroes of Hamsun's Mysteries and Hunger there is Turgenev's Bazarov - a nihilist passionate - a hero of a kind. Take the path from Turgenev to Lermontov then to Dostoyevsky or criss cross paths and return to Hamsun. For this reader Turgenev's beautiful Fathers and Sons is but one part of this world of inspiration and Bazarov but one example of the gift these authors had for characterisation. Turgenev's novel - the cause of furious debate in its day and long beyond - is a powerful, challenging, emotional, wonderful book. Read it. Read them all.

Rating:
Summary: Turgenev is, quite possibly, the world's biggest stud.
Review: Like many of the laudable Pre-Revolution authors, Turgenev's writing poignantly depicts the emotional and political unrest of a nation tearing itself apart. The book focuses on the deterioration and restoration of the relationship between the nihilistic Bazarov and his father. However, this central family relationship also mirrors the larger themes of social movements and progressive ideas. Turgenev's work remains a classic not only because of its historical significance, but for its timelessness as well. Like most great literature, the themes pertain to our culture as well. The dialectic between the older and younger generations will always exist, but Turgenev leaves the reader with the eventual hope for a synthesis. . .

Rating:
Summary: Young Nihilist Versus World in Match to Death!
Review: All right, it's not that exciting. But this is a pretty good novel. The characters are interesting, though somewhat two-dimensional in places. It is a little obvious that they are supposed to be representing different ideas, but this is not particularly bothersome (to me, anyway). The descriptions of various places are amusing and to the point. The story is engaging and fairly quickly placed.

The only reason I'm giving this novel three stars instead of four or five is because the translation is so painful. Generally, it is fairly serviceable, until you come to the conversation. Phrases such as "hanging around" and "So what?" pepper the dialogue, and Bazarov's speech in particular. Is this meant to show his irreverence? If so, it fails. Bazarov speaking habits do not seem irreverent, merely clunky. And these phrases took away from my enjoyment of the story. It's like going to the theater to see a movie, and then having the lights on through the whole show.

All in all, it was a good novel. It is worth reading, especially if you can find a different translation.