Other editions of book Fathers and Sons

When a young graduate returns home he is accompanied, much to his father and uncle's discomfort, by a strange friend "who doesn't acknowledge any authorities, who doesn't accept a single principle on faith." Turgenev's masterpiece of generational conflict shocked Russian society when it was published in 1862 and continues today to seem as fresh and outspoken as it did to those who first encountered its nihilistic hero.

When a young graduate returns home he is accompanied, much to his father and uncle's discomfort, by a strange friend "who doesn't acknowledge any authorities, who doesn't accept a single principle on faith." Turgenev's masterpiece of generational conflict shocked Russian society when it was published in 1862 and continues today to seem as fresh and outspoken as it did to those who first encountered its nihilistic hero.

&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RFathers and Sons&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&RIvan Turgenev&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R&&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&RNew introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences―biographical, historical, and literary―to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&RYouth rebels. It’s true today and it was true in Russia, in 1862, when&&LSTRONG&&R Ivan Turgenev&&L/B&&R’s &&LI&&RFathers and Sons &&L/I&&Rfirst appeared. At the novel’s center stands Evgeny Bazarov, medical student, doctor’s son, and self-proclaimed nihilist. Bazarov rejects all authority, all so-called truths that are based on faith rather than science and experience. His ideas bring him into conflict with his best friend, recent graduate Arkady Kirsanov, with Arkady’s family, with his own parents, and eventually with his emotions, when he falls helplessly in love with the beautiful Madame Odintsova.&&LBR&&R &&LBR&&RTurgenev’s earlier &&LI&&RA Sportsman’s Sketches&&L/I&&R had helped hasten the liberation of the serfs in 1861. But the complex portrait of Bazarov, whose goals he admired but whose rejection of art and embrace of violence he could not accept, enraged both right and left. The right saw &&LI&&RFathers and Sons&&L/I&&R as a glorification of radical extremists; the left saw it as a denunciation of progress. Even today, readers argue over Turgenev’s attitude towards Bazarov. But they can’t resist the novel’s power to grip the heart while engaging the mind.&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LB&&RDavid Goldfarb&&L/B&&R is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Slavic Languages at Barnard College. He has published numerous scholarly articles as well as the Introduction and Notes to the Barnes & Noble Classics edition of Leo Tolstoy’s &&LI&&RThe Death of Ivan Ilych and Other Stories&&L/I&&R.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R

Bazarov - a gifted, impatient, and caustic young man - has journeyed from school to the home of his friend Arkady Kirsanov. But soon Bazarov's outspoken rejection of authority and social conventions touches off quarrels, misunderstandings, and romantic entanglements that will utterly transform the Kirsanov household and reflect the changes taking place all across nineteenth-century Russia.

FATHERS AND SONS, by Ivan Turgenev, has been spoken of as the archetype of the nineteenth century Russian novel—the work that set the pattern for those of Tolstoy and others. It is, in fact, a novel that can be spoken of in many lights. At the title (more literally translated as Fathers and Children) implies, it can be read as an analysis of the age-old conflict between generations. Those whose view tends toward history will read it as a priceless window into the world that brought the Russian Revolution and its far-reaching impact on our own times. In truth, the novel has multiple themes: the artistic view versus the intellectual or scientific view; the tragedy of life ruled by impulse—or by idealism. In short, FATHERS AND SONS is a masterpiece of nineteenth century Western literature.

When first published in 1862, this novel of a divided Russia, with peasants set against masters and fathers set against sons, caused great outrage. But its enduring legacy of social insight and conscience mixed with drama has given it universal appeal. Written about a "superfluous" man who was trapped between ideologies in 19th century Russia, when the young "nihilists" were at odds with the old-line liberals, “Fathers and Sons” is relevant in any age. There are always going to be clashes between generations and between those who hope for the "destruction" of an old edifice for an only partially imagined design for a new one. Ivan Turgenev presents us with perhaps the most truthful representation of this timeless, generational conflict. Of the greats in Russian literature--Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, and Pushkin, Turgenev gets his point across best of all. "Fathers and Sons" ranks with Turgenev’s "Sketches from a Hunter's Album" as one of the most perfectly written and deeply moving books ever written. A reader with a good knowledge of Russia will not fail to appreciate this novel, and may not even be 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. "Fathers and Sons" is a very powerful book, eye-opening and profoundly sad, which every reader will appreciate. The art involved in creating “Fathers and Sons” 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 incredible job of creating conflict, that he doesn't need to place the characters in any action in order to attract the reader. A must read for any fan of Russian literature!

FATHERS AND SONS was the most closely studied of Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev's works in the Soviet high school curriculum. An inadvertent political agenda favorite, juxtaposing two generations, "the fathers," or the fading aristocracy, and "the sons," or the new fresh blood of the middle class and the nihilists, the novel seemed a perfect vehicle for portraying the brewing unrest of the pre-revolutionary era, and introduced the character of Bazarov -- the spirited nihilist who was seen as a brilliant idealistic rebel, the new kind of perfect man who rejected the old notions of class and came to disrupt nobility's status quo. Growing up, Turgenev witnessed much class injustice in Russia, and his themes reflect his overwhelming concern with the suffering of the poor and the voiceless serfs. But FATHERS AND SONS is not merely a convenient socio-political piece; Turgenev is a lyrical romantic. At the novel's heart lies the ultimately tragic human story of Bazarov's flippant kiss of a servant girl and the bizarre tension it causes in a cozy country gentry household where he is a guest. An important period classic.

As Arkady Kirsanov returns home after graduation, his father waits patiently for him—excited to see his much-loved son once again. But in returning home to a world that has remained static, Arkady and his friend Bazarov, a self-defined nihilist, find themselves wholly changed, and must now redefine old relationships—both their friendship with one another and their relationships with their fathers—from new perspectives. Ivan Turgenev’s brilliant novel explores generational differences and their tragic consequences.The classic saga Fathers and Sons reveals the inescapable influence that fathers and sons have on each other’s lives, and provides a realistic portrayal of the struggles of families and their ideologies in the face of social upheaval. Fathers and Sons is often regarded as the first modern novel in Russian literature, and has been adapted for the stage as Nothing Sacred, which was later made into a movie.HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.