Fathers and Sons

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.