Classic
Fathers and Sons
by Ivan Turgenev
Summary
Young nihilist Yevgeny Bazarov returns from university with his friend Arkady and unsettles both of their families with his rejection of tradition, art, and sentiment in favor of cold scientific materialism. Turgenev sets the generational clash of 1860s Russia inside quiet country households, then complicates Bazarov's convictions with an unexpected and humbling love. The novel's even handed portrait of both generations angered radicals and conservatives alike, which is often taken as proof of its honesty.
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Historical Context & Significance
Turgenev published the novel in 1862, in the ferment following the emancipation of the Russian serfs. It popularized the term nihilism and remains one of the defining novels of nineteenth century Russia.