Review of 'Fathers and Sons (Penguin Classics)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Bazarov is good, actually.
304 pages
Published May 30, 1965 by Penguin Classics.
Fathers and Sons (Russian: «Отцы и дети»; Otcy i deti, IPA: [ɐˈtsɨ i ˈdʲetʲi]; archaic spelling Отцы и дѣти), also translated more literally as Fathers and Children, is an 1862 novel by Ivan Turgenev, published in Moscow by Grachev & Co. It is one of the most acclaimed Russian novels of the 19th century.
Bazarov is good, actually.
One of the greatest novels I have ever read. Such beauty. Nearly drove me to tears a few times. An exploration of the clashes between the generations, families and friends, nihilism and traditions, love and adventure. Turgenev isn't passing judgement on either side. For Turgenev, perhaps the best we can hope for is that we understand that we don't understand each other, and learn to live with that.
"Every single man hangs by a thread, a bottomless pit can open beneath him any minute, and yet he still goes on thinking up unpleasantnesses for himself and making a mess of his life."