Fathers and Sons

A new translation from the original Russian manuscript with a new Afterword by the Translator, a glossary of Turgenev's philosophic terms, and a timeline of his life and major contributions. This edition contains an essay written by Turgenev titled "Regarding "Fathers and Sons"" which details the reception of the book and responses to the criticism of it. In this essay, he discusses the Slavophiles, the poor reception the novel had in Germany, and the treatment of the Russian language.

"Fathers and Sons" ???? ? ???? (1860—1861) - is perhaps Turgenev's most renowned work. The novel introduces the character of Bazarov, a nihilist, and delves into the ideological divide between the older and younger generation in Russia. This work introduced the world to the concept of Nihilism (a term coined by Turgenev) and foreshadows great works of Russian literature such as Crime and Punishment

The central character of Fathers and Sons, Eugene Bazarov, often hailed as the "first Bolshevik" in Russian literature, became a symbol of both praise and ridicule, alternately seen as the embodiment of the "new men" of the 1860s. Turgenev's novel explored the clash between the older generation, resistant to change, and the nihilistic youth. Through the character of Bazarov, Turgenev created a quintessential representation of the mid-nineteenth-century nihilist. Fathers and Sons is set in the tumultuous six years between Russia's defeat in the Crimean War and the emancipation of the serfs.

The polarising reception of the novel, marked by hostile reactions, forced Turgenev to make the difficult decision to leave Russia. As a result, he lost a significant part of his readership. At the time, many radical critics, with the exception of Dimitri Pisarev, did not take Fathers and Sons seriously. After the relative critical disappointment of this masterpiece, Turgenev became discouraged and consequently produced fewer works.