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.
