I finished Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev a couple days ago. It had been sitting on my shelf for months and I completely forgot about it. It’s a smallish book of about 230 pages so I figured it would be a good read before school started.
It follows two newly minted college graduates in Russia as they travel to spend time with their respective parents in the country after finishing school. One is a nihilist, or a person that believes in nothing, and the other is his protégé.
The story is simple. The graduates wander the countryside, meet girls, go to dances, discuss the nonsensical philosophies of nihilism, and bitch about their parents. The sadness of death and happiness of marriage impress upon them new emotions.
But it’s not the story that makes the book worth reading. It’s the writing. It’s very descriptive and – for lack of a better word – lush. You really feel like you’re out there in the Russian countryside. If you’ve got a few hours on a Saturday and Sunday, pick this book up. It set me back all of ninety-eight cents from Half Price Books. I’m sure you can find one at your local bookstore.
Or, you can read the whole thing here.
Comments (5)
turgenev has some cool prose poems too...
Posted by sophia | February 10, 2007 8:16 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:16
ferrett, marmot, whatever. ugly rodent.
Posted by particleman | February 10, 2007 8:16 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:16
nice marmot.
Posted by carrico | February 10, 2007 8:16 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:16
no, but that would make a great screenplay. i know people that know people, who make movies, and are nihilists who run around with gigantic scissors and a ferrett.
Posted by particleman | February 10, 2007 8:16 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:16
URL:
now, did the nihilist get together with ex band (named autobahn) members in an elaborate attempt to fake a kidnapping of an ex porn acquaintance and cut the toe off of a girlfriend so that they could collect from the sugar daddy of said ex porn acquaintance, a superficial paraplegic millionaire, whose source of money comes from the charitable foundation that he runs and not by any work or accumulated wealth? if not... then it's not worth reading.
Posted by john | February 10, 2007 8:16 PM
Posted on February 10, 2007 20:16