Fathers and Sons

Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich, 1818-1883Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 403K words
Chapters: 41

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev. Author: Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich, 1818-1883. Language: Dutch. Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature. Release Date: Nov 26, 2016

Editor's review

Fathers and Sons (Vaders en Zonen) is Turgenev's masterpiece; this Project Gutenberg edition is the Dutch translation. The novel centers on the clash of ideas between two generations: the fathers embody the traditional landowning way of life and moderate liberalism, while the sons call themselves "nihilists" and reject all unexamined authority. Its power lies not in dramatic plotting but in compressing the intellectual tensions of Russia's 19th-century social transformation into a few family relationships, with sharp dialogue and clear confrontations of position. Even in translation, one can feel Turgenev's restrained hand, withholding full endorsement from either side. The Dutch edition suits readers with some reading ability in Dutch who want to encounter a European classic through its translation tradition, and can also serve as comparative material for translation studies. While reading, pay attention to the complexity of Bazarov: he is both the spokesman of new thought and an exposure of the limits of radical positions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a foundation in Dutch who want a classic European translation
Students of comparative literature studying the translation and reception of Turgenev
Readers interested in 19th-century Russian intellectual history and generational conflict

Not a good fit for

Readers who can only read Chinese or English and cannot handle a Dutch text
Beginners seeking a concise plot guide rather than the complete translation

Reading tips

Before reading, learn the general background of the 19th-century Russian debate between "fathers" and "sons"; the characters' positions will be clearer
Focus on the direct confrontations between Bazarov and Pavel Kirsanov, noting each side's blind spots
Read alongside a Chinese or English translation to observe how different languages handle key debate passages

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Dutch or in the original Russian?

The e-book's language is marked as Dutch, i.e., a Dutch translation, not the Russian original and not a Chinese translation; check that your language ability matches before reading.

Can I read this directly without having read other Turgenev works?

Yes. This is one of Turgenev's novels most often read on its own; the story revolves around one family and the clash of ideas between two generations and does not depend on prior works, though some knowledge of 19th-century Russian social change will help.

Why is there no author biography in the recommendations?

The available information provides only the author's name, birth and death years, and catalog classification, with no more detailed biographical information; to avoid fabrication, the recommendations focus only on the work's themes and ways of reading.

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About the author

Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich, 1818-1883 Author

Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich (1818–1883), was a nineteenth-century Russian novelist. Because the available records are limited, his early life and education cannot be described in detail here. What can be confirmed is his achievement as the author of several widely influential works; this collection holds thirty-five of his books, including Fathers and Sons (also known as Fathers and Children), the second volume of A Sportsman's Sketches, and the novels On the Eve, Rudin, and Asya. His writing is noted for delicate psychological portrayal and a restrained, concise style, and for showing social change through the interplay of personal feeling and social reality, with characters often caught between ideal and actuality. These works hold an important place in Russian literature and the European novel tradition, and retain lasting value for readers seeking to understand nineteenth-century Russian society and the spiritual character of its educated classes.