November 9th, 2002
Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons, 1862) is born in Orel in 1818.
Ivan Turgenev, b. November 9, 1818, d. 1883
Turgenev was the first of the great Russian novelists to be widely read in Europe. In Fathers and Sons he introduced the vexing question of nihilism, borrowed from the West, into the Russian consciousness. His elegant style became a model not so much for other Russian writers but for generations of foreigners. By the end of his life, he had become a famous figure in his homeland: his funeral was attended by delegations from 180 organizations and was an occasion of national mourning.
Suggested Reading Novels Fathers and Sons, 1862. Smoke, 1867. Spring Torrents, 1871. Virgin Soil, 1877. Stories A Sportsman’s Sketches, 1852.
Posted by: The Editors
Category: A Week in Literary History, Books and Authors | Link to this Entry
