Turgenev, << tur GEN nyuhf, >> Ivan (1818-1883), was one of the greatest Russian novelists. He was the first Russian writer to achieve substantial recognition in the West. Turgenev became noted for his realistic portrayals of the Russian nobility and intellectuals. He examined social and cultural interests in novels that read like a diary of that part of Russian society from the 1840’s to the 1870’s. These novels are Rudin (1856), A Nest of Gentlefolk (1859), On the Eve (1860), Fathers and Sons (1862), Smoke (1867), and Virgin Soil (1877).
In his novels and in the short story “The Diary of a Superfluous Man” (1850), Turgenev described a type of educated, well-meaning, but disillusioned Russian nobleman. This type of character, known as the “superfluous man,” is unable to find an outlet for his talents and energies. This passive and politically ineffective figure was the most common type of male character in Russian literature of Turgenev’s time. In contrast, the women characters in Turgenev’s novels are more resourceful and strong-willed.
Turgenev’s masterpiece, Fathers and Sons, is about the young Russian radicals of the 1860’s. Bazarov, the main character of the book, is a nihilist—that is, a person who opposes all tradition and authority (see Nihilism). Bazarov is a powerful and convincing character, but he dies inactive and frustrated.
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was born on Nov. 9, 1818, and raised on his family’s estate in Orel. He first won recognition as a writer in 1852 with his A Sportsman’s Sketches. This collection contains sympathetic portrayals of the Russian peasants. Turgenev’s best-known drama is A Month in the Country (1850). Turgenev spent several decades in the West, and he was part of a group of people who believed that the future of Russia depended on its adoption of the best elements of Western culture. He died on Sept. 3, 1883.
See also Russian literature (The age of Realism).
