Questions About Fathers and Sons

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Answered Questions (5)

I'm new to Russian literature, but enjoy the intensity of some of its authors very much. I love Dostoyevsky, especially some of his scenes in the Brothers Karamazov and really enjoyed reading Tolstoy's more memorable stuff. I'm looking for another author in the same vein as these guys. Would I like Turgenev's stuff?

Rita Turgenev's drama is not so far on the age as Dostoyevsky's stuff (nobody's actually is so far :) It's more like the casual drama of everyday life. So …moreTurgenev's drama is not so far on the age as Dostoyevsky's stuff (nobody's actually is so far :) It's more like the casual drama of everyday life. So if you are looking for intensity I would recommend "A Hero of Our Time" by Lermontov (heartbreaking, there are no words to describe my impressions, must-read), "Seven Who Were Hanged" by Leonid Andreyev (I've cried on a bus in public while reading), "The White Guard" by Mikhail Bulgakov (soulful Bulgakov at his best) and "The Duel" by Aleksandr Kuprin (nothing but Russian soul, hard to describe, the only way is to experience). (less)

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Catherine No, he recovered from the dueling scratch, which makes him faint. Then he decides to go abroad after Fenitchka gets married to Kirsinov.

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I've ordered Peter Carson's translation, but that doesn't include Berlin's introductory lecture: Have I done the right thing? Or should I've gone with the translation that included Berlin's lecture? I was so so confused with respect to the translations—which one to buy!

Akash Answering it myself (for future reference and, for other people who would find themselves lost in the ocean and seek directions): Peter Carson's trans…moreAnswering it myself (for future reference and, for other people who would find themselves lost in the ocean and seek directions): Peter Carson's translation is really good. I compared it with Norton Critical edition and found that Penguin edition (Peter Carson's translation) does a better job. Norton Critical edition is heavily loaded with footnotes (which I believe is a good thing; 'Father and Sons' is a story that works as a foundation in understanding other events/works—Father and Sons, What is to be done, Crime and Punishment, Gulag Archipelago (instead of Notes from the House of the Dead), The Gentle Creature/Meek One (short story), The Brothers Karamazov, and finally, Notes from Underground/Idiot/other works. (In this order.) So, it'd be better if you read Penguin/Peter Carson's and then supplement it with additional stuff/notes provided in Norton Critical Edition viz. Isaiah Berlin's Lecture and other similar notes/commentaries.

TL; DR Peter Carson's translation would do a good job and, if you're the person who look for more, then you can supplement it with notes supplied in Norton Critical Edition.

That way you'll have a rooted and complete understanding of Turgenev's work and other Russian works that followed in a response to 'Father and Sons'.(less)

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Would I be able to understand this book even though my IQ is below 130? Is there, for example, any subtle existential humour?