mitostargazer's review against another edition
5.0
This one transported me back the old Russia of 1850s, Russia of my childhood. Turgenev is different from both Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, yet their equal in stature, a true master of prose. Sketches depict life of peasants and landlords in pre-1850(before serfdom was abolished)Russia, from the eyes of a nobleman hunter, always on the move, as he passes through all forms of life, observing with equanimity and keenness, all sorts of cruelty, wretchedness, and quirks and foibles of people around him.
His love of nature is equally obvious and as beautifully shown here as his trenchant observation (and occasional commentary) of the life of his times. Which also means the book might not be an easy read if you are not a nature-lover, as these are sketches, not a centralized story.
Written in a poetic, unhurried and beautiful style. There are no all-encompassing moral/geographical canvases of Tolstoy, or violent psychological inquests of Dostoyevsky, only the hunter's eyes, his gun and his dog, the people he meet, the lives he encounters, and nature.
His love of nature is equally obvious and as beautifully shown here as his trenchant observation (and occasional commentary) of the life of his times. Which also means the book might not be an easy read if you are not a nature-lover, as these are sketches, not a centralized story.
Written in a poetic, unhurried and beautiful style. There are no all-encompassing moral/geographical canvases of Tolstoy, or violent psychological inquests of Dostoyevsky, only the hunter's eyes, his gun and his dog, the people he meet, the lives he encounters, and nature.
nosaltres_les's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
vanjr's review against another edition
3.0
Certainly a more "human" collection of short stories about the Russian rural life that Fathers and Sons.
justasking27's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous descriptions of a time, place, and people.
msgtdameron's review against another edition
4.0
Marvelous literary sketches of life in Rural Russia in the 1860's. Funny thing is that many of the problems are the same as we have today. The names and location change but the "song remains the same".
margaret45678's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Full of very, very long sentences which are often very beautiful, but also very dense. As the title suggests, the stories are more concerned with describing characters and scenes, rather than playing out eventful plots. Many of the stories felt somewhat unresolved and ended rather abruptly. More of a slog than Fathers and Sons, because it is more poetic and slower paced.
alan_allis's review against another edition
4.0
A very very good book. Didn't give it a 5 star rating because it can only be given to the big 4 (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol and Chekhov) but it was a very close one. I recommend it to everyone.