Fathers and Sons

In this 1862 classic novel, an outspoken radical accompanies a school friend home for an extended visit, touching off a series of generational conflicts between older aristocrats and nihilistic youths.

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (1818—1883) was the first Russian writer to gain a wide reputation in Europe. He wrote many novels, plays, short stories, and novellas, of which First Love (1860) is the most famous.

Peter Carson learned Russian during National Service in the Navy, and at home—his mother's family left Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Rosamund Bartlett lectures on Russian and music at the University of Durham.

Tatiana Tolstaya is co-host of the Russian television show The School for Scandal and the author of the novel The Slynx/Kys as well as several short story collections.