About
Ivan Turgenev, born in Oryol, Russia, was a novelist, poet, and playwright. From a noble family, he grew up on the Spasskoye-Lutovinovo estate, where he developed an aversion to serfdom. His short-story collection *A Sportsman's Sketches* (1852) influenced public opinion in favor of the emancipation of the serfs. His novel *Fathers and Sons* (1862) introduced nihilism into literature. He lived in self-imposed exile in Western Europe, where he was the first Russian writer to gain wide recognition. He died in Bougival, near Paris.
* 1818-10-28 — † 1883-09-03
Major works
- A Sportsman's Sketches (1852)short story collection
- The Diary of a Superfluous Man (1850)novella
- A Month in the Country (1855)play
- Fathers and Sons (1862)novel
- Poems in Prose (1883)prose poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1852Publication of *A Sportsman's Sketches*, which contributed to the emancipation of the serfs in 1861.
- 1862Publication of *Fathers and Sons*, which met with hostile reactions in Russia.
- 1883Died in Bougival, near Paris.
Themes
Generational conflictNihilismSerfdom and Russian societyStrong female charactersExile and identity
Sources: britannica.com · catdir.loc.gov
