FATHERS AND SONS

This book deals with Russia in transition from a formal and authoritarian society to one where all beliefs and relationships are questioned. Young people are at the intellectual throats of their parents, who of course fail to understand what is happening. Turgenev coined the word "nihilist" to describe Basarov, the young man who dominates Fathers and sons. Basarov's facade is revolutionary, but his heart is not. The warmth of his nature triumphs over the chill of his intellect, and Basarov emerges as one of the most rounded and successful characters in all literature.