Turgenev Ivan. Fathers and Sons (Norton Edition)

The Contemporary Reaction
Essays in Criticism
Translated and Edited by
MICHAEL R. KATZ
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
Copyright 1996, 1994
ISBN 0393967522
First EditionIn the preface to the first Norton Critical Edition of Fathers and Sons, the editor began as
follows:
Translating Turgenev's novel poses many problems, beginning with the title. The literal translation isFathers and Children. But "sons" in English better implies the notion of spiritual and intellectual generations conveyed by the Russian deti (vii).
Perhaps that is the case, or has become the case as a result of English usage. During the
preparation of this Norton Critical Edition of Turgenev's classic, I considered changing the title to the more literal Fathers and Children. Just when I had persuaded my eminently
reasonable editor of the wisdom (and marketability) of this alteration, I myself had a change of heart. In spite of the explicit sexism of the accepted English title, Fathers and Sons, I decided for reasons of tradition and euphony to retain Ralph Matlaw's choice, but to address the role of women in the novel through the inclusion of several articles in the critical
apparatus that deal directly with the subject, including one of my own written for this
occasion entitled "Fathers and Sons (and Daughters). " It is to my own daughter that my work on this new edition of Turgenev's novel is dedicated.
The background material begins with Turgenev's reflections on the controversy aroused
by the publication of this novel in
1862. Entitled "Apropos of Fathers and Sons, " the piece was first published in the author's "Literary and Autobiographical Reminiscences" (1869). It
provides an interesting account of the genesis of the work, as well as a poignant portrait of his consternation at the critical storm it provoked.
This essay is followed by a selection from Turgenev's letters where the reader can follow
the process of creation, writing, and revision, as well as the author's attempts to respond to specific questions and objections raised by his critics. The section called "The Contemporary Reaction" provides a representative sample of the diversity of critical opinion by the most influential writers of Turgenev's own day; these excerpts should be read in conjunction with the author's letters and his own apologia that precedes them.
The "Essays in Criticism, " the majority of which are new in this edition, are organized
around several themes: (1) the issue of translation, addressed in a brief excerpt from an essay by Edmund Wilson; (2) political concerns, including Turgenev's liberalism (variously defined as "civic responsibility" and "hesitation"), his view of revolution, his attitude toward nihilism; (3) literary aspects, including the author's use of imagery, his depiction of time, the role of women, the portrayal of love, the conflict of generations, the impact of science, the use of discourse; and finally (4) Turgenev's "influence, " to which both Donald Fanger and Robert L. Jackson address themselves in different ways.
Throughout these critical essays the reader will find a complex interweaving of local,
specific issues characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century Russian literature and culture, as well as a discussion of broader, universal themes pertaining to the human experience. More than anything else, this mix guarantees that Turgenev's Fathers and Sons will continue to be read and enjoyed as a masterpiece of world literature.
The "Essays in Criticism" are followed by "Ivan Turgenev: A Chronology" as well as by a
"Selected Bibliography, " which provides a list of suggestions for further reading.The Best and The Greatest Translation For Ages