TURGENEV - A Giant in the Shadow
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- Опубліковано 18 чер 2024
- Today Dostoevsky and Tolstoy are two of the most famous Russian writers. In the 1880s, however, the picture was very different. Ivan Turgenev was the most famous Russian writer in the west. In fact, it was Turgenev who introduced both Dostoevsky and Tolstoy to a western audience and made them popular. Today he’s somehow obscured in the shadow of those two giants. In this video I will try to change that by making a case as to why you should consider Turgenev on the same level as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. When it comes to artistic ability, I think he is even better, especially in his writing about nature, failed romance, and parental love. In this video, I will try to justify my claim by looking at Turgenev’s life, his writing style, and compare him to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Turgenev is sometimes considered a writer’s writer. His most famous work, Fathers and Sons I think, had a big influence on both Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. It was published in 1862, four years later Dostoevsky published his most famous novel, Crime and Punishment and 7 years later Tolstoy published his own masterpiece, War and Peace. So Turgenev was the first of those great Russian giants. I will also explain why he is often called the most un-Russian Russian writer, almost French in his style.
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🕔Time Stamps🕔
00:00 Intro
01:27 Turgenev's Life
06:15 Turgenev's Novels
09:12 Turgenev was an artist
14:24 Generational divide
17:27 Beauty in failure
19:37 Nature
22:54 final words
Music:
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#turgenev
#russianliterature
#dostoevsky
#tolstoy
Charles Bukowski in Ham on Rye: “Turgenev was a very serious fellow but he could make me laugh because a truth first encountered can be very funny. When someone else's truth is the same as your truth, and he seems to be saying it just for you, that's great.”
Fathers and sons: ua-cam.com/video/Sh2u8IvPICA/v-deo.html
Dostoesvky vs Tolstoy: ua-cam.com/video/NRjI8OPs2Xg/v-deo.html
Turgenev was a giant, but so were Kuprin and Platonov who are even less read and known
Great documentary!
I don’t know how you do it. Whenever you talk about the books you’ve read you take me on a dreamy carnival ride that I’m able to feel the passion in the character’s you have obviously resonated with. Thank you for sharing this gift with us.
Wow, thank you!
There is no greater book in literature which had more impact on the world than The Sportsman's Sketches. it swayed people's opinions about serfdom and sooner it was abolished. Reading the stories of that book was one of the greatest pleasures of my life
Nice video. I was introduced to him in my Literature class where I read an excerpt from Father and Sons. I saw shadows of Brothers Karamazov in it.
Fathers and Sons could have inspired Dostoevsky's Karamazov
No way
They are totally different in essence
Outstanding. I just finished reading "Fathers and Sons." So many impressions. Still processing those impressions.
Thank you! If you like i have a video on Fathers and Sons here.
@@Fiction_Beast Thank you.
The crazy thing that his works "fathers and sons" and "sportsman's sketches" were more directly influential in Russia than any other Russian comrades while remotely living in Europe!!
Father and Sons by Turgenyev is simply fascinating. Wish it is more widely discussed; since there are many parts which are worth in depth analysis. Greetings from Turkey..
Thank you! Here my take. Fathers and Sons - Ivan Turgenev's Message to Nihilists
ua-cam.com/video/Sh2u8IvPICA/v-deo.html
@@Fiction_Beast Thanks I will look at it as soon as possible :)
This is such a beautiful video, thank you for bringing this to us
You’re very welcome.
Dude, you deserve more viewers. Just love your channel
I appreciate that!
It's so wonderful to come across channel's so superb as yours, sir, I'm loving this and what you've got
So nice of you
Just bought fathers and sons, this is my fav channel because of how good the content is, thank you!
Thank you so much; very good. Looking forward to your coming videos!
Great video! I just finished reading a collection of stories from Turgenev, enjoyed it quite a bit! I've decided to devote the next year to reading classics, who knew I would like them this much :)
It’s a wonderful video, very interesting explained with great examples. Curious about next videos 😱
Thank you!
Thank you for another great video! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching!
There are pages in Sketches from a Hunter's Album - a.k.a. A Sportsman's Sketches - that are some of the best literature ever written in any language. That book taught me that sometimes we need to shut up, sit in a corner and just observe&listen. Turgenev is a giant. Thanks for your video.
It's a fantastic work of art. I agree one of the best of Russian literature.
I absolutely adore 'First Love' it's one of my favorites. Thankyou for this!
Glad you enjoy it!
Incredible, I have never heard of Turgenev before; I must read his books now to fix this mistake. Thanks for the video!
Glad it was helpful!
Im so glad this channel exists
Thank you!
I remember when I was 18 or so and I read Hitchens
He mentioned Voltaire, amongst many others, and that somehow led me to Turgenev
I found a 1952 copy of F&S and it blew my mind
Need to read it again for sure
Fyodor Dostoevsky was my favorite author had you asked me before I created my 100 favorite books. Now my favorite author is Ivan Turgenev (only author to have 4 books in the top 40 favorite books) and so I would suggest reading the following books, which I wish I could have written: "Fathers and Sons," "Smoke," "Virgin Soil," "Torrents of Spring," and "First Love."
I have written six short stories, but only like two of them: "Your Lot in Life" and "Nailed for Good."
I still wish I had written Turgenev's books more than any other books, but since the end of October 2023 Turgenev is no longer my favorite author. Rather Fyodor Dostoevsky is back on top just as I would have said before making my top 200 favorite books list.
FAVORITE AUTHORS
1st) Fyodor Dostoevsky
1) “The Insulted and Humiliated” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
19) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
30) "Demons" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
65) "My Uncle's Dream" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
80) "The Heavenly Christmas Tree" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
113) "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
130) "The Gentle Spirit" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
141) "The Gambler" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
149) "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
173) "Netochka Nezvanova" (nameless nobody) by Fyodor Dostoevsky
2nd) Leo Tolstoy
3) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy
9) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy
16) “Childhood, Boyhood” by Leo Tolstoy
62) "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy
91) "A Confession" by Leo Tolstoy
3rd) Ivan Turgenev
5) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev
11) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev
23) "Virgin Soil" by Ivan Turgenev
41) "Torrents of Spring" by Ivan Turgenev
64) "First Love" by Ivan Turgenev
101) "Acia" by Ivan Turgenev
107) "The Watch" by Ivan Turgenev
132) "Rudin" by Ivan Turgenev
141) "On the Eve" by Ivan Turgenev
152) "Home of the Gentry" by Ivan Turgenev
172) "Clara Militch" by Ivan Turgenev
177) "The Inn" by Ivan Turgenev
4th) James A. Michener
12) "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener
13) "Poland" by James A. Michener
36) "Caribbean" by James A. Michener
37) "Hawaii" by James A. Michener
197) “Mexico” by James A. Michener
5th) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
10) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
28) "Cancer Ward" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
44) "In the First Circle" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
78) "The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: an Experiment in Literary Investigation" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
@@ReligionOfSacrificeyou’ve read all those by Dostoevsky but not Brothers Karamazov??
@@danielprince229, yeah, it bores the shit out of me. Four brothers and the one who is guilty was an unknown brother. Maybe I've got it wrong. Give me all the spoilers and all the logic for the amazing reason to read it, because you can't ruin a good book. Imagine that after 15 good reasons for you I still might not want to read it, but you were holding back three things to not ruin the story. Give me those three too as again you'll never be able to ruin something written by a master and I certainly won't read it unless you tell me your three real reasons for reading it is a requirement in your eyes.
Thank you for the effort. Keep it up!
that is some quality content !!! AWESOME
Glad you think so!
Sketches from a Hunter's Album is the title I remember reading.
Very informative and packed however you truly managed to convey it coherently and artistically. This must have taken you a considerable amount of time and effort. I wish I could remember all the details. Dostoevsky is the son of the land formed by its earth. Loved it. Thanks.
Appreciate it. Always glad to hear from you.
I haven't seen any video on Turgenev more beautiful and content-rich than this one ❤
Thank you so much 😀
Love it. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love your work. Pls keep it up, fathers and sons is ordered right away!
Awesome! Thank you!
I can't wait to watch this video!
Awesome!
Thanks! I have read Sketches which was an increible journey through the Russian countryside. I agree that his descriptions of Nature are sublime.
I have both Virgin Soil and F&S, but I am not sure if I should read Fathers and Sons first or save that for my final Turgenev read
Fathers and sons, first love and sketches are great
Can you make on video about how we are all either Don Quixote or Hamlet by explaining the key characteristics and differnces between the two?
That's an excellent suggestion.
@@Fiction_Beast Sounds like someone's comparative lit homework..
Great work Fiction Beast another one for life and action; experience you can’t beat it. Great analysis and overview. Thank you.
Much appreciated!
@Gaz Rater
Often you watch a movie on tv or cinema which features a disclaimer that says "this is fiction; any resemblance between its characters and anyone living or dead is pure coincidence". Not so with Turgenev. His characters are based on real people, real circumstances, life realities. His portrayals are of what he saw in real life. In those times of social injustice and unrest, the difficulties brought out the worse in people. This is what he portrayed in his writings.
never heard of this particular figure , though i will give some of his books a try after watching this video , keep it up , and perhaps consider making a series on underrated and underknown authors , thank you!
Thanks, will do!
WOW! This was really good! I am reading my first Turgenev book right now...First Love. Also, I am so glad I found your channel. I am obsessed with Russian lit/Russian people/Russian music(all of the giants of Classical/Romantic eras)/Russian history. ALL OF IT! I'm not sure why it all resonates so strongly in me but it does. I basically can't get enough. I will be watching everything you've put out!
Quick question: I just ordered Ivan Bunin's A Gentleman in San Francisco and Other Stories. Have you read any Bunin and if so what do you think? I am new to Bunin as well as I am to Turgenev. I'd love any thoughts you could share. Thank you!
I know him by name only. I haven’t read him. Will check him.
Bunin had an interesting yet difficult life. Being born in a nobel but poor family, he than had to immigrate to Europe after the Bolsheviks’ revolution in 1917. Hos most famous book, well at least we had to read it at school, is called “Dark alleys” which was written during his immigration period in France. Bunin himself liked these series of novels best of all. One more which I personally like is “light breath”.
His stories are full of descriptions, personal stories and feelings, love and friendship relations, immigration’s “Toska” (a poorly translated Russian word meaning a strong feeling of lost, fatigue and missing someone or smth). His language is rich, vivid and deep, at least if you read in Russian, but I bet translation is also ok. So, to sum up, Bunin is definitely worth reading, plus he got a Nobel Prize for his works:)
Awesome video! I'm watching this since I ordered Fathers and Sons and I need a background on Turgenev.
Cool. I have published a video on fathers and sons but watch after you read the novel.
@@Fiction_Beast will check it out. Cheers! :)
Sketches from a Hunter's Album short stories are magnificent. Best wishes.
That was wonderful
Thank you!
They way he painted pictures with words in "First Love" is simply exquisite.
Yes Turgenev was a great artist.
Thank you ❤❤❤
Thanks!
❤ great
Brilliant!
After retiring I love listening to audiobooks, perhaps 100 a year, mostly nonfiction. Funny how similar I am to Phinny the Elder. I have a slave read to me, take occasional notes, and feel that everyone has something important to say. Lately, I changed to short stories. I think Tolstoy is over rated and too pious. War and Peace, to me, is a soap opera with too many characters. I really like Conrad. And I agree with Dostoevsky about the brain thing, practically.
I was randomly listening to A Sportsman's Sketch and cannot remember hearing of Turgenev. After hearing the District Doctor I was very moved. I wrote the title and his name in one of my notebooks I keep piled beside me and had to investigate him more. Once again, I come to your channel and am happy to watch your videos. Thank you.
amazing!
Thanks!
I am watching your videos everyday! thank you! when do you read so much! on my reading list now! this master of sorrow!
Thank you. I have a boring life so reading is just an escape.
@@Fiction_Beast well if its an escape its one of the most beautiful and productive escapes. You are a true patron of literature. You could even talk about book adaptations for cinema . I have a small cinema channel (we could even collaborate).
Great video as always. Turgenev is like French agreed 100%. I found Japanese novels have some similarity with Dostoevsky.And please make a video on stendhal Or zola.
Thanks for the comment. Those are great suggestions for future videos.
何の日本人？ I've read quite a few Japanese novelists (in translation), the only one that is halfway as good as Dostoevsky is #Endo. It is a mockery that 2 have Nobels & he doesn't.
Did you read "oblomov " From goncharov? A masterpiece!
Yes, it is a great novel, I included it in my top 10 Russian novels of all time
Great video! Thank you for bringing more attention to Turgenev. I’ve been binging your videos lately, so I would just like to make one request. Please, no more Waltz of the Flowers for the Russian literature videos, my ears are begging you😭😂😂
Thanks for the feedback. Selecting music to everyone’s taste tough for me. Have you got any suggestions?
@@Fiction_Beast Hey thanks for the reply! I was actually just half-joking here. I do like Waltz of the Flowers. It’s just that I’ve been watching all of your Russian literature videos in a row and it plays a lot in the background 😂 Please don’t take my comment too seriously!
Anyway, here are some more Russian composers if you’re interested.
For more 19th-century “Romantic” Russian composers like Tchaikovsky, I could recommend Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, and Rachmaninoff.
For 20-century “Modernist” Russian composers, I could recommend Scriabin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich.
Thanks a heap! I’ll check them out. I use free music offered so I’ll try to find them.
But there was Gorki...
Also before him was Gogol and Pushkin so it is odd to call him as the first great Russian writer although he os great and is left in the shadows of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy.
Thank you for the great video.
Gorky came some 50 years later. Pushkin and Gogol while huge inside Russia were unknown to the west, so Turgenev was the first great Russian known in the west. Today Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are bigger. that was my point. Thanks for the comment.
First Love 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for the video on Turgenev, the underappreciated member of the Russian Lit. Triumvirate.
From what I read, Turgenev had trouble with Dostoevsky and later called Dostoevsky the meanest Christian he knew.
That's really funny and i can see Turgenev saying that about Mr D.
Tolstoy challenge Turgenev on pistol duel apparently. Something came up and they didn’t do it.
Turgenev backed off. He was smart. Pushkin and lermontov both died in duel
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you
You're welcome
Have u done any vids on Bukowski or Harry Crews? Thx. Keep up the great work!
Yes, only on Bukowski.
Amazing video! What do you think Oblomov? Worth making a video? I'd love it if you were to do that.
Yes coming soon.
If a novel or a short story isn't brewing in your mind and your heart, Fiction Beast - I will remain puzzled. If you have created something, you should share it. If you did share it however and I have missed it - please let me know where your work can be found. As to the video - great work - I listen to it not only for educational purposes. It's like a voice of a friend.
Yes, I do want to write something some day. I hope by making these videos I inspire others to write great fiction too.
I haven't even read it yet and know he's on the same level with dostoevshy and Tolstoy
what classical music is playing ? I can't remember that pieces name
Perhaps Tchaikovsky ?
I have never understood why the women in turgenev books were kind of cunning and foxy. Now you explained it.
Thank God I read Turgenev first because after Fathers and Sons, I didn't want to read any more Russian literature. Turgenev's Fathers and Sons is the standard Russian lit for me!
Turgenev reminds me quite a lot of Maupassant's work, though Maupassant is more contrived in his storytelling. Turgenev feels more wandering, more observant, and less determined to meet a narrative aim. He lets the story speak for itself.
That is a great observation. They knew each other personally, so must have rubbed off. Maupassant was a younger man, a student of Turgenev's friend, Flaubert.
These videos are great but PLEASE put some kind of spoiler alert.
Damn, so much drama between those three 😂😂😂
Does turgenev have his own version of something like metamorphosis
His style is pretty different from Kafka. Gogol is quite similar to Kafka. A big video on Gogol is coming in two weeks time.
@@Fiction_Beast nice ill check him out. I started reading fathers and sons, do you recommend anything? Sorry if you mentioned it in the video already
Borges was a short man who wrote very short stories 😅
short novel or long novel it doesn't matter. it's all novel.
Would you mind comparing Nabokov with other Rusdian writer.
Great suggestion. Who in particular?
@@Fiction_Beast Nebokov comes from aristocracy of Russia. He did not likely Dostoyosky, he only liked Torstoy Anna K. He treats evil differently, lolita, beheading. Suffering is part of the game play with evil in human nature. I do not understand him. He escaped and hated the communist Russia.
In herinnering/ memories: The man with the paile glazes,Tourgeenjef ,he is warning for "german-visiters"100 jr later; Do you no something of orther russian writers about to day?
I'm personally a Dostoevsky man
In feet how tall is 1.69
5’7”
I prefer Turgenev to them both.
No capisco. Purtroppo ho preso solo 2. 2 e' una cosa che mi trasferisce subito in Swit zer land. Non in Russia. Secondo me, mi vado meglio in Switzerland, piuttosto che in spagnia o in Russia.
5:42, 2 Kgs = 4.41 lbs, not 7 lbs.
my bad.
Ты Русский?
Net
Debatable. They are all artists, it can be said.
Yes but Turgenev was mostly an artist while the other two can be both artist and something else
1860-1900: Το 20% των βιβλίων της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας που έχω διαβάσει. Δυστυχώς όχι Turgenev. Ίσως όμως αυτό αλλάξει εξ' αιτίας του εξαιρετικά πολιτισμένου καναλιού σου
I wish I could read 😂
Is it oppressive or just a big complainer?
I don’t understand the question. Elaborate.
@@Fiction_Beast aren't tyrants oppressive? I think most are misunderstood. If you can read their words you would realize they are complaining. If you allow a complainer their freedom and he decides he is not being listened to -- he eventually RAISES his voice. "AHHHH!"
Nice wrists
I am no longer a fan of continental philosophy. No Hegel, Heigel, Husserarl, Leibneitz, Spinoza, Voltaire, Proust or Kant.
we need new philosophers
Turgenev is the only classical writer that i don`t like, his prose is beautiful
but i disliked father and suns, i simply couldn`t stand the main character
I suggest you read his novella First Love.
Any mention of Turgenev immediately takes me back to this quote from Tolstoy’s diary, as quoted in Henri Troyat’s biography on Tolstoy…..”Turgenev is old.” 🥲😂
Thanks for sharing!
They certainly had an interesting relationship!
Thanks!
Welcome!