Oblomov: A Novel

Oblomov: A Novel by Goncharov, Ivan. Hardcover edition. ISBN: 9785699359158.

Translated by Marian Schwartz With an afterword by Mikhail Shishkin Set at the beginning of the nineteenth century, before the ideal of industrious modern man, when idleness was still looked upon by Russias serf-owning rural gentry as a plausible and worthy goal, there was Oblomov. Indolent, inattentive, incurious, given to daydreaming and procrastination—indeed, given to any excuse to remain horizontal—Oblomov is hardly the stuff of heroes. Yet, he is impossible not to admire. He is forgiven for his weakness and beloved for his shining soul. Ivan Goncharovs masterpiece is not just ingenious social satire, but also a sharp criticism of nineteenth-century Russian society. Translator Marian Schwartz breathes new life into Goncharovs voice in this first translation from the definitive edition of the Russian original, which is also the first attempt to replicate in English Goncharovs wry humor and all-embracing humanity. Schwartz also includes a Gastronomical Glossary—so that the reader may keep pace with Oblomov’s favorite Russian delicacies.