About this title: Oblomov was considered a satirical portrait of the Russian aristocracy, who no longer had a useful role in society. Oblomov is a nineteenth century Russian landowner brought up to do nothing for himself. He, like his parents, only eats and sleeps. He barely graduates from college and cannot force himself to do any kind of work, feeling that work ...
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Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1978
ISBN-13:9780140440409ISBN:0140440402
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. soilon lower front cover, sticker residue on rear cover. Text in English, Russian. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 496 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Single spine crease. Text in English, Russian. 496 p. Approx 4.5x7in. Author b.1812-d.1891. Theme: Clash between dreamy traditionalism and vigorous practicality; considered one of Russia's most profound novels. read more
Binding: S Trade Paperback
Publisher: Viking Pr, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1978
ISBN-13:9780140440409ISBN:0140440402
Description: As New. This mint condition book is square, solid and tight. Cover is clean, shiny and uncreased. Appears never to have been read. Pages are unmarked and spine is perfect. You'll be delighted and may even weep for joy on acquisition! ! ! read more
Description: Good. 1963 Paperback; New American Library; no marks or writing; clean pages; cover in great condition except for two small indentations; RTB657. read more
Description: Good. Some minor signs of wear on front/back cover including some creasing at corners. Some yellowing due to age on outer edges of interior pages. Used-Good. Trinity City Books ships from the Dallas, Texas area daily, Mon-Fri and fully guarantee our products. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 1978-11-30
ISBN-13:9780140440409ISBN:0140440402
Description: Good. Excellent customer service. May ship from alternate location depending on your zip code and availability. Satisfaction guaranteed! ! read more
Description: Good. 0140440402 Good condition. May have some markings & or shelfwear. All pages intact. Used items may not include extras such as infotrac, CD or other web access codes. read more
"The standard question of 19th century fiction: what to do with that mass of land and leisure (the serfs who worked the land not being literate). The most entertaining part is the beginning, in which Oblomov doesn't have the will to get out of bed. Later, he overcomes that and the novel becomes just another 19th century Russian hero, managing his estate and courthing his wife. The beginning metaphor and the comedy of it is what's worth reading."
"i'm glad many people here liked the book, which is one of my most favorite among Russian literature. I'm even more glad since very few Russian people seem to like it or it's main hero.
I would like to offer you my point of view on Oblomov. To me, it's difficult to talk about his "salvation", for he's nothing to be saved from. Neither he nor the author (who himself bore strong resemblance to his protagonist) believe he needs to be saved. He lives the life of a "poet and philosopher", as we hear in the first chapter from one of his guests.
Those guest who keep coming to him come for a reason - they all want his advice, which means they respect him. Meantime, they all represent the vanity of this world, Stolz (which is Pride in German) being the most powerful of them. Oblomov doesn't want to participate in this swirling of meaningless world around him, living in peace and serenity of his dreamworld - Oblomovka, where he was raised in love, and that's what he represents - the Love itself.
His relationship to Olga may seem romantic, even self-sacrificial on Olga's behalf. Apparently, she's trying to save him - but she never asks him what he really wants in his life, acting as if she's the one who knows better. We can also remember that for her it was "like a game", the whole relationship thing, and that she actually acted as a part of Stoltz's plot to transform his friend to a more sociable being. So, i wouldn't call it love at all, at least, not on the part of Olga.
Finally, I would like to say a few words about what seems to be the "happy end" - Olga and Stolz living together in their house, reading books, discussing them and so on. My own personal impression after i read those pages was that of complete, almost desperate boredom of such living. It's too calm, too placid, too emotionless. I could feel no love it their union - and perhaps that's because none of them was capable of loving.
This tragic book to me is more than just a sigh for old, disappearing Russia, submitting to inevitable progress. It's a statement that nothing will be the same anymore, and that people who preserved the spirit of the nation that was carefully created for thousands of years were becoming extinct and useless. The saddest part, they really are useless in any practical sense, but should we always judge everything depending on how useful it is?"
"This book sounded boring, as it's about a man who doesn't want to do anything, but it was actually really good. Oblomov may be lazy, incapable of taking the initiative about anything and completely dependent on the people around him, but I liked him anyway even though he threw his life away. I also liked Stoltz and Olga, and thought that their marriage sounded like a good way to live. The only person I really felt bad for at the end of the book was Oblomov's poor wife."
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