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Fiction / Classics > Oblomov

Oblomov: New Translation

By Ivan Goncharov, Stephen Pearl


Where to buy


Publish Date

April 27, 2021

Category

Fiction / Satire
History

Price

$16.00

First published in 1859, Oblomov is an indisputable classic of Russian literature, comparable in its stature to such masterpieces as Gogol's Dead Souls, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov. The book centres on the figure of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a member of the dying class of the landed gentry, who spends most of his time lying in bed gazing at life in an apathetic daze, encouraged by his equally lazy servant Zakhar and routinely swindled by his acquaintances. But this torpid existence comes to an end when, spurred on by his crumbling finances, the love of a woman and the reproaches of his friend, the hard-working Stoltz, Oblomov finds that he must engage with the real world and face up to his commitments.

Rich in situational comedy, psychological complexity and social satire, Oblomov – here presented in Stephen Pearl's award-winning translation, the first major English-language version of the novel in more than fifty years – is a timeless novel and a monument to human idleness.

Ivan Goncharov (1812–91) was a Russian official, novelist, critic and travel writer, who is best remembered for his masterpiece Oblomov.

ISBN: 9781847493446
Format: Paperback
Pages: 540
Publisher: Alma
Published: April 27, 2021

“Pearl's approach is more adventurous than that of his predecessors. His text flows naturally, capturing Goncharov's carefully modulated tone, the gentleness of his humour, and the colloquial flavour of his dialogue…Stephen Pearl has indeed caught the very essence of Oblomov.” —TLS