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Ivan Goncharov
Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov was a Russian novelist best known for his novels A Common Story (1847), Oblomov (1859), and The Precipice (1869). He also served in many official capacities, including the position of censor.
Goncharov was born in Simbirsk into the family of a wealthy merchant; as a reward for his grandfather's military service, they were elevated to gentry status. He was educated at a boarding school, then the Moscow College of Commerce, and finally at Moscow State University. After graduating, he served for a short time in the office of the Governor of Simbirsk, before moving to Saint Petersburg where he worked as government translator and private tutor, while publishing poetry and fiction in private almanacs. Goncharov's first novel, A Common Story, was published in Sovremennik in 1847.
Goncharov's second and best-known novel, Oblomov, was published in 1859 in Otechestvennye zapiski. His third and final novel, The Precipice, was published in Vestnik Evropy in 1869. He also worked as a literary and theatre critic. Towards the end of his life Goncharov wrote a memoir called An Uncommon Story, in which he accused his literary rivals, first and foremost Ivan Turgenev, of having plagiarized his works and prevented him from achieving European fame. The memoir was published in 1924. Fyodor Dostoevsky, among others, considered Goncharov an author of high stature. Anton Chekhov is quoted as stating that Goncharov was "...ten heads above me in talent."
Books by Ivan Goncharov
Oblomov
Oblomov is the second novel by Russian writer Ivan Goncharov, first published in 1859. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the central character of the novel, portrayed as the ultimate incarnation of the superfluous man, a symbolic character in 19th-century Russi...
Precipice
The Precipice is a story of romantic rivalry and the societal pressures faced by a gifted young man in 19th-century Russia. The novel explores themes of nihilism, moral values, and the artistic spirit, as protagonist Raisky grapples with his own pote...
Обрыв
"The Precipice" is a profound and insightful novel that delves into the complex social and psychological changes occurring in 19th-century Russia. Through the lens of its protagonist, Boris Pavlovich Raysky, the novel explores the clash between tradi...
Обыкновенная история
'A Common Story' is a coming-of-age novel that follows the journey of a young nobleman, Alexander Aduyev, as he navigates the contrasting worlds of his provincial hometown and the bustling capital city. Through a series of encounters and experiences,...
Обломов
Oblomov is a novel by Ivan Goncharov first published in 1859. The novel follows the life of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a young nobleman who lives an idle and apathetic existence in Saint Petersburg. Oblomov is content to spend his days sleeping, eating, an...