
Oblomov
'Oblomov' Summary
The novel focuses on the life of the main character, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. Oblomov is a member of the upper middle class and the son of a member of Russia's nineteenth-century landed gentry. Oblomov's distinguishing characteristic is his slothful attitude towards life. Oblomov raises this trait to an art form, conducting his little daily business from his bed.
The first part of the book finds Oblomov in bed one morning. He receives a letter from the manager of his country estate, Oblomovka, explaining that the financial situation is deteriorating and that he must visit to make some major decisions. But Oblomov can barely leave his bedroom, much less journey a thousand miles into the country.
As he sleeps, a dream reveals Oblomov's upbringing in Oblomovka. He is never required to work or perform household duties, and his parents constantly pull him from school for vacations and trips or for trivial reasons. In contrast, his friend Andrey Stoltz, born to a German father and a Russian mother, is raised in a strict, disciplined environment, and he is dedicated and hard-working.
Stoltz visits at the end of Part 1, finally rousing Oblomov from sleep. As the story develops, Stoltz introduces Oblomov to a young woman, Olga, and the two fall in love. However, his apathy and fear of moving forward are too great, and she calls off their engagement when it is clear that he will keep delaying their wedding and avoiding putting his affairs in order.
Oblomov is swindled repeatedly by his "friends" Taranteyev and Ivan Matveyevich, his landlady's brother, and Stoltz has to undo the damage each time. The last time, Oblomov ends up living in penury because Taranteyev and Ivan Matveyevich are blackmailing him out of all of his income from the country estate, which lasts for over a year before Stoltz discovers the situation and reports Ivan Matveyevich to his supervisor. Meanwhile, Olga leaves Russia and visits Paris, where she bumps into Stoltz on the street. The two strike up a romance and end up marrying.
However, not even Oblomov could go through life without at least one moment of self-possession and purpose. When Taranteyev's behavior at last reaches insufferable lows, Oblomov confronts him, slaps him, and finally kicks him out of the house. Sometime before his death he is visited by Stoltz, who had promised to his wife a last attempt at bringing Oblomov back to the world. During this visit Stoltz discovers that Oblomov has married his widowed landlady, Agafia Pshenitsina, and had a child – named Andrey, after Stoltz. Stoltz realizes that he can no longer hope to reform Oblomov, and leaves. Oblomov spends the rest of his life in a second Oblomovka, continuing to be taken care of by Agafia Pshenitsina as he used to be taken care of as a child. She can prepare the food he likes, cares for the household, and makes sure that Oblomov does not have a single worrisome thought.
By then Oblomov had already accepted his fate, and during the conversation he mentions "Oblomovitis" as the real cause of his demise. Oblomov dies in his sleep, finally fulfilling his wish to sleep forever. Stoltz adopts his son upon his death.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
RussianPublished In
1859Authors

Ivan Goncharov
Russia
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...
Books by Ivan GoncharovDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

David Copperfield, Version # by Charles Dickens
David Copperfield is a semi-autobiographical novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1850. It is considered to be one of his most famous and belo...

Baseball Joe at Yale by Lester Chadwick
Baseball Joe, the star player from high school, is now at Yale University, where he faces new challenges on and off the field. Baseball Joe at Yale i...

Lotgevallen van Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Tom Sawyer is the quintessential American boy. He's mischievous, adventurous, and always looking for fun. In this classic novel, Tom has a series of e...

Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac
Louis Lambert is a novel exploring the life and ideas of a boy genius named Louis Lambert. Set in a school at Vendôme, France, the story centers on Lo...

Crofton Boys by Harriet Martineau
Crofton Boys is a Victorian novel that offers a glimpse into the lives of young boys attending a boarding school in the 19th century. The story follo...

Simple Susan by Maria Edgeworth
The captivating tale unfolds in the charming village of Firville, where society is governed by complex rules and elaborate customs. But amidst the gra...

The Story of a Sawdust Doll by Laura Lee Hope
What if your toys could move when you weren't looking? In Laura Lee Hope's classic children's book, The Story of a Sawdust Doll, a little sawdust dol...

Confidences d'un joueur de clarinette by Alexandre Chatrian
Confidences d'un joueur de clarinette is a poignant and evocative memoir that tells the story of Kasper, a clarinet player who grew up in a small vill...

The Meadow Sprite, and Other Tales of Modern Germany by Rudolf Baumbach
Rudolf Baumbach's enchanting collection, "The Meadow Sprite, and Other Tales of Modern Germany," transports us to a world where magic mingles with eve...

Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus by Jessie Graham Flower
In "Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus," Grace returns to her alma mater to manage Harlowe House, a newly established residence designed to prov...
Reviews for Oblomov
No reviews posted or approved, yet...