[
Virgin Soil] was published in 1877, and was Turgenev’s last novel. In this work, he returns to political themes, which he had eschewed for some ten years, ever since the publication of
Dym[
Smoke, 1867].
Virgin Soildepicts the “Going to the People” movement of the 1870s in Russia; accordingly, Turgenev uses a purely Russian locale, after setting his two main previous works (
Dymand
Veshnie Vody[
Spring Torrents, 1872]) in Germany. However, despite this Russian setting,
Virgin Soilfeels somewhat detached from the Russia it is meant to represent, especially when compared with Turgenev’s earlier novels: for example,
Nakanune[
On the Eve, 1860] or
Ottsy i deti[
Fathers and Children, 1862]. This would appear to vindicate the arguments of Turgenev’s critics that his…
2105 words
Citation: Ambrose, Kathryn. "Nov'". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 September 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11254, accessed 04 December 2024.]