This story captivates the Russian psych in an unusual way. It introduces all it's characters in short bursts as they arrive in Oblomov's room where we learn how each person is dressed and to what function/event they're going. This short moment in the book tells us about the place, the culture and the habits of the city in which Oblomov lives. The one who doesn't leave the room is Oblomov and at first he seems very strange, rather arrogant and decidedly lazy, however, he came to life for me when I learnt about his childhood. This appears part way into the book and it reveals why he is the way he is. It's a revealing insight into how an adult can be made by their childhood, their parents and their place in society as a child. This revelation bought Oblomov into perspective and only now did I begin to understand the man and enjoy the book. It would be unfair to say more as the end is unexpected and reveals more of the man.

Obolomov should be more generally regarded by the reading public. It is a book whose themes are relevant to the general malaise of the day, where everything has seemingly lost its meaning and is based on subjective visions of reality. Those who get ahead seem to be either doing it for personal gain and "self improvement" or simply keeping up appearances. So many are living lives similar to Oblomov, albeit, maybe at a faster pace with mindless busyness. In reality, one can justify Oblomov's choices, because what he seeks is really something general to all mankind, and therein lies part of the clue to solving our problems.

I thought the translation by Marian Schwartz was excellent and seamless. After having read comparisons, I prefer this version updated by Goncharov. But I am not an expert...

Elbows will also hold a distinct meaning to you after you read this book too, I would think. ;)

This is not a book many have read, but I think it is a classic.

Oblomov is the name of the leading character, a man raised by landed gentry on a country estate, pampered by his parents to the point of having a servant to put on his socks. As an adult, Oblomov moves to the capital, St. Petersburg, and lives off the income from his estate. The problem: he is totally unable to take any initiative whatever. In the first 50 pages or so, he doesn't even leave his bedroom.

He falls in love, and even though the target of his affection reciprocates, he can't decide to ask her to marry him.

The book is sad, and funny, and thoughtful. From this book, the word oblomovism (обломовщина) entered the Russian language, in reference to a gentrified class of people who were superfluous to the society.

If life, as Balzac asserts, is a human comedy, then Oblomov has a memorable role in it. His existential question is not whether to be or not to be, as Hamlet advises, but rather to act or not to act: "to stay or move on." Oblomov is a quietist: that is, he finds action, if not impossible, then ultimately futile. This question is asked again in Waiting for Godot when the two main players determine to go and remain frozen in their places as the curtain falls on the tragi-comedy. Goncharov's work articulates many masterful turns of phrase in this novel, often with almost unspeakable beauty and insight into the human comedy. A member of the landed gentry with an estate in the country, Oblomov discovers that life won't let you alone or leave you in peace, no matter where you live. Oblomov is a lost soul, like so many Russian novelists' protagonists. "Life catches you, there's no stopping it." He mourns how hard it is to lead a simple life. At a time just before the fall of serfdom in Russia he views the elite as "living dead" who waste their lives in salons playing cards. We find hints of Gogol who was so germinal in his influence of Russian novelists who followed him. Oblomov's utopia is full of peace and quiet but he can never find it. Great line: "With me love is stronger than fear." Another: "This brooding of yours...is really a sign of strength. Sometimes an active questing mind tries to probe beyond normal limits and, of course, finds no answers...a deep frustration with life not yielding up its secrets...It leads you to the abyss from which there are no answers to be had and forces you to cherish life even more warmly...The alternative would be a life without questioning...It's a malaise of mankind." Another: "Don't let providence overhear you complaining or it might take it as evidence of ingratitude. Providence doesn't like it when its blessings are not appreciated." The patient reader will find many profound and moving expressions of Goncharev's perception of the human comedy. The exposition at the outset is daunting and the character development seems far too long in places. The pre-press proofing was annoyingly sloppy in this edition in a couple dozen places: maybe it's simply "oblomovshchina" on the part of the editor, in this case an Oxford scholar, but I expected better treatment by the publisher of this classic Russian novel. Your patience definitely will be rewarded with a memorable read of a truly great novel.

This was a gift to a friend who is retired and does nothing all day except read and watch television (although he is otherwise quite healthy). There is a word in Russian for this condition, and it is derived from the title of the book which is also the main character's name. I read this book in college a very long time ago and remembered finding it charming, but my retired friend is completely entranced by it. Every paragraph, he tells me, is full of wit and insight, and he is sorry to be nearing its end. I guess I'll have to read it again myself!