`Fathers and Sons` is Turgenev`s most acclaimed and influential work, and is a story of universal significance through its depiction of contemporary Russian life.
The novel concentrates on the conflict between generations, with the nihilist Bazarov representing the revolt of the young, free-thinking intellectuals who strive for reality rather than negativity, as he embodies the spirit of revolution. Pavel Petrovich speaks for the older generation which accepts the need for gradual reform, up to a point.
The novel caused a bitter furore after its publication in 1862, which, a year later, drove Turgenev from Russia.