"The book 'is a description of the tendencies of Young Russia in the [eighteen] sixties, expressed through the hero Bazarov. These tendencies have since become widely known by the name of nihilism.'" Introduction "The theme of this novel is the frequent conflict between the older and the younger generation, which the author has rendered particularly touching by his representation of 'the confused efforts of the father to understand his son's new ideas, and the young man's efforts to convert his father.'" Pratt Alcove.
