Ivan Goncharov; trans. Ann Dunnigan
Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov, translated by Ann Dunnigan, is a novel about a nineteenth century Russian landowner who turns the persona of the much-maligned couch-potato into an art form.
We first meet Oblomov as he reclines in his bed, draped in his Persian dressing gown. He calls for his trusty servant, Zakhar, and the two proceed to snap and snarl at each other. They feud about money, the accumulating dust and dirt in the bedroom, the poor quality of food, and Oblomov’s impending eviction from his apartment. Oblomov declares his intention to write to the steward overseeing his estate at Oblomovka. Meanwhile, he wants Zakhar to convince the landlord to delay his eviction as the thought of moving overwhelms him. All this thinking and anxiety exhausts him, so he slumps back into bed and takes another nap. As a first-class procrastinator, his motto is, “Delay, delay, delay.” Meanwhile, the steward of his estate is mismanaging his affairs and cheating him of his money; his income is declining; and he will soon be thrown out of his apartment.
While in this semi-somnambulistic state, Oblomov receives a series of visitors to whom he complains about his state of affairs. The visitors come with varying intentions. Some urge him to get up and get on with his life, while one exploits his good nature by stealing from him. And then comes work-oriented Stolz, Oblomov’s half-German/half Russian childhood friend. Stolz brims with energy. He will not tolerate Oblomov’s delay tactics and introduces him to the lovely Olga. Oblomov falls in love, shakes off his hibernation, and feels life’s energies animating his body. Alas, it is only a temporary hiatus. Since not even love can purge him of his lethargy, he soon reverts to his semi-somnambulistic state.
Oblomov’s orbit of characters are carefully drawn and well-developed. His back and forth banter with Zakhar is delightful and has echoes of another famous duo in literature—Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. The delicate Olga who tries to draw Oblomov out of his lethargy is sensitively portrayed. But perhaps one of the most sympathetically drawn characters is Agafya Matveyevna, Oblomov’s landlady. An uneducated, simple woman, she is totally devoted to Oblomov and unselfishly commits to his every comfort. She is abuzz with activity—ironing, cooking, cleaning, kneading bread, sewing, and baking. Oblomov enjoys watching her work from the comfort of his couch, deriving special pleasure in the movement of her fleshy elbows.
Oblomov can be seen as satirizing the Russian landowning elites who refuse to embrace progress while they continue to live off the labor of others. The satirical intent may be valid. But as a character, Oblomov transcends this designation. He speaks to the Oblomov in all of us—the part of us that wants to disengage from the flurry of daily striving in order to sit back, relax, and dream.
In Oblomov, Goncharov has created one of the most loveable giant sloths in all of literature. Oblomov is lazy, lethargic, unambitious, indecisive, and reclusive. But his goodness draws people to him. As Stolz says of him, “ . . . he possesses something that is worth more than any amount of intelligence: his honest, faithful heart! That is the innate treasure which he has carried through life unimpaired. . . A whole sea of evil and depravity could be surging around him, the entire world poisoned and in turmoil—but Oblomov would never bow down to false idols; his soul will always be pure bright, honest, and clear as crystal. There are not many like him. Such men are rare: they are the pearls in the multitude.”
Lazy, lacking in ambition, a giant sloth, a dreamer with a heart of gold draped in a Persian dressing gown. What’s not to love?
A wonderful, heart-warming masterpiece, in a very readable translation, with memorable characters, and an unforgettably endearing protagonist.
Very highly recommended.