Superfluous man
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The superfluous man is an 1840s and 1850s Russian literary concept derived from the Byronic hero. It refers to a man, perhaps talented and capable, who does not fit into social norms. In most cases, t
A superfluous man (Eugene Onegin) idly polishing his fingernails. Illustration by Elena Samokysh-Sudkovskaya, 1918
Ivan Goncharov
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Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov was a Russian novelist best known for his novels The Same Old Story, Oblomov, and The Precipice. He also served in many official capacities, including the position of cen
Portrait by Ivan Kramskoi, 1874
Plaque on the house in 20 Goncharova street in Ulyanovsk, where Goncharov was born in 1812
Portrait of Goncharov by Kirill Gorbunov, 1847
Title page of the 1915 English translation of Oblomov