Publisher's Synopsis
Goncharov (1812-91) was a Russian novelist who also served in many official capacities, including the position of censor. Oblomov, his second and best-known novel which is a satire of the Russian nobility, was first published in 1859. The eponymous hero is the ultimate incarnation of the superfluous man, a symbolic character in 19th century Russian literature, and no other novel has been referenced to describe the elusive "Russian mentality" or "Russian soul" as frequently.