The Same Old Story

For those of you who don’t know – “The Same Old Story” is a debut novel by Ivan Goncharov (famous Russian writer) written in 1844-1846.

So I read this peculiar book a few days ago and decided to share my impressions.

Regardless of the fact that the characters and events are happening in the XVII-XIX century, all the situations are very relevant nowadays. What can I say… Classics!

The author compares two views on life – the voice of reason and the constant dwelling on emotions. A topic that never gets old! Two life perspectives are portrayed by two lead characters: Piotr Ivanich Aduyev – an uncle who embodies intelligence and his nephew Alexander Aduyev who expresses idealism and emotions.

Alexander came from the countryside, where the Russian provincial way formed a pampered young man accustomed to "mother’s tenderness and reverence of his nanny and all servants", but he was not spoiled and considered friendship, love and arts an unshakable foundation of human existence. There is nothing wrong with that, but these values are becoming “hyperbolic” in his mind and this leads to future tragedy. His friendship is “heroic”, love – “eternal”. With this ideological life view our hero went to conquer the capital dreaming “about the benefits that he will bring to his fatherland”.

Alexander’s uncle has a completely opposite view of the world. He came to St. Petersburg at the age of twenty. He had no guardianship or patronage. He achieved everything himself and is proud of it: “I served the first year without salary…”. He got married only when he knew that he could provide his wife with all the comfort she might need. He had romantic affairs in his youth: “first tender love”, “jealous rage”, and “tore yellow flowers over the lake”. Later he rejected his right to love and completely forgot how it is to feel.

I’ll shortly describe the plot by quoting the uncle’s saying to his nephew: “Instead of doing something, you – either moan from the treason of your girl, either cry because of the separation with your friend, either suffer from spiritual emptiness, either from the fullness of your feelings; what kind of life is this? This is a torture! Look at the youth today: how great they are! Everything is crammed with mental activity, energy, how quick and easily they deal with this kind of foolishness that is called in your old language – turmoil, suffering… and goodness knows what else!

The whole time I was reading this book I was facing two “terrible extremes”; one is foolishly enthusiastic while the other one is cold to the limits of cruelty. How many people come from the countryside to try their luck in a big megalopolis? The big city has different values to which everyone should adapt for survival. It took eight years for our hero to adapt to the capital lifestyle, but was it worth it? In the end, we see him as a pale reflection of his uncle's views. He hasn't found new ideals for himself and transformed from a naive romantic guy into a cynical, accounting and in some places vulgar person.

It’s the same old story……Isn't it?