Oblomow

Published in 1859, 'Oblomov' by Ivan Goncharov explores the life of Ilya Oblomov, a lethargic Russian landowner who spends his days idly on the sofa, ultimately succumbing to his own inertia. The novel critiques the stagnant lifestyle of the Russian gentry in the late feudal era, highlighting themes of apathy, social class, and the struggle between progress and stagnation. Goncharov's creation of the term 'Oblomovism' has made the character a symbol of laziness and inaction, while the contrasting characters of Olga and Stolz represent the emerging bourgeois values of the time.