Introduction by Otto Boele Afterword by Nicholas Luker "It evoked almost unprecedented discussions, like those at the time of
Turgenev's
Fathers and Sons. Some praised the novel far more than it deserved, others complained bitterly that it was a defamation of youth. I may, however, without exaggeration assert that no one in
Russia took the trouble to fathom the ideas of the novel. The eulogies and condemnations are equally one-sided." Thus did
Mikhail Artsybashev (1878-1927), whose novels and short stories are suffused with themes of sex, suicide, and murder, describe the reaction to publication in 1907 of
Sanin, his second novel.