This is the first time I’ve read a novel where the age of one of the main characters was not only the same as mine, but was a matter of importance to the story.

Nikolai worries that he is no longer part of the current generation. He tries to keep up with the times, attempts to be modern, yet his son and his son’s friend, nihilist Bazarov, make him feel left behind.

It’s a strange feeling; I can relate.