His novel Molotov (1861- also published in Sovremennik), the sequel to Bourgeois Happiness, secured his reputation, and brought him into the company of writers like Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The two novels tell the story of a poor young intellectual's search for self-realization and his place in the world.
His novel Molotov (1861- also published in Sovremennik), which followed up on Bourgeois Happiness, established him as a respected author and brought him into association with writers like Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The two novels depict the narrative of a young intellectual's pursuit of self-realization and his role in the world.