Is Turgenev really a "Russian" writer? During his lifetime his work enjoyed far more success in western Europe (particularly France, where he lived a goodly part of his life, and I believe, died), so I am wondering whether he is more of a "French author writing in Russian," as I have heard Checkhov described (in Checkhov's case it's an observation with which I whole-heartedly agree).

Turgenev seems more accessible to me than Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, or weven Pasternak, which is why Iask whether he truly IS a "traditional" Russian writer.

Quint