Ivan Turgenev is universally acknowledged as one of the towering literary presences in Russian literature. A writer of novels and short stories, his oeuvre depict realistic, sympathetic, and often melancholic portrayals of the Russian serfdom and the aristocracy. He was also known for his popularization of Russian realism, the exquisite musical quality of his prose, and memorable characters. His best-known works include the novels "Fathers and Sons" and "On the Eve", as well as the short-story collection "A Sportsman Sketches".