In Vital Question, or, What is to be Done?, Nikolai Chernyshevsky presents a thought-provoking exploration of societal issues and the ways in which they can be addressed. Through the story of a young woman named Vera who struggles against the constraints of her society, Chernyshevsky delves into themes of gender equality, class struggle, and individual freedom.

The novel is a compelling and ambitious work that challenges readers to consider the ways in which society can be reformed and improved. Chernyshevsky's writing is both insightful and engaging, drawing readers in with its complex characters and social commentary.

Overall, Vital Question, or, What is to be Done? is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that raises important questions about the nature of society and the potential for change. Chernyshevsky's vision of a more just and equitable world is both inspiring and challenging, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in social reform and the possibilities of a better future.

Book Description:
Despised by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, What Is To Be Done? is a fascinating, sympathetic story of idealistic revolutionaries in mid-nineteenth century tsarist Russia; translator Nathan Haskell Dole affirms in his preface his conviction that it is a thriller that no one can put down once s/he begins it. Its variegated cast of characters includes Vera Pavlovna, a boldly independent woman in a time of great oppression, and the inspirational radical Rakhmetov. The author wrote the novel from the depths of the infamous Peter & Paul Fortress of St. Petersburg, the Abu Ghraib of tsarist Russia, and later spent many years of exile in Siberia. Dostoyevsky disparaged Chernyshevsky's novel repeatedly, most notably in The Possessed (as sort of bedside reading material for some of the more despicable characters) and in Notes From Underground. Chernyshevsky's legacy, however, was in inspiring an ascetic, self-abnegating radicalism in later revolutionaries and activists.