Creation and publication[edit]

Goncharov first thought of writing Oblomov in the mid-1840s, soon after publishing his first novel A
Common Story.[2] In 1849 he wrote "Episode from an Unfinished Novel: Oblomov's Dream", a short
story that was published in the literary journal Sovremennik.[2] At that point Goncharov had just started
writing his novel, and Oblomov was published ten years later, with "Oblomov's Dream" as Chapter 9 in
Part 1.
The character that would become Oblomov originally appeared in 1838 in the Maikovs' handwritten
magazine written by Goncharov, as one of the protagonists in "Likhaia bolest". Nikon Ustinovich
Tiazhelemko, or the pre-Oblomov Oblomov, was a slothful but rather endearing man whose name
evokes in Russian the attribute "heavy" (tiazhelyi) and the expression "slow to move" (tiazhel na
pod"em).[3] The work on Oblomov continued for several years after the publication of "Oblomov's
Dream" but was first interrupted by the death of Goncharov's mother, and then his decision to join the
around the world voyage of the naval frigate Pallas. When Pallas finally ended its journey in August
1854 in Russia's far east, Goncharov spent another half a year getting acquainted with Siberia and
slowly making his way back to St. Petersburg. Although Goncharov was not working on Oblomov during
his long journey it appears he was thinking about the book, as Oblomov shows up in many of his letters
home. When he tried to begin writing again in February 1855, he blamed his delays and inability to write
on exhaustion, loss of momentum, and a new and more demanding job as a censor.[3] The summer of
1857 finally found Goncharov, alone in Marienbad, completely exhilarated and writing Oblomov in full
swing. By the end of August the novel was complete. He spent the following year revising and rewriting
the novel until finally on January 14, 1859, Oblomov was published in Otechestvennye zapiski.[3]