Goncharov is not easy to guess. He did not like to advertise his identity. And innate modesty was an obstacle, and provincial origin affected, and the secrecy of character, morbid suspicion left an imprint. He did not have Turgenev's brightness, Nekrasov's active temperament, Tolstoy's audacity, or Dostoevsky's burning gaze. He was gentle and balanced in public, adhered to the rules of social etiquette, and valued good manners and culture. He was also scrupulous and suspicious. Be careful. Perhaps even timid - in relations with his superiors, in his behavior with ladies, in his lifestyle. Goncharov was not a “skirmisher” and a “victim” - unlike his peer Herzen and classmate Lermontov - but he was a “advanced warrior”: in the fight with despondency, laziness, cowardice, moral fatigue, indifference, promiscuity and idleness - and he was the winner. The publication is not recommended for children under 6 years of age.