“My Past and Thoughts” is an autobiographical work that literary scholars and historians of Russian prose consider a key nineteenth-century text in the memoir genre. The book includes the fifth and sixth parts of “My Past and Thoughts,” which describe Herzen’s life after his departure from Russia. He traveled through France, Italy, and England, which became his new home.
In England, Herzen faced political passions and political emigrants from different European countries. The book also features vivid pictures of Western European political life, philosophical reflections, essays, and articles.