Yes.

They are superficial, and some of them are delicious caricatures, but there is some depth to some of them. I mean, both Arkady's father and uncle have more personality than Arkady himself. As do most of the women (although for better or for worse...).

I agree about the descriptions. I wish I could read it in Russian, in fact.

On a side note. I wanted to ask you: what is the tree they are talking about when in the English it is translated as "ash"? They say, in chapter 25, that

``ash'' is very well named, no other tree is so light and glimmers in the air so ``ashenly'' as it does.