Harry Klippton
Not Interested
I just finished the audiobook of the last wish.
I'm currently reading Hickman's Fantastic Four run and Brubaker's Iron Fist run
What are you currently reading?
- Thread starter boji
- Start date
I'm currently reading Hickman's Fantastic Four run and Brubaker's Iron Fist run
peccary
Well-known member
I think that the largest prerequisite for Dostoyevsky is a love of deep philosophical waxing and detailed, slow moving story telling. It's not going to be for everyone but if you want to dive deep in to thoughts on the human condition then it'll be worth your while.
I think that The Brothers Karamazov is my favorite of his and would be a good start.
"“I love mankind," he said, "but I find to my amazement that the more I love mankind as a whole, the less I love man in particular.”"
So good.
Edit to add: it will also be helpful to do a quick study on how Russian naming customs work as it can get confusing sometimes as characters will sometimes refer to the same person in different ways: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Russia_Personal_Names
Some versions may have a list of the characters, their names, and nicknames which can be helpful.
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peccary
Well-known member
I love the Witcher series. I haven't read the most recent one from a few years ago, though. That'd be a good series to revisit.
boji
Active member
Funny you picked the Brothers Karamasov. It’s the one I tried to read years and years ago. I remember getting stuck on a very long passage detailing the religious rites of Father Zosime… I often think I should revisit that book.
benny_profane
Well-known member
I don’t think I’d start with Brothers Karamazov—but that just be me and how I approached Dostoyevsky. (But, you certainly can!
My suggestions:
Notes from Underground is an extremely rich novella. If you don’t have a background in 19th century idealism or fundamentals of philosophy, I’d encourage you to look up things that are unfamiliar to you while you read to get the most out of it.
The Idiot is an oft overlooked novel of his that I think is excellent. It’s a bit more approachable than Crime and Punishment and Brothers Karamazov (i.e., smaller character list, more direct storyline).
You really can’t go wrong with Dostoyevsky, though.
If Russian lit is an interest, give Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita a shot.
peccary
Well-known member
Yeah, if you're kinda sleepy and think you will lay down in the bed and read a couple of chapters of Brothers K. (or any of his books, really) you can expect to never get any further than two or three pages in but you will have a wonderful night's sleep
It's definitely not casual reading.
peccary
Well-known member
This is probably a much better recommendation, honestly. I gave my favorite of his and maybe not necessarily the best entry. The Idiot was my first of his and I loved it so much that my next was Brothers K and I loved it even more. After reading a couple others I went back to Brothers K and still found it my favorite of the lot. How it manages to stand out above already outstanding works blows my mind.
benny_profane
Well-known member
Definitely! I’m glad to hear there are more fans of The Idiot!
Have you read The Master and Margarita?
peccary
Well-known member
I have not, but I wrote it down to check out after I read your post.
After reading multiple Dostoyevsky novels I thought it meant that I would like other classic Russian literature so I got a copy of Anna Karenina and I don't think I made it 1/4 of the way through before putting it down
benny_profane
Well-known member
You’re not alone there. I don’t care for Tolstoy much. But, there are heaps of other Russian novelists I do enjoy. Just something about Tolstoy that doesn’t click for me.I have not, but I wrote it down to check out after I read your post.
After reading multiple Dostoyevsky novels I thought it meant that I would like other classic Russian literature so I got a copy of Anna Karenina and I don't think I made it 1/4 of the way through before putting it down
boji
Active member
I loved the Master and Margarita! Never has the devil been more facetious and fun.
I heard from Russian friends that the novel is so loved there that many expressions/sentences from it entered the russian language.
I’ll check The Idiot. Thanks!
peccary
Well-known member
It's been a while since I read it, but I remember it feeling very tedious (which is saying something when talking about Russian lit!). Dostoyevsky is the good kind of tedious, I guess.
I really like long-winded and complex novels. The Count of Monte Cristo maybe being one of the best examples. Scaramouche is another good one. If you know of anything in that vein I am all ears (and eyes).
boji
Active member
The Three Musketeers from Dumas is also very good. Not as dark and riveting as Monte Cristo though.
peccary
Well-known member
I have read Three Musketeers and really liked it a lot, but like you say - it's no Monte Cristo!
benny_profane
Well-known member
I like the story of Faust to start with, but Bulgakov is a genius and that book is incredible.
Feral Feline
Well-known member
TLDRYou've stopped reading my posts I assume?
Or is the assumption that you've ever read them?
Recently was researching Russian stuff for a planned pedal project, and came upon Maxim Gorky. Read up on him a bit, and decided that'll be the next Rusky reading for me, something by Gorky.
In my youth, I read a lot of Russian plays, the last one was The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov, which I wasn't keen on... I preferred Brit-humour in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. I should re-read The Cherry Orchard, though.
About to start on Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche, recommended by my wife, but I should probably finish reading the Jelly Roll Morton biography I started. Both are unusual selections for me, as I usually prefer fiction.
I don't read nearly as much as I'd like to, or should. So...
...Great Idea for a thread!
bitzie
Active member
A similar thing happened when I was trying to get through Moby Dick. When Melville decided to turn the book into an advanced textbook of all things Cetacea it really became a slog to get through and I gave up. Not that I have no interest in whales, but oh man that was too much.
Maybe not quite so complex, but reading The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of la Mancha for the first time was absolutely mind-blowing. I remember reading the windmill scene and being flabbergasted because it happens so early on in the book. My mind reeled at the thought of what must be coming up with so many pages to go and we just had the one scene that everyone knows of the book already.
boji
Active member
I was really surprised by how modern Don Quixote felt and how funny it was. You'd guess 400+ year old humor wouldn't still work today. But it does.
peccary
Well-known member
I've never even considered it - not sure why! I'll put it on the list, thanks!
bitzie
Active member
Same here! I know that whatever translation you're reading obviously plays a part, but it's still such an amazing work. For being what is considered to be the first actual novel, Cervantes pretty much laid down the groundwork for almost every main genre out there. Comedy, drama, romance, action; it's all in there.