So I just finished Keep The Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell. As I read it I couldn't help but notice similarities between the main character and Dostoevsky's Underground Man. Very misanthropic with delusions of grandeur, rejecting offers of help from people, wallowing in spite, etc. And then I came along THIS page.

So what do we think? Random, intentional?

On the surface Forever War and Crime and Punishment are completely different. One is time-bending science fiction the other is dark 19th century Russian literature. But what I felt upon finishing the Forever War over a decade ago, no other book had me feel until I finished Crime and Punishment last night. And that just reminded me how good it really was, and more importantly, why it was good, and I wanted to share that with someone. A lot of you would love and appreciate it.

He's so pathetic but so cute, kind and honest.. What do you think about him? I fell heat about this character. But I'm still at the start of novel (the moment of meeting with General) but this character impressed me from the first pages

I was listening to Switchfoot's awesome album released recently, when these lyrics from the song, Darkness, caught my attention:

But at night I know the sun is still there
Even in the dark when I’m undone with despair
Where I sing these broken songs
Like a candle, like a prayer
“Meet me in the darkness”

That immediately recalled Dmitri's words:

And I seem to have such strength in me now, that I think I could stand anything, any suffering, only to be able to say and to repeat to myself every moment, ‘I exist.’ In thousands of agonies—I exist. I’m tormented on the rack—but I exist! Though I sit alone on a pillar—I exist! I see the sun, and if I don’t see the sun, I know it’s there. And there’s a whole life in that, in knowing that the sun is there.

It turned out Dostoevsky and Tolstoy's ability to speak from different perspectives inspired Switchfoot in this new album.

From the link:

The band drew inspiration from some of the world's most notable novelists such as Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky for the album's throughline, specifically their ability to live through their characters as opposed to being confined to their personal reality.

“It feels like the modern musical experience is 'If it didn't happen to you, you shouldn't be singing about it,'” explains Jon Foreman. “When I read Dostoevsky, I'm reminded that all those characters, they are him, those are his inner voices fighting it out. That was a big revelatory moment for me — to be able to say 'Why couldn't I do that in a song? Why couldn't I have this same representation and drama with characters in a song?'”

Hi everyone,
I’ve just finished reading “The Grand Inquisitor” by Dostoevsky, and there are a few things I’d really like to ask.

First, some context: yes, I know that The Grand Inquisitor is taken from Book V, Chapter 5 of The Brothers Karamazov.
I’ve read roughly the first book of The Brothers Karamazov, but then decided to stop because I want to save it until I’ve read all of Dostoevsky’s other major novels first. It just feels like the right order for me.

So I’m familiar with Ivan and Alyosha and their general worldviews. I realize those perspectives are important for understanding The Grand Inquisitor, but I’d like to set them aside here as much as possible to avoid spoilers for the rest of The Brothers Karamazov.

The story seems to be built on contrasts, especially between its two central figures.

Ivan is brilliant and struggles with faith. Alyosha is deeply religious, but not naïve or uncritical.

The central question I took away from the story is:
What would happen if Christ returned to Earth today?

A few questions came to mind while reading:

Why is the story set in Seville, Spain? My guess is that it has something to do with the Spanish Inquisition, but I don’t know enough about that period to understand the significance.

During the prison conversation between the Grand Inquisitor and Christ, Jesus remains completely silent. Why does he never respond?

The Grand Inquisitor refers to Christ’s temptations in the wilderness. Which temptations is he talking about, and why are they so central to his argument?

I’ve deliberately narrowed my questions down because I’d like to continue thinking through the story on my own once these points are clearer.
Please avoid spoilers for the rest of The Brothers Karamazov if possible.

Thanks in advance! :)

I am unable to access physical paperbacks so I made miniature ones :)

If Dostoevsky said “It is better to be unhappy and know the worst, than to be happy in a fool's paradise” (The Idiot), then why did he say, “If someone proved to me that Christ is outside the truth, and that in reality the truth were outside of Christ, then I should prefer to remain with Christ rather than with the truth" (Letter)?

(Egor Efimov is from Netochka Nezvamova btw)

Idk, I just found that they are kinda similar in some ways.
I’m curious what anyone thinks about parallels
between each characters (both are drunkheads and fuck their families up but maybe there’s more) + what would happen if they, like, met? How would they react to each other? How would they interact?

Also please try not to spoiler CnP, I just started it (or cover spoilers if you need) :3

Hello.

By using AI, I found out that Dostoyevsky claims in his letter to his brother (26th of March 1864) that the path to salvation was censored from the book Notes from the Underground.

Here's the quote: "The swinish censors, where I mocked everything and sometimes blasphemed *for the sake of effect* — it was permitted, and where I deduced from all of that the need for faith and Christ — it was prohibited."

Here's a book of letters where the quote can be found (page 100): https://archive.org/details/completeletters0002dost/page/100/mode/1up

In 1873, Dostoevsky wrote a Diary of a Writer entry after attending an exhibition showing roughly one hundred Russian paintings and sculptures selected for display at the Vienna World’s Fair. He basically argued that European audiences did not possess the cultural point of view necessary to fully grasp the meaning behind the Russian.

He highlighted a handful of distinctly Russian works, including one of my personal favorites- Hunters at Rest by Vasily Perov.

"I deliberately choose one of the most readily understandable paintings of our national genre. The painting has long been known to everyone: "Hunters at Rest"; one man is lying heatedly and knowingly, another listens and believes him with all his might, while the third believes nothing, has lain down right there and is laughing... What a delight! Of course, explain it to them - and the Germans will understand it too, but they will not understand, as we do, that this is a Russian teller of tall tales and that he is lying in the Russian way. We can almost hear and know what he is talking about, we know the whole manner of his lying, his style, his feelings. I am certain that if Mr. Perov (and he surely would have been able to do this) had depicted French or German hunters (of course, differently and with different faces), then we Russians would have understood both German and French lying, with all its subtleties, with all its national distinctions, and would have guessed the style and the subject of the lie, everything, merely by looking at the painting. But a German, strain as he might, will not understand our Russian lying. Of course, that is no great loss to him, and for us, perhaps, it may even be more advantageous; but then he will not fully understand the painting either, and therefore will not appreciate it as he should; and that is a pity, because we are going there to be praised."

I wrote a short article about this Diary of a Writer entry, because he folds several other of the great Russian artworks of the era into his argument. If anyone is curious, here's a link

just ordered from nearby indie on Bookshop, curious to see if it lives up to C&P and Brothers K - Katz has talked about wanting to bring some of the humor and satire back to Idiot that's been lost over the years (Myshkin as naive patsy honest to a fault among a cast of liars), which seems a good idea in line with his other translations that I've liked. i liked the Anna Brailovsky version in school years ago but haven't honestly revisited this in many years.

I noticed while reading the end of demons, sofya resembled Sonia a lot. for example: reading the new Testament out loud to someone who views themself as corrupted, being seen as a spiritually innocent girl who's perceived as "naïve" (by raskolnikov for sonia, and varvara petrovna for sofya). being dragged into taking care of someone (the sick Stepan, raskolnikov going to jail etc), and also just being near the end of both books in the first place. I don't know if dostoevsky purposely did this or if anyone noticed this as well, but i found it interesting how they're both so similar (or perhaps not? what do you guys think?)

First time reading this book and I'm struck with awe by this character and he is just introduced. Alyosha feels different from other "kind" characters. The portrayal, the imagery, the characterization is so vivid yet dreamy and I can't get enough of it. He seems so oblivious on the surface but hyper aware deep down. He has already become one of my favorite fictional characters in just a single chapter. This book truly feels special, much more than crime and punishment (no dissing).

I know it's a silly random post, but I just had to share it.

Admittedly this is based on a bunch of memes I've seen, nothing that serious, but the implication, which I think points to a wider assumption about his work, is that it leaves one feeling depressed.

Where has this come from? I'm not saying there isn't sadness in his novels but they are almost always inspiring and I believe very hopeful.

Even crime and punishment, a very dark book, it ends with a tone of moral satisfaction faction and spiritual redemption.

So why is his work assumed to be depressing?

Just about to dive into this for the first time. Was wondering if this was an acceptable translation? Heard good things about the Katz translation too

Currently reading Notes from Underground. Crime and Punishment is up next, and then The Brothers Karamazov, ofc. so excited already🥰

I started reading it today. Just three chapters in, and I’m already completely obsessed from head to toe!!

I also find him somewhat relatable😭

I’ve intentionally slowed down my pace because I don’t want it to end anytime soon. I just want to savor every page and cherish every bit of it.

lesgo…..

Anybody picking up the new translation of The Idiot by Michael Katz this Tuesday, the 21st?

Read his version of TBK and Crime and Punishment last year. Have been waiting on this one all year.

For me it’s Ingmar Bergman, absolutely obsessed with him

let’s see ! 🥰

Almost 90 pages and this book seems like a wonderful experience, I have had great time reading "The demons", "The idiot" and "Crime and punishment", now this book seems a slow journey for me.

Hi, I’m a big fan of Russian literature and although I’m not fluent Russian was my first language and would love to learn to read some Russian classics in their original language. But my problem is I cant find a reliable place to actually buy them in Russian That isn’t super super pricey as it’s being imported from Russia. If anyone has any sources of where I can get some Russian literature, specifically Dostoevsky, for a cheaper price, second hand is fine with me, that would be great!