Reading any good books? II

[katya]

Maybe anger isn't the best way to describe it. Well, think about it this way. There's another character who is one of my favorite characters, from Demons, by the same author, did some horrible things to a young girl. That, I actually had to take the time to try to forgive. I wouldn't say it made me angry, but because of an experience I had myself as a young child (which was really not very bad but enough to make me understand it), the feeling of "how could you do that? that's so horrible." was much stronger. I felt this character was less justified (in his mind). But anyway, not anger, more like disgust.

With Rodya, I hardly even thought about him killing the sister at first because it seemed like such a sheer accident, a reflex, or like something he didn't really mean to do and didn't want to do, but did out of fear. If someone just came along and killed her for fun, that guy I would have a problem with.

I never really feel like I've gotten everything I can out of a book. But sometimes, after I'd finished reading one, I would read the summaries and the discussion questions on SparkNotes. That helps. I've been wanting to form a book group around here. I'm already in one but I want to make my own too.

[GrayMouser]

While I've re-read most of Dosty's works several times at least, the one I've never been able to go back to is "Crime and Punishment"- and that's been over thirty years now. Maybe because it was the first one of his I read and the impact was so strong.

I remember I could only keep going at the time because I'd been told it had a "happy ending"- yeah, in the epilogue!

Maybe time to try it again.

Oh, and Foucault's Pendulum is great, though it takes a while to get into the swing.

[katya]

My 9th grade English teacher tried to dissuade me from reading Russian literature when he saw me reading Anna Karenina. Said it's too depressing and it just gets worse right to the end. He encouraged his students to read Stephen King. NOT my favorite teacher.

[GrayMouser]

Has anyone read any Robertson Davies?- Great Canadian writer, particularly:

the Cornish trilogy: The Rebel Angels, What's Bred in the Bone, The Lyre of Orpheus.

the Deptford trilogy: Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders.

small-c conservative with a strong streak of anarchy, Shakespearean scholar, High Anglican with a love of liturgy and a special affection for saints, lover of bawdy, art historian, writer of a libretto based on "The Golden Ass", monarchist, ironist, stern moralist, exponent of myth and magic- and very funny as well.

Brought to mind by this quote of his:

"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight."

[GrayMouser]

Originally Posted by katya

My 9th grade English teacher tried to dissuade me from reading Russian literature when he saw me reading Anna Karenina. Said it's too depressing and it just gets worse right to the end. He encouraged his students to read Stephen King. NOT my favorite teacher.

Looks like some Russians agree...

The opening of a Moscow Metro station named after Fyodor Dostoevsky has been postponed after complaints that murals decorating the platform walls are too depressing. The images, drawn from the 19th-century novelist’s works, could prompt depressed commuters to kill themselves, critics say.

One scene, right, depicts a man preparing to hit a woman with an axe while another lays dying at his feet — inspired by Rodion Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment. Another shows a man holding a gun to his head — based on The Devils, in which Kirillov commits suicide as a declaration of freedom. A stern portrait of the author is also among the Florentine mosaics.

Mikhail Vinogradov, a Moscow psychologist, said that the station could become a magnet for people considering suicide. Bloggers on Russian internet sites condemned the designs as “grim” and “suicidal”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7127302.ece

[Gwaimir Windgem]

It's been pointed out that there are many, many beautiful moments in the works of Dostoyevsky, as well: Alyosha falling to the ground, the kiss in the Grand Inquisitor, the redemption of Rodya at the end of C and P, etc. The imagery which, apparently, was used for these decorations doesn't seem to really capture the scope of Dostoyevsky; it remains down in the dregs, while failing to turn its gaze upwards, as he does so well.

[katya]

I finally finished The Wicked Day. It was kind of disappointing. I really couldn't get into that one much because Merlin's not in it. But I still liked it and The Last Enchantment better than a lot of books I have read. I'm glad I'm finished with the series now so I can read something else, though.

[GrayMouser]

Originally Posted by katya

I finally finished The Wicked Day. It was kind of disappointing. I really couldn't get into that one much because Merlin's not in it. But I still liked it and The Last Enchantment better than a lot of books I have read. I'm glad I'm finished with the series now so I can read something else, though.

Yes, she's still a good writer, but they are a bit of a let-down considering how good the first two are.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

With Rodya, I hardly even thought about him killing the sister at first because it seemed like such a sheer accident, a reflex, or like something he didn't really mean to do and didn't want to do, but did out of fear. If someone just came along and killed her for fun, that guy I would have a problem with.

Certainly, it was something he did out of fear, but he still took the life of an innocent human being, and it was, when you get right down to it, willful; nothing forced his hand. I was very surprised that that didn't come up more; perhaps because he couldn't reconcile it as easily as he could killing the pawnbroker.

Originally Posted by katya

I never really feel like I've gotten everything I can out of a book. But sometimes, after I'd finished reading one, I would read the summaries and the discussion questions on SparkNotes. That helps. I've been wanting to form a book group around here. I'm already in one but I want to make my own too.

If there's a university library near you, it might be interesting to check out some scholarly criticism/interpretation. I find an academic mindset brings out a lot that one might easily miss.

Originally Posted by GM

Oh, and Foucault's Pendulum is great, though it takes a while to get into the swing.

That's what I'm leaning towards; I was given it for my birthday by a friend who says its one of his favourite books, so it should be worth checking out.

I've never heard of Robertson Davies, but he sounds like a fascinating individual. Sounds a bit like Roger Scruton. Anglo-Catholics are always so much more interesting than us poor Romans.

[katya]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Certainly, it was something he did out of fear, but he still took the life of an innocent human being, and it was, when you get right down to it, willful; nothing forced his hand. I was very surprised that that didn't come up more; perhaps because he couldn't reconcile it as easily as he could killing the pawnbroker.

That makes my "heart go out to him", as you said. But other people I've talked to who have read the book could not forgive him for it at all and in fact hated him. I really need to re-read that book but I think I'm going with something non-fiction first since I've just finished The Crystal Cave. Sometimes if I like a fiction book it's hard to pick up a new one right away. Most of the time, actually.