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Kandice's Reviews > Poor Folk
Poor Folk
by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I wanted to ease myself into Dostoevsky, as I have begun a few others of his and become discouraged. While I was able to finish this one, I had to force myself. I understood that he was trying to show us the plight of the poor during this time frame, but the characters he used to do this were maddening!
First, it's back and forth, I love you, but not THAT way, no you mustn't, I can't help it, I'm IN love with you, I'm too old for you, on and on until I felt like smacking them. When they finally settle into the acceptance of their love for one another, they manipulate, use and take advantage of each other so much they STILL deserve smacks! Or better yet...each other!
I could not find one redeeming virtue in either of the characters. In the end, when she is finally given an out, she treats him appallingly as a common servant. Not only does she send him on endless errands for her upcoming new life, but errands that are bound to make him feel more poor and useless than he already did.
I hated them both, but in the end, I found her worse.
First, it's back and forth, I love you, but not THAT way, no you mustn't, I can't help it, I'm IN love with you, I'm too old for you, on and on until I felt like smacking them. When they finally settle into the acceptance of their love for one another, they manipulate, use and take advantage of each other so much they STILL deserve smacks! Or better yet...each other!
I could not find one redeeming virtue in either of the characters. In the end, when she is finally given an out, she treats him appallingly as a common servant. Not only does she send him on endless errands for her upcoming new life, but errands that are bound to make him feel more poor and useless than he already did.
I hated them both, but in the end, I found her worse.
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Kandice
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rated it 2 stars
Sep 02, 2009 08:58am
I can't stand either of the characters. They take turns being manipulative and then pitiful. It's slow going. I certainly don't feel the pity other reviews suggest.
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I'm almost finished, and boy am I glad. These two are just ridiculous. They go from berating each other, to singing eachother's praises, impoverishing themselves further to help support the other, to guilting the other into loaning them money, and now, near the end...her selfishness is driving me insane!
Fiona wrote: "You shoulda read Crime and Punishment!"I started it once, but just didn't get through. I plan on reading it someday, but now I'll wait.
Fiona wrote: "You shoulda read Crime and Punishment!"Ugh. I read that for school, and because I had kept putting it off, I had to read most of it through the night one night. Not pretty.
Yuck! I could not have read it through the night. It's a pity so many school-reads seem to leave bad memories.
When they finally settle into the acceptance of their love for one another, they manipulate, use and take advantage of each other so much they STILL deserve smacks! Or better yet...each other!You got a laugh out of me with this line, Kandice. Great review. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it though. Why can't all books be winners?
The Brothers K. I will try again. I was much younger, so now I may be better able to follow through. This one was just soooo...depressing and irritating at the same time. Also, the names when I tried the other were very intimidating to me. That's why I audio-ed this one.
