Dostoyevsky, Fyodor- The Brothers Karamazov; Relaxed Buddy Read: Starts January 18, 2015

[Margaret]

I know when I start a hefty book late in the evening or night, it can be overwhelming. I decided to wait when I was fresh and it sure has helped. I had hoped to get further along today than I did but I actually watched a movie and a show today, so that eats into my reading time.

Srividya....I know you can handle this one, after all you read The Name of the Rose! boy, I sure am setting you up! lol

[Srividya]

Margaret - The Name of the Rose is still pending in my current reads, so I hope this one doesn't get stuck up there as well! Lol!

[Margaret]

Srividya wrote: "Margaret - The Name of the Rose is still pending in my current reads, so I hope this one doesn't get stuck up there as well! Lol!"

oops! lol! I'll be quiet now :P hehe

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Srividya wrote: "Karen - I should have known it! You say you'll start late only to finish it before the rest of us even begin! Lol!

And here I thought I had only Margaret to catch up with.. Sigh now you too! :P

..."

lol
oh no, I haven't finished! not even close. I'm just plugging away on the audio :)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Part 1; Book II "An Unfortunate Gathering"
I found this part a bit hard going after the humour of Book I. So much theological discussion that I struggled to keep engaged with :o
What was interesting was the idea of if you love humanity you can't love an individual (paraphrasing). This struck a chord as I work in HR and it is that whole concept of what is good for a collective is not always the best thing for an individual, but you have to compromise. No different to these team challenges I guess. You have to make certain calls about different components in order to best suit the need of the masses, always knowing that there will be people really unhappy with the outcome.

Now into Part 1,Book 3 , and oh my goodness, isn't that father just something else! The way that his thoughts are described and how he decides to be such an ass is a very interesting look at human (pathological?!) behaviour

[Margaret]

Karen wrote: "Part 1; Book II "An Unfortunate Gathering"
I found this part a bit hard going after the humour of Book I. So much theological discussion that I struggled to keep engaged with :o
What was interestin..."

Karen you are now the leader....I wasn't able to read much yesterday, today is the day to whittle away at it :D

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Part I, Book Three: Sensualists

(view spoiler)[
Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with Dmitri! What a cad!

I love the story of Smerdyakov. I'm sure he will become much more important later on as we now have 4 sons...

I just read about how in the last part where Elder Zosima consoles the woman mourning the death of her three-year-old son, apparently her "grief parallels Dostoyevsky's own tragedy at the loss of his young son Alyosha."
(hide spoiler)]

Oh and I found this on wiki, it is an image of an original page of book 3, chapter 3.

[Margaret]

Karen wrote: "Part I, Book Three: Sensualists


Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with Dmitri! What a cad!

I love the story of Smerdyakov. I'm sure he will become much more important later on as we ..."

very cool! :)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

As I'm reading part 2 (view spoiler)[ I can't help but think Alyosha has been made into such a "good" character because the writer had a son of this name and is projecting how he may have wanted him to have grown up.... (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Finished Part 2

Well this gets a bit hard going! (view spoiler)[ I think for scholars of Russian history and theologists this would be absolutely mind blowing. For me, it is hard to keep engaged!
I am still enjoying the book in terms of the characters and all their layers, emotions and motives, but I'm hoping to move on from religious debate (hide spoiler)]

For those who may finish this by Jan 31 for tower teams, I found the word wheat on page 314 ; In book 6 of Part 2
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit"

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I just finished Book 8 "Mitya"

(view spoiler)[
I uess I'm not feeling too differently to my last comment. I feel sorry for Alyosha, not just for his terrible family, but also because of how Zosima is now being thought of because his body had the audacity to rot!
Dmitri is a terrible fellow, but I don't think he killed Fyodor. I think it will be the bastard son because it is always the quite ones!!
Seeing that the murder is in the book synopsis, it sure takes a long time to get there.... (hide spoiler)]

[Margaret]

Karen....you are zooming! I am barely out of Part 1 Book 3 and chapter 3 (view spoiler)[Poor stinking Lizaveta! I have found out that I cannot read this book while distractions like the tv is on. So, I read before my husband gets home who likes to put the tv or music on. But it feels like I honestly can "date" this book. It can be rather slow at times and then it picks up with insight or interesting terms like "the shrieker" no clue other than perhaps a nervous energy that only over worked, over wrought women from that period of time exhibited. I know from reading about Dostoevsky's bio, he was raised on the grounds of a hospital for the poor where his father was a doctor. Surely he had influence from this part of his childhood and understood his local society and the difficulties of Russian life. Or was he merely being dramatic? He had too many real and tragic experiences to be overly dramatic just for the sake of writing something to shock his readers. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I have read that a lot of Dostoevsky's life experience is replicated in this book.

I am zooming because I'm determined to finish it this weekend! It's so huge I think I will feel some relief at the end :)

[Srividya]

You two are just zooming ahead.. not that it's anything new!! While I am just not getting time to get to this one. Am still trudging along the initial parts, not sure where I am but I know I haven't finished even Book 1. The characters are just getting introduced for me.. Sigh! And I know I won't be able to read much in the coming two weeks as my sister's getting married and I am way to busy with the preparations and shopping! Will try and read some more...hopefully!

Be patient with me you two speed readers! ;)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

lol that's ok
It is a hard book, and a HUGE one.
I have finished, but I'll save final thoughts until you both are done

[Joi]

Karen, how hard is it? VERY hard?

[Sarah]

So bummed - I just couldn't squeeze this one in, and with all my favorite ladies too:-(

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I found it pretty hard, not VERY enough to give up ;). There is a lot of theological discussion so it depends if you like that kind of thing

[Joi]

HMMMM---I'll think on it.

[Margaret]

Srividya....lol....I am not zooming on this one. I loved Crime and Punishment and this particular Dostoevsky is different. I do love the theological discussion but I am wondering okay...what is the point of the matter? I am a straight shooter kind of gal and I struggle with endless discussion that drifts back and forth. As long as it has a point or something meaty, I am fine with it. I haven't read this past week because I wanted to get a few books out of the way. I hope to get back into it this coming week.

[Sarah]

Oooh. I love theological discussion, but not if it is completely over my head - and sometimes that can be the case - because then I am just lost and clueless.

[Margaret]

Sarah wrote: "Oooh. I love theological discussion, but not if it is completely over my head - and sometimes that can be the case - because then I am just lost and clueless."

Oh I doubt that Sarah, sometimes if it isn't presented in a certain way, I am clueless as well :D