3. What is the Servile State

[Fonch]

I have only 308 reviews and more than 2 thousands books read :-(.

[John]

Manuel wrote: ""The Brothers Karamazov" is my favorite book by Dostoievsky."

Mine is The Idiot, though I haven't yet read Demons. It is in my bedside TBR pile.

[John]

Manuel wrote: "Michelle wrote: "If it was your favorite too, can you give me any advice on how to get through it?? I'd appreciate it. :) Like, does finishing it leave one with a sense of the goodness of humanity ..."

I agree re Karamazov, Crime and Underground, but I would give Idiot 5 stars.

[Fonch]

John wrote: "Manuel wrote: "Michelle wrote: "If it was your favorite too, can you give me any advice on how to get through it?? I'd appreciate it. :) Like, does finishing it leave one with a sense of the goodne..."

I had a bad experience with the Idiot. I read in a bad moment in my life.

[[deleted user]]

You are both avid readers! :O My dad would've enjoyed a book discussion about his favorite book. :) I'm sad I didn't provide that. But, life goes on. I'm getting really into A Man for Others about Kolbe now... he's just such a great example, and the amazing thing is that it's true! :)

[[deleted user]]

p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?

[John]

Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall feeling it was anti-Catholic.

[Manuel]

Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall it either, but you must take into account that Dostoievski, as a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, shared with that Church its anti-Catholicism, which sometimes can be seen in his novels.

[Fonch]

John wrote: "Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall feeling it was anti-Catholic."

John of course, yes, for Dostoyevsky Catholicism was practically synonymous with atheism. Just look at Mishkin's reaction when he learns that his preceptor Pavlichev is Catholic, and his brutal reaction, and the contempt he shows for Agaya's reckless marriage to a Pole. Here it is much more present than in "Crime, and Punishment". That's not to say that Dostoyevsky isn't a great writer, and a beautiful person. Of all Russian writers he is my favorite, but we must admit the sad, bitter truth, that although his daughter Lyubba, and Soloviev tried to prove that they did not, but the truth is that as an Orthodox Dostoyevsky is very anti-Catholic. He feels more affection for Protestants than for Catholics, because at least he admires the English, as shown in "Humiliated, and offended", and in "The Gambler".

[Fonch]

Michelle wrote: "You are both avid readers! :O My dad would've enjoyed a book discussion about his favorite book. :) I'm sad I didn't provide that. But, life goes on. I'm getting really into A Man for Others about ..."

I'm sure she's happy watching her daughter participate in a good discussion. About Maximilian Kolbe there is a good biography written by the Frenchman Andre Frossard, and my dear Endo had a story in which the figure of Kolbe influences one of his characters. Kolbe was in Japan, and created a Catholic radio there.

[Fonch]

Fonch wrote: "John wrote: "Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall feeling it was anti-Catholic."

John of course, yes, for Dostoyevsky Catholicism was practically ..."

In part the anti-Catholicism of the "Idiot" was one of the reasons why I initially put a 2, and then a 3 to the book. Kurosawa made a very good version, removing the filler, and focusing on the main plot. Until Parfen Semionovich Rogochin tries to kill Liov Nikolayevich Mishkin, and he suffers his first epileptic seizure seemed excellent. Then the novel begins to go down. Apart from the religious component there was a personal component. At that time I was devastated by a breakup with a person I love very much, and my relationship was very similar to Mishkin's with Natasha Filipovna. Apart from the fact that the women in this novel are fearsome, and very scary. Between Aglaya and Natasha they end up driving poor Mishkin crazy. He remembered what Joseph Pearce said about "the Heart of the Matter" of Graham Greene's novel, when he commented that its protagonist Scobie feared women more than God. Something very similar happens here, and that unsettling feeling prints the whole novel. In addition, it gives you very few Dostoyevsky breaths so you can digest it well.

[[deleted user]]

Poor Mishkin. I wonder if my dad actually nicknamed me after that ("Misha" and an uncle called me Mishka) instead of Alyosha, since it sounds more like that. My dad for a long time referred to himself as an atheist, while I converted to Catholicism. I wish I had read his favorite book years ago, so that he'd have felt more understood and appreciated by me. :( I might not be able to get into all of this author's other books, as they do indeed sound unsettling/ depressing. Unless if it cheers someone up to read something more depressing than our own lives? Unless it reminds us of our own lives? There's probably some important morals to the stories though. Thankfully the Bible says "it's better not to marry" which all these books kinda prove by the many afflictions in the world of affection.

One time I read a book I found at church, "The Way of the Pilgrim," about a Russian orthodox wanderer --through Russia, Ukraine, and Serbia-- who made up his mind to literally unceasingly (mentally) pray "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me" -- and that book at least didn't seem anti-Catholic.

I selected "want to read" for "Forget Not Love: The Passion of Maximilian Kolbe" by Andre Frossard (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sho...) that sounds very moving! That other book you mentioned-- "Sachiko" by Endo does sound fascinating, how the Kolbe story is weaved in. I usually avoid romantic stories though. But I'm loving "A Man for Others." He was the purest soul! :)

[John]

Manuel wrote: "Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall it either, but you must take into account that Dostoievski, as a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, shared..."

And that anti-Catholicism comes through clearly in some of his other books - the Grand Inquisitor story within the Brothers Karamazov stands out.

[Fonch]

John wrote: "Manuel wrote: "Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall it either, but you must take into account that Dostoievski, as a member of the Russian Orthodox..."

John invited you to reread it, and see the scene of the party, when he is told that Pavlichev his preceptor is Catholic. Mishnkhin's reaction to the news. Despite the fact that the daughter Lyubba (tried to whitewash him), and that Soloviev disciple of Dostoyevsky was very close to Catholicism. In fact it is unknown whether he died Catholic, or Orthodox, but the Orthodox say he died Orthodox. Lyubba was very possibly because she was a white Russian emigrants, fleeing the Revolution, and she said it to win the cooperation of the countries that welcomed them

[Fonch]

John wrote: "Manuel wrote: "Michelle wrote: "p.s. I looked up "The Idiot"... is it anti-Catholic?"

I don't recall it either, but you must take into account that Dostoievski, as a member of the Russian Orthodox..."

There is one thing I did not say, and that I liked very much about Dostoyevsky's "Idiot", and that is after the epileptic seizure, at the moment when Parfen Semionovich Rogochin tries to assassinate him. In convalescence, when Miskhin recovers from the attack there is a precious moment when Aglaya recites a poem by Pushkhin of the Christian knight in which he identifies Mhiskhin with the Christian Knight. I had a very bad image of Phuskhin at the time, because I thought he was an atheist, and he died in a duel, but I loved that poem.

By the way, this may interest John there is a Japanese version of the "Idiot" written by Shusaku Endo, and it is one of his best stories. It is called "The Wonderful Fool" in which Mhiskhin is replaced by a descendant of Napoleon named Gaston Bonaparte who is Mhiskhin's cousin. I have always wanted to read it, but unfortunately it has never been translated into Spanish.

[[deleted user]]

He's definitely an intriguing author. :) Hey, why don't we pray for his soul... I hope he didn't die in despair, I hope he had trust in his heart for God's loving Mercy? :D

[Fonch]

Michelle wrote: "He's definitely an intriguing author. :) Hey, why don't we pray for his soul... I hope he didn't die in despair, I hope he had trust in his heart for God's loving Mercy? :D"

Of course we pray for him. He would do it for us how he wrote in his novel Hurray for Karamazov.

[[deleted user]]

Yes let's pray 4 him. That sounds interesting, tell me more about what he wrote...? :)

[Fonch]

Michelle wrote: "Fonch wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Sorry for the delay... thanks for sharing those, you guys! :D I looked them up and they do look interesting as you said! Did you write reviews?"

Unfortunatelly not. ..."
Although i lived 1000 years i might not write all the reviews of the books that i have read. I started to write my reviews very late.

[[deleted user]]

I mean, can you tell me more about how he'd pray for us, like he wrote in the Hurray book? :)

Me too... I haven't been reviewing every book as I read it, so it'd be an overwhelming project! :O (Especially considering I'm not going to stop reading more new books, so I'm always behind!) :-D

I wonder what the reading books/ book discussion situation would be like in Heaven... will it no long even be thought of, or will souls be happy to find others who read what they read...? Right now it's hard to imagine life without books! :( But hey, to be with the Eternal Word forever... it's worth it! :) "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21:25). Plus, there's a bunch of living Lives of the Saints stories up there to hear... I hope they will all share! :-D

[Fonch]

Michelle wrote: "I mean, can you tell me more about how he'd pray for us, like he wrote in the Hurray book? :)

Me too... I haven't been reviewing every book as I read it, so it'd be an overwhelming project! :O (Es..."

No Hurray by Karamazov appeared in the novel "Legion" (the sequel to the "Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty. During the novel there is a lot of talk about the "Brothers Karamazov". It was a way of explaining that despite Dostoyevsky's hostility to Catholicism his work is very good, and positive, and having listened to him. Above all, the Russians would have been spared "The Demons" many problems including an infamous, and disastrous Revolution in 1917.

If I had to write all the works I've read I wouldn't have time to read new books. Moreover, my analyses are too detailed.

What you raise from different writers, or philosophers talking about their different positions, or religious. It has already done with remarkable success a writer of yours Peter Kreeft, who makes different personalities discuss in heaven to Huxley, C.S. Lewis, Kenedy, in "symbol, and substance" were debating C.S. Lewis (Anglo-Catholicism), Billy Graham (evangelism), J.R.R. Tolkien (Catholicism), and even Billy Graham's driver. Look I think Loss and gain", if it could have influenced Peter Kreeft this should be somewhat in Newman's favor.

[[deleted user]]

Gotcha. Well detailed analyses are interesting. The Karamazov's dilemma about God could lead to "man's search for meaning" (Viktor Frankl). God can bring good out of everything-- and everyone, because God is good all the time! :) We can learn much from different writers for sure. :D