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Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Fyodor Dostoyevsky & Other Russian Authors
Great Anbu. We must have a thread on Dostoyevsky.
I would start with the short stories (there are a lot of collections):A Gentle Creature, White Nights, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, Bobok, The Landlady (my favorite).
Then you can read:
Notes from Underground, The Insulted and Humiliated.
Then the long fiction:
Crime and Punishment, Demons, The Idiot.
Also famous are The Gambler, The Adolescent, The Eternal Husband, Poor Folk but I haven't read them yet. Less famous but a good read is The House of the Dead. And it is also usefull to know a little bit about Dostoyevsky's life, his illness, his misadventures and so on.
And then, at the end, The Brothers Karamazov! :D
Of course it is only my opinion, you can start with The Brothers Karamazov but I think it is hard to understand in a good way.
dely wrote: "I would start with the short stories (there are a lot of collections):A Gentle Creature, White Nights, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, [book:Bobok|146228..."
Thanks a ton Dely.
Great Dely.. You do know a lot about Dosto and his works.. :)
Mod
Anbu wrote: "Great Dely.. You do know a lot about Dosto and his works.. :)"I like him a lot.
I forgot to say that Dostoyevsky's writing grows with his books and so as we go forward we see how he explores always better his thoughts and his characters. He is also very prolix and digresses a lot and not everyone likes this.
I've read Crime n Punishment and it remains one of my fav reads. It has a dark n moody theme. But the way u can write a long fiction with minimal characters and even more minimal dialogue
Crime and Punishment is a psychological masterpiece with great insight into the workings of genius. very highly recommended.
Sudhang wrote: "Crime and Punishment is a psychological masterpiece with great insight into the workings of genius. very highly recommended."I think that in every book of Dostoyevsky there is a deep psychological analysis. He is really very able to look inside human psychology. Not only this, he is also able to talk and make a deep analysis of the spiritual side of men and the turmoils of the human soul.
D certainly has the art to penetrate right through us by examining and expressing our very own nature which is abstruse for us to express for ourselves.I've been reading his works lately, and his "Notes from the Underground" is particularly very thought provoking and cant be grasped wholly even after re-reads of the same.Atleast in my case.
I found the book Poor Folk yesterday at the library. Since it was a Dostoyevsky I didn't bother to read about the book in the back flap and I found out later that this was his first novel which launched him into the limelight. After this book many proclaimed that a new Gogol had arisen.
Tarun wrote: "I've been reading his works lately, and his "Notes from the Underground" is particularly very thought provoking and cant be grasped wholly even after re-reads of the same.Atleast in my case. "I think it is always in this way with Dosto's books.
But the thing that irritates me the most is that though I understand what he wants to say I am not able to tell to another person. It seems to me that only he is able to talk about certain moods and he does it with really simple words! But when I try to talk about it I am not able to find the right words.
Parikhit wrote: "I found the book Poor Folk yesterday at the library. Since it was a Dostoyevsky I didn't bother to read about the book in the back flap and I found out later that this was his first no..."
I have never read Poor Folk. Have you bought the book?
dely wrote: "Tarun wrote: "I've been reading his works lately, and his "Notes from the Underground" is particularly very thought provoking and cant be grasped wholly even after re-reads of the same.Atleast in m..."I borrowed it from the library. It has been a great read so far. Upto the point where I've reached the book has been progressing in the form of letters exchanged between two people.
From whatever I read from the synopsys, the whole book is in the format of the letters.. :)
dely wrote:I think it is always in this way with Dosto's books. But the thing that irritates me the most is that though I understand what he wants to say I am not able to tell to another person. It seems to me that only he is able to talk about certain moods and he does it with really simple words...
:) Thats exactly what makes his works so interesting and reading more of D becomes addictive.
He seems to vent out for us.
Tarun wrote: ":) Thats exactly what makes his works so interesting and reading more of D becomes addictive.He seems to vent out for us. "
I think I have read enough Dostoyevsky till now: a lot of short stories, his first works, his masterpieces and at the end The Brothers Karamazov. I have still to read some of his first works but I will do it someday in the future.
But I would like to read a book about Dostoyevsky in order to understand better his life and his works.
Will you join us for the Tolstoj's group read?
Pari, sorry! I make always a lot of confusion between library and bookshop because bookshop in Italian is "libreria", a word very similar to library; and library is "biblioteca" that should be translated also with the word "athenaeum".
dely wrote: "Tarun wrote: ":) Thats exactly what makes his works so interesting and reading more of D becomes addictive.He seems to vent out for us. "
I think I have read enough Dostoyevsky till now: a lot of..."
Had to no idea about that Dely :) From now on I will always refer to biblioteca if I mean library and liberia if bookshop. Atleast I can then boast of learning two Italian words :)
I would love to join Tolstoy group read by the way. I have read Anna Karenina and Resurrection so far and many of his short stories.
Parikhit wrote: "I would love to join Tolstoy group read by the way. I have read Anna Karenina and Resurrection so far and many of his short stories. "It is in another group, a group only for Russian literature; I send you via mp the link.
dely wrote:I think I have read enough Dostoyevsky till now: a lot of...But I would like to read a book about Dostoyevsky in order to understand better his life and his works."
Even i have picked up a book on his life recommended by a friend --Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time by Frank Joseph - though i aint sure if i have chosen the right author with other options available as well.
Are they planning on a Tolstoy read? -- i never knew that.I had started with his "The Death of Ivan Ilych & other short stories" a few days back - my first Tolstoy book.
Which book are they planning to read?---or i'll just check the thread :)
I send you an mp with the poll.Somewhere is also a discussion about The death of Ivan Ilych.
o really..i'll check tht as well.Have you read it?
Tarun wrote: "o really..i'll check tht as well.Have you read it?"
Yes but I was not able to appreciate it fully because I still don't know good Tolstoj and his thought and so it was a little bit difficult to understand what he really wanted to comunicate to the reader; there is much more we can grasp at a first read. It is a good read but my problem is that I feel the necessity to understand always everything.
No Dostoyevsky?? Its been a year. Sigh!
REad 'The Idiot' and I thought it was really so damn good. I disliked 'Anna Karenina' because it was so slow, so I didn't read any Tolstoy, and though I liked Chekhov, I didn't venture to read any Russian author, until we came upon the article 'Dostoevsky and Parricide' by Freud in Lit class. So I read the book now, four years later.Must say I'm going to devour every book of this amazing writer. Although Russian way of life is not familiar to us, but he can connect with our deepest desires and fears in an uncanny way.
Yes, Dostoyevsky makes good insights of people, this is his strenght.If you have liked Dostoyevsky and Chekhov try also Gogol.
By Tolstoj I have read War&Peace, The Death of Ivan Ilych and Ressurection. It seems to me that there is something missing in his books, but I don' know what; he isn't as deep as Dostoyevsky. Of the three books listed above I have liked a lot Resurrecion but is is one of his last works so it is very spiritual.
Thanks... I've been planning to read Gogol, but don't know where to start... The protagonist in Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Namesake' was nicknamed Gogol by his parents, so that's how I first heard of him.Can you suggest some of Gogol's works?
Dead Souls is his greatest work, but unfinished I guess. Still, shouldn't be missed.
Aha, yes, 'The Dead Souls'.... Have heard so much of it, so famous, yet it slipped from memory... Thanks
Like Rahul said, Dead Souls.But I like a lot his short stories, there are a lot of collections, try to pick up one of those.
okay, will check it out. Thanks
dely wrote: "Parikhit wrote: "I would love to join Tolstoy group read by the way. I have read Anna Karenina and Resurrection so far and many of his short stories. "It is in another group, a group only for Rus..."
Please do send a link to me. I'm a big fan of 'the god of art'.
Foram wrote: "Aha, yes, 'The Dead Souls'.... Have heard so much of it, so famous, yet it slipped from memory... Thanks"Yes Foram, before you read a complete novel by Gogol, do try out his short stories. There is one collection titled 'The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector, and Selected Stories'. Pure bliss.
Parikhit wrote: "Foram wrote: "Aha, yes, 'The Dead Souls'.... Have heard so much of it, so famous, yet it slipped from memory... Thanks"Yes Foram, before you read a complete novel by Gogol, do try out his short s..."
Thank you all... Will try to get it, though I haven't seen a single book of Gogol's in any of the stores here since atleast 7 years
Navjeetsingh wrote: "Please do send a link to me. I'm a big fan of 'the god of art'. "http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4...
Have people forgotten Dostoyeksky!! Dely where art thou!!
Mod
I recently started with Russian authors - the great Leo himself.
Completed Anna Karenina
Moving on to War & Peace.
I have always been here! Where have you been in all this time?
Chekhov's short stories are very good. Not so keen on his plays.
Parikhit wrote: "Have people forgotten Dostoyeksky!! Dely where art thou!!"I found Crime and Punishment really gripping.
Enjoyed War and Peace, but found it a bit boring in places.
Is it a literary crime to say that I found War and Peace a bit too long?
Have also read Gogol's Dead Souls, but a long time ago, and did not enjoy it.
Mod
Carol wrote: "Enjoyed War and Peace, but found it a bit boring in places."I began reading War and Peace and the names got to me at the very first chapter. I never braved myself to read it again. Someday perhaps.
And Deal Souls is one book that really needs a rigorous discussion. I read the first half and found it way to sad to begin the second. Someday, again, perhaps but sooner :)
Started crime and punishment a month ago. Nowhere close to the finish line.. Finding it a very tedious read.. Wondering, if something is wrong with me
Shailee wrote: "Started crime and punishment a month ago. Nowhere close to the finish line.. Finding it a very tedious read.. Wondering, if something is wrong with me"Well, Dostyevsky makes long and detailed descriptions of the psychology of the characters, of their inner struggles, also spiritual struggles and perhaps this isn't to everyone's liking. In my opinion it is worth to be read but I love Dostoyevsky :D
dely wrote: "Shailee wrote: "Started crime and punishment a month ago. Nowhere close to the finish line.. Finding it a very tedious read.. Wondering, if something is wrong with me"Well, Dostyevsky makes long ..."
I second Dely :)
Have you wondered how we are only stuck with the erstwhile Russian authors and their works, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Mikhail Bulgakov, Anton Chekhov.How about the new Russian authors? Why aren't the authors from the 20th and 21st century equally popular. Or is it pure ignorance on our parts?
I came across some interesting posts across internet about modern Russian literature. Sharing one link here,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/...
Parikhit wrote: "Have you wondered how we are only stuck with the erstwhile Russian authors and their works, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Mikhail Bulgakov, Anton Chekhov.How about the new Russian authors? Why aren't the..."
Thanks for the link!
It is true, they aren't that famous, at least I never heard about them. Perhaps also because some of them haven't been translated? From the listed authors I have read only The Yellow Arrow by Victor Pelevin but I didn't like it a lot because I wasn't able to understand it. There were a lot of references to modern politicians or Russian tv-shows and other things of today Russia. Unfortunately I don't know a lot about it so I couldn't catch the irony or sarcasm of the author. I have still to read Omon Ra and perhaps it is better.
However, some days ago I have read a very good book by a Moldovian author who writes in Russian so I don't know if he can considered a Russian author. It is The Good Life Elsewhere by Vladimir Lorchenkov. It was very funny but also sad because he talks with irony about the tragic situation of Moldovian emigrants and about their life in their country.
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But hearing a lot about him and his works by dely and others.. Though we discussed about him in lots of other threads.. I guess we should have one thread for him..
I wanted to read The Brothers Karamazov, but Dely mentioned in the other thread it would be difficult if we take up this book first..
So, whoever read his works, pls let me know which is the best one to start with..