I just finished "The Brothers Karamozov"

[Kire]

in lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to my Paypal Account.

It's really an interesting read, if you've got the time.

[NMMNG]

1. I started reading that a few months ago

Then I got sidetracked and never finished it. I have to get back to it someday--Dostoevsky is an excellent author.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. They read that out loud on KPFK years ago

Used to put me in a deep sleep on each installment.

[shockingelk]

3. i just started to list the books i've read

But stopped after 7 authors as I noticed my beer was warm and I'd only taken a couple sips. One of the authors was Dostoevsky:

Crime and Punishment
The Idiot
Notes from Underground

Have read the second two multiple times .... no Brothers Karamazov under my belt yet, with approximately half my life behind me.

[Kire]

6. I have The Idiot, The Adolescent, Demons and Notes

and a short story collection called "The Eternal Husband and Other Stories".

The first four are by the same translators (Pevear and Volokhonsky), award winners. I've seen other translations of BK, but this one is the bst.

I was thinking of starting The Idiot or The Adolescent, but I don't know, Demons won some awards and Notes is short.

Maybe I just won't think about it tonight. Or maybe I'll pick up some Gabriel Garcia Marques or Graham Greene.

[alarcojon]

9. I have The Idiot, Demons, Brothers K, and

Crime and Punishment. All Pevear/Volokhonsky. I've read Brothers K twice. I also have a book on The Grand Inquisitor.

I love Dostoevsky's psychological insight and religious tension.

[hfojvt]

4. I started that, but could not get into it

I just did not care about the characters. Maybe a German-Russian thing?

[Merrick]

5. Great book - reminds me of a joke about monks

A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence: he’s allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. "Cold floors," he says. They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. He clears his throats and says, "Bad food." They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. "I quit," he says. "That’s not surprising," the elders say. "You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here."

I eat russian literature for breakfast. have you read Gogol's Dead Souls?

[shockingelk]

no

Have read Diary of a Madman and The Overcoat and Other Short Stories.

I've heard about some great early science fiction out of Russia ... dunno if there are English translations ... only one I remember the title of is called "We" which is rather hard to find out about through internet searches.

[Kire]

7. no, I haven't

but it looks cool

One of my favorite parts in BK was the chapter when Ivan was talking to the Devil. I'm looking forward to Demons. This one you recommend is about a guy who buys serfs' souls from their landowners, that's wicked. I'll add it to my Amazon wish list.

I like it, too. There's something straightforward about Dostoevsky. Not mystical, at all. It's very honest. He uses the word "guileless" a lot. I find it refreshing. I certainly don't find much guilelessness in this country, anymore.

thanks for the joke

[Merrick]

8. Demons is good...

but not as good as BK (although that might be like saying 2001 isnt as good as Clockwork Orange to a Kubrick fan). still definitely worth reading, though.
Dead Souls is actually quite fucking hilarious (as much of Dostoevsky is - my sort of wry humor I guess)

[Cronus Protagonist]

10. I agree. It's one of the best Russian novels

I also thought Crime and Punishment was better, though.

http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
Buttons for brainy people - educate your local freepers today!

[MoJoWorkin]

11. It was one of NINE Russian novels I had to read for my

Russian History Class in College--back in the early 80's. I liked it a lot, but it was SOOO hard to fit all that reading into a semester, with all the other classes.
I was back to finish up my degree, divorced and had two small children. It was a very hard slog for me at the time.
I really did think, later, that the Professor (a woman) had a good idea, as the Russian psyche is very much revealed in their novels, I believe.

[Deja Q]

12. Was it good for them?

:spray: