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Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

So, I've been reading a lot of his stuff lately.

I originally read Notes from Underground in college and loved it. Last year, I finally read Crime & Punishment and was amazed. Since then I've been going through his entire library. I've always love existentialism, but I seem to like Dostoevsky even more since he actually writes full novels & has a large bibliography, unlike authors such as Sartre & Camus, plus he takes a more theological approach, unlike the French atheist writers in the 20th century.

Most recently, I've read the Brothers Karamazov, The Double, and am currently reading The Idiot.

The Double was fascinating but very disturbing. The main character's insanity almost made me feel crazy myself.

I'm about 1/3 of the way through the Idiot and am liking it. Really enjoying another main character being tortured by an eccentric woman. At this point though, I am getting a bit tired of Dostoevsky's drama concerning arranged marriages and dowries.

Posted: Oct 03 2008 02:40 pm

Those sound excellent. I'd definitely read those if I... read. I love reading, I read a lot as a child, but as I got older I realized that when I start a book that's interesting, I can't put it down. People think my video game addicitons are bad, but books would overtake it, if I let it. Because of this, the only things I read are informational, although I did blow through a few graphic novels in the last few days.

Crime & Punishment is one of *those* books you always hear people talking about, as well as Dostoevsky as an author in general, so I feel sad that I can't directly comment on that. The last book I read was 1984 and that was almost 2 years ago. It was amazing though.

I realize that this is a semi-derailment, and I apologize, but I so envy people's ability to read casually, I had to advertise my problems with books.

"Hello, my name is Rycona, and it's all or nothing with books."

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

1984 is indeed another great one.

I have a 45 minute train ride to and from work, so I end up reading to pass the time during my commute (when I'm not sleeping).

Oh, I forgot I recently read Dostoevsky's Memoirs from the House of the Dead also. That one is very real because it's based on his real life experiences in jail in Siberia. Very gut-wrenching.

Posted: Oct 06 2008 07:49 am

I got an edition of Dostoevsky's works for Christmas five or six years ago and I still haven't read all of it, particularly his shorter stuff like The Gambler.

Among his novels Demons is probably be my favorite. It's equally philosophical with the discussions about Kirilov's suicide (the part Camus wrote about in The Myth of Sisyphus) as it is political with the various ideologies presented. And with Kirilov and Stavrogin it has two of Dotoevsky's strongest and most interesting characters. It doesn't spare you the obligatory arranged marriage drama though.

The most annoying thing about Dostoevsky's novels however are the Russian names. I can usually remember the names of the main characters, but if there wasn't a list of characters in the back of the books I would be helplessly lost with all the secondary characters' names. Dostoevsky's frequent use of patronyms doesn't make it easier.

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

The Gambler's pretty good. It's another story with the main character being tormented by an eccentric woman.

I haven't gotten to Demons yet.

I hear ya on the names. Thankfully, my copy of the Idiots has a list in the front, so that's been helpful. The patronyms are particularly difficult to pronounce, so I just skip them in my head usually while I'm reading.

Posted: Oct 13 2008 07:24 pm

Dostoevsky is probably my favorite author. I even took a Russian language class with the intention of being able to read his original works. That idea didn't get very far lol.

Anyway, I've read and own nearly all of his published works. I think my favorite out of them all is Devils followed closely by The Brothers Karamazov. You have good taste my friend.

Joined: Apr 01 2008 Posts: 67

Cattivo wrote:

At this point though, I am getting a bit tired of Dostoevsky's drama concerning arranged marriages and dowries.

That's just Russian lit for you! Smile

Notes From Underground is my favorite book, easily. I've read it so many times I can practically recite it word for word.

Posted: Jan 04 2009 05:35 pm

I had never read anything by Dostoevsky before I had been reminded by my Finnish teacher constantly how great he is. Then I decided to borrow The Gambler and I was amazed. Then, on Christmas I got Crime & Punishment and I'm going to read it after I'm done with Franz Kafka's The Castle.

Joined: Mar 04 2011 Posts: 3

If you get the chance, try to check out some of his short fiction collections too. "Notes From Underground" is probably his best known novella, though he was a very prolific short fiction writer too. Some of my personal favorites are "White Nights," "The Eternal Husband," "Dream of a Ridiculous Man," "Bobok," "The Crocodile," "A Little Hero," and "A Christmas Tree and a Wedding." Novel-wise, you should definitely follow through with your intention to read "Demons." Try and find the Pevear/Volkhonsky translation if you can (easily the best one out there).