The discussion here inspired me to read Dostoevsky again. Haven't read him for years. Pulled off my shelf a book of his short works and chose "A Gentle Creature." The narrator/main character is demented, despicable, passionate, obsessed, and self-delusional. As the reader I was a little confused and totally absorbed.
Dostoevsky. I love dat guy.
Thanks, Hingehead, for starting this thread.
Your thanks much appreciated Boita, I wish my original motivation was more noble than a sudden dislike of Melville.
Roberta wrote:The discussion here inspired me to read Dostoevsky again. Haven't read him for years. Pulled off my shelf a book of his short works and chose "A Gentle Creature." The narrator/main character is demented, despicable, passionate, obsessed, and self-delusional. As the reader I was a little confused and totally absorbed.
Yes. Of course!
you have inspired me to revisit Dostoevsky, Roberta. (At the right time, obviously! :wink: )
A master indeed!
hingehead, Noble, shmoble. You got me and a bunch of other people thinking about and talking about good books. As for Melville, what can I tell ya? As I said earlier, his Bartleby the Scribener is worth reading (big time).
msolga, Glad I've inspired you to return to Dostoevsky. Yes, a true master.
Dostoyevsky's master work is, in my opinion, "The Brothers Karamazov".
I am unaware of any alternate spellings of the title, such as "The Brothers Karamozov"
barackman28 wrote:Dostoyevsky's master work is, in my opinion, "The Brothers Karamazov".
I am unaware of any alternate spellings of the title, such as "The Brothers Karamozov"
Doing a quick search, I find both spellings in abundance.
Great thread! I now have a long list of summer reading. Thanks everyone.
Dostoyevsky is my number 1 guy. Started reading when I was maybe 13 and read many of his works. I think Idiot remains among my favorites, also the Notes from the Underground. He has to be read in Russian though, or at least in Slovak, I tellya. I re-read Crime and Punishment and Brothers Karamazov in English...it's still great and captivating, but it loses half of its soul, the certain jenesaisquoi. Love all the russian late 19th century "romantic" period really (not that the reads are all that romantic themselves).
Loved Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, but haaaaaaa- ted the snows of kilimanjaro. gah, just gah.
Anything by Steinbeck, especially the Cannery Row and Grapes of Wrath. Wonderful color of characters and observation.
Love love love William Sarroyan for his approach to text, the way the sentences flow, and depth of characters. The Human Comedy or Tracy's Tiger or the Daring Young Man on the Flying trapeze are among the most memorable reads of my life.
Marquez. Waited one year for finish the last 10 pages... just didn't want to get there. I have a love and hate relationship with magical realism, usually I love it...but if it has an artificial feel, it's just hateful. Or I am, rather.
Kafka for his mysticism...though there are short stories that do make me want to just smack him on his head for being such a self-absorbed bundle of self-pity. I've no sympathy for that...
