Feodor Dostoevsky / The Grand Inquisitor

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2006-02-08 10:30am

I just read this due to a recomendation, and all I have to say is damn!

Now I really must read the entire 700+ pages of The Brothers Karamazof

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/inqus10.txt

To bad that he died before there was a Nobel Prize.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2006-02-08 12:28pm

If you really want a good book then try Crime and Punishment, although I've never read this book.
C&P really is a book that makes you want to rush out and nominate it for a nobel prize, although the multi page descriptions of everyone are tedious,a lthough that was just a fashion of the times.
Od,, I thought that no-one was interested in Dopstyovesky over here, my thread involving it was ignored (Although I'm currently re-writing it, and intend to necromance the whole damn thread once I finish re-writing all of IT).

What is it about anyway? (Inquisitor)

Post by **fgalkin** » 2006-02-08 04:04pm

Faram discovers Dostoyevsky, eh?

It's not Dostoyevsky unless it's in Russian, it's an inaccurate paraphrase. Sorry.

Gave a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Simmon · Post by **Simmon** » 2006-02-08 04:22pm

[quote="fgalkin]Faram discovers Dostoyevsky, eh?

It's not Dostoyevsky unless it's in Russian, it's an inaccurate paraphrase. Sorry.
[/quote]

Lucky me, I'm Russian.

lgot · Post by **lgot** » 2006-02-08 09:46pm

In my opinion Brothers Karamozov is the greatest work of Dostoievisky, followed by Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and Thed Underground Man (Not sure which english title for this one). Amazing works which give us the taste of the Future (Kafka).

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2006-02-09 10:21am

Totally with fgalkin. Dostoevsky is not Dostoevsky unless it's in Russian. Considering the person was not really that mentally stable, his texts totally lose flavour at all when translated.

For me, Crime and Punishment is certainly the best of his works, followed closely by the Idiot.

kheegster · Post by **kheegster** » 2006-02-09 11:00am

A quick tip: don't read Crime and Punishment if you're feeling in any way depressed or unhappy.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2006-02-09 11:26am

kheegan wrote:A quick tip: don't read Crime and Punishment if you're feeling in any way depressed or unhappy.

And try not to be annoyed too much by Sonya the uber believer.
Am I the only one who wanted to strangle here? Especially concerning her blind belief that everything would be all-right, and trying to refuse the money from Svidrigailov despite the fact that she couldn't pay of the debt she took anyway.
A charatcer placing blind faith above all else (SAve emotion, compassion and other "Christian" virtues) and then having herself bailed out to due chance really rankled.
However Marmeladov and his tale really is depressing, I felt like punching that idiot, and while a woman would have no way of working or supporting herself (Save prostitution) I don't see why Katerina Ivanovna didn't leave him, since he had squandered their last savings and last chance at work.

Amazing works which give us the taste of the Future (Kafka).

Ah yes, Metamorphosis and the giant cockroach

The Guid · Post by **The Guid** » 2006-02-09 11:33am

Glad to hear its good, I am seeing a stage working of it on the 28th.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2006-02-09 08:41pm

C&P was an exceptional piece of work, but you need to really put some time aside to read it. It kind of bothered me, though, how badly Svidrigailov was treated in the novel. As far as can be told, the man doesn't drink, is financially sound, helps out acquaintances' orphaned children, yet is practically villainized in the story. Why? As far as I can remember, he didn't try to rape Sonya, or blackmail her like the 'fiance'.

lgot · Post by **lgot** » 2006-02-09 09:40pm

Ah yes, Metamorphosis and the giant cockroach

Altough I think Kafka greatest work is the Hunger Artist- yes.
If you ever read Kafka diary or mostly, his letter to his father you end with the impression that Dostoievisky created Kafka.

and I can not understand the comentary given in this topic that somehow blames Dostoievisky for the bad translators.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-02-10 12:07am

Death wrote:Ah yes, Metamorphosis and the giant cockroach

Call me immature, but I hated Metamorphosis. The guy wakes up as an enormous insect and doesn't feel shocked scared or driven to insanity at all? He actually wants to go to work after that fracas? I thought that was stupid as hell. He did a horrible job at portraying the actual emotions that would've occurred, and if that was not his aim, what was?

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2006-02-10 01:16am

Guardsman Bass wrote:C&P was an exceptional piece of work, but you need to really put some time aside to read it. It kind of bothered me, though, how badly Svidrigailov was treated in the novel.
As far as can be told, the man doesn't drink, is financially sound, helps out acquaintances' orphaned children, yet is practically villainized in the story. Why? As far as I can remember, he didn't try to rape Sonya, or blackmail her like the 'fiance'.

Svidrigailov is shown as a man who while showing a veneer of respectability is in fact under the surface and charity a disgusting, "evil" man.
Did you read his dream (Before his suicide)? It shows he understands that deep down he'll allways be a monster, he dreams about fucking a 5year old.
He is also hinted at having some very nasty incidents in his past, as well as the fact that he all but admits to raping at least one of the previous serving maids.
He is also explicitly shown as the "exceptional man" talked about in Ras's article- a man who can overrthe morality of popular convention for the cause of the "greater good", yet he does this because he has almost no morals, he does not justify himself (Unlike Raskolnikov).
And the fiancee is shown to be a nasty little bastard, but they show him negatively right from the beggining, while Svi's is started of with a well earned and horrendous reputation, has some acts of charity but realizes that he can't change the monster that he is "under the skin" and kills himself.-
The charatcers are similair but the fiance is possibly closer to Ras' in nature since he tries to find moral platitudes to justify himself (His roomamte is employed to help him with philosophy).