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heathcliff_burton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sophia_a_a's review against another edition
3.0
dostoesvky, look, i love you, but this book… though i did like it it was so dense and hard to pick up sometimes. there wasn’t really a plot and was more like a documentary of aleksandr’s life in the prison.
it felt like i was reading non-fiction in some spots because it was so heavy on the philosophy which i loved but wasn’t expecting.
this book provides a really insightful perspective of the life of convicts back when this was written! the way he conveyed the sense of isolation even when surrounded by people who you’re supposed to be equal with makes me feel such overwhelming sympathy and it resonated with me a lot.
knowing that this is semi-autobiographical helps me to get a clearer view of dostoevsky and his character. its a really important piece of literature in my opinion, however, that doesn’t mean it was captivating 24/7. it’s hard to explain it; yes, reading the book was like drudging through mud but at the same time it was so insanely interesting i couldn’t put it down some days; really just depended on my mood each day of whether or not it felt like a great book.
overall, if you’re a dostoevsky fan yes 100% read this!! fair warning though it’s a hard read.
it felt like i was reading non-fiction in some spots because it was so heavy on the philosophy which i loved but wasn’t expecting.
this book provides a really insightful perspective of the life of convicts back when this was written! the way he conveyed the sense of isolation even when surrounded by people who you’re supposed to be equal with makes me feel such overwhelming sympathy and it resonated with me a lot.
knowing that this is semi-autobiographical helps me to get a clearer view of dostoevsky and his character. its a really important piece of literature in my opinion, however, that doesn’t mean it was captivating 24/7. it’s hard to explain it; yes, reading the book was like drudging through mud but at the same time it was so insanely interesting i couldn’t put it down some days; really just depended on my mood each day of whether or not it felt like a great book.
overall, if you’re a dostoevsky fan yes 100% read this!! fair warning though it’s a hard read.
emersonmoore03's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
worstarchitect's review against another edition
deeply beautiful book... read it in a class and only got halfway through but I will eventually return...
plastron's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
ticianeaneane's review against another edition
dark
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shroomgirl420's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yahyaelkinani's review against another edition
4.0
The story is written through the lens of Aleksander Petrovich, a man who murdered his wife and was sentenced to ten years in prison. In prison Aleksander meets a great variety of people. He talks extensively about his experiences with these other convicts who are convicted for all different type of crimes, such as murderers, forgerers, or rebels. The book is beautiful as it presents an lens I have never encountered before. The people that Aleksander meets, he describes them, talks about them and explains why they are here with him as convicts. He interacts with them and makes you curious about them. It felt as I was the one meeting those people and getting to know them and why they ended up here with me. He also talks about prison life itself and how it was to endure it (seemed pretty comfortable surprisingly enough). Another beautiful addition of the book is that it pulls you to 19th century Russia. You hear the issues of peasants, the way people thought, and behaved and all sorts of things. The book does not have a plot line, it just talks about his experience in prison, a biographical account of some sort, related to Dostoevsky’s own prison experience. Overall, it is was a very enjoyable read.
nothingbutfiction's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5