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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
inspiring
reflective
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This little wonder follows Pakhom, a poor man who becomes fixated on the idea that his life would be perfect if only he owned more land. His obsession eventually consumes him; in his lust for land, he loses everything that actually matters in his life. Considered a classic anti-materialism tale, this tiny piece of literature deftly explores themes of greed, poverty, social climbing, and what truly makes a person happy.
Pakhom is continually in search of more land and power throughout the story, often at the expense of others, and he pays the ultimate price for his avarice. As Pakhom gains land and security, he loses basic human decency and is still never able to satisfy his ever-expanding desire. What’s more, Pakhom’s behaviour not only isolates him within his community, but also within his own family; Pakhom relies upon his family to secure his first piece of land but increasingly neglects them with each new piece of property until they are completely left behind when Pakhom travels to find even more land. By focusing on the effects that Pakhom’s excessive greed has on his family and neighbours, Tolstoy suggests that the real tragedy is not Pakhom’s own death, but the negative impact of his greed on the world around him.
For me this book hit harder due to the fact the main pluckable theme is one that prevalently glares at us just now in world politics. Our daily lives are saturated in tales of the elite classes moving further from humanity in chase of wealth. The ugly head of wanting to better oneself by any means and how greed begets only more greed, desolation for those in need and the removal of all humility. The desire to be opulent in ownership or capital will be, undoubtably, as it is in most tales the gate that opens up to short comings in richness of life and ultimately, the characters pitfall.
This pocketbook, albeit small packs a punch in delivering that exact message, Tolstoy has created a ‘muscle hamster’ piece of work to convey a prevalent ideology that can be observed throughout history, our current social-scape and will remain etched in human nature forevermore.
Pakhom is continually in search of more land and power throughout the story, often at the expense of others, and he pays the ultimate price for his avarice. As Pakhom gains land and security, he loses basic human decency and is still never able to satisfy his ever-expanding desire. What’s more, Pakhom’s behaviour not only isolates him within his community, but also within his own family; Pakhom relies upon his family to secure his first piece of land but increasingly neglects them with each new piece of property until they are completely left behind when Pakhom travels to find even more land. By focusing on the effects that Pakhom’s excessive greed has on his family and neighbours, Tolstoy suggests that the real tragedy is not Pakhom’s own death, but the negative impact of his greed on the world around him.
For me this book hit harder due to the fact the main pluckable theme is one that prevalently glares at us just now in world politics. Our daily lives are saturated in tales of the elite classes moving further from humanity in chase of wealth. The ugly head of wanting to better oneself by any means and how greed begets only more greed, desolation for those in need and the removal of all humility. The desire to be opulent in ownership or capital will be, undoubtably, as it is in most tales the gate that opens up to short comings in richness of life and ultimately, the characters pitfall.
This pocketbook, albeit small packs a punch in delivering that exact message, Tolstoy has created a ‘muscle hamster’ piece of work to convey a prevalent ideology that can be observed throughout history, our current social-scape and will remain etched in human nature forevermore.
reflective
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love it when Tolstoy wrote parables, his parables are almost koan-like in my mind. Might not be as hard hitting as God Knows The Truth, But Waits (seriously read that one story!), but still pretty impactful all the same.
fast-paced