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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
An excellent timeless observation - "'Show a Russian schoolboy a chart of the heavens,' he writes, 'of which hitherto he had no idea at all, and the next day he will return the chart to you with corrections.' No knowledge and boundless conceit..." (556).
Finished! Thoughts to come.
Finished! Thoughts to come.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know that I loved it for most of the read, but the last one hundred pages were incredibly powerful writing and the epilogue in particular was so moving that I cried.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
one of the best books i’ve ever read
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
BOOK NOTES:
Theodore - irresponsible father who had affairs and wanted inheritance of first rich wife.
Dimitri - passionate and military man discipline
Ivan - intellectual
Alyosha - faith
Dimitri came to claim inheritance of mother - clash with father
They loved same Greshenka who loved someone else Apole
Dimitri engaged to Katarina who gave him money but he used it on a trip with Greshenka and so needed to repay Kat before eloping with Greshenka. So he needed the inheritance money
Katarina has a pride and feared society image and so fought with Greshenka over Dimitri
Ivan and Katarina were in love but too proud to act on it and Dimitri better match
Ivan: how can god exist when evil and suffering in world; baby shot, rich man killed boy for harming a dog
Grand inquisitor poem - Christ misunderstood human nature and burden of freedom without security
Theodore had a son with a mute girl and he was illegitimate and so raised as a servant in the house and never considered a son. He developed a dark personality and listened to Ivan’s philosophy of there being no concept of evil in a world without god. So there is no good evil moral as soul is not immortal.
Everything is forgiven in a world without God
Dimitri hit man in bar so Kat gave money to Alyosha to give man
The man’s son bit Alyosha hand - grudge is passed on to next gen
Man refused money for his pride in front of son
Zoshima death no miracle took place after
Dimitri hurts servant and spares father - thought he gave money to Greshenka to be lover
Greshenka met ex and Dimitri met them, ex insulted Dimitri and she disliked ex and loved Dimitri
Police charges Dimitri with death of Theodore - he had intended it many times and had motives
Illiyusha was bonding with a friend he fought with through forgiveness but doctor announced he would soon die
Servant bastard killed Theodore - Ivan’s ideology rationalised it
At Dimitri trial - Ivan felt guilty and declared it but he was disregarded and thought crazy
Kat defended but then showed Dimitri intentions to kill Theodore as letter
Servant child Smyerdikov hanged himself - but Dimitri accepted responsibility and wanted to serve sentence to become changed man
Kat took care of Ivan illness and also arranged for Dimitri and Greshenka to go to America to start their life - Kat and Dim forgave each other
Illyusha died and Alyosha spread word of love, memories to the kid friends
OVERALL MESSAGES
Money and women create conflict in the lives of men
Image in society affects actions
How can god exist when there is suffering
Kat caring for Dimitri just to hold on to reputation
Pride can affect our actions and behaviour. Children and their presence can brim this pride as values need to be passed on
love and forgiveness so important in human life
Absence of expected miracles can shatter faith
Ideologies can be powerful in motivating actions
Resentment and hatred can brew when there is lack of acknowledgment
Theodore saw servant child as a representation of his guilt and improper and that representation was neglected for his peace but it ended up killing him
Kat broke shackles of reputation and justice served against man who had hurt her so much. She was done defending him for her reputation
Love and forgiveness central themes
Though faith was tested, Alyosha preached teaching of his teacher to others where they applied
The book presents atheist has having no moral compass and theists as being compassionate.
Morality vs Belief vs Love vs Forgiveness
Everyone’s actions are painted with intention
Theodore - irresponsible father who had affairs and wanted inheritance of first rich wife.
Dimitri - passionate and military man discipline
Ivan - intellectual
Alyosha - faith
Dimitri came to claim inheritance of mother - clash with father
They loved same Greshenka who loved someone else Apole
Dimitri engaged to Katarina who gave him money but he used it on a trip with Greshenka and so needed to repay Kat before eloping with Greshenka. So he needed the inheritance money
Katarina has a pride and feared society image and so fought with Greshenka over Dimitri
Ivan and Katarina were in love but too proud to act on it and Dimitri better match
Ivan: how can god exist when evil and suffering in world; baby shot, rich man killed boy for harming a dog
Grand inquisitor poem - Christ misunderstood human nature and burden of freedom without security
Theodore had a son with a mute girl and he was illegitimate and so raised as a servant in the house and never considered a son. He developed a dark personality and listened to Ivan’s philosophy of there being no concept of evil in a world without god. So there is no good evil moral as soul is not immortal.
Everything is forgiven in a world without God
Dimitri hit man in bar so Kat gave money to Alyosha to give man
The man’s son bit Alyosha hand - grudge is passed on to next gen
Man refused money for his pride in front of son
Zoshima death no miracle took place after
Dimitri hurts servant and spares father - thought he gave money to Greshenka to be lover
Greshenka met ex and Dimitri met them, ex insulted Dimitri and she disliked ex and loved Dimitri
Police charges Dimitri with death of Theodore - he had intended it many times and had motives
Illiyusha was bonding with a friend he fought with through forgiveness but doctor announced he would soon die
Servant bastard killed Theodore - Ivan’s ideology rationalised it
At Dimitri trial - Ivan felt guilty and declared it but he was disregarded and thought crazy
Kat defended but then showed Dimitri intentions to kill Theodore as letter
Servant child Smyerdikov hanged himself - but Dimitri accepted responsibility and wanted to serve sentence to become changed man
Kat took care of Ivan illness and also arranged for Dimitri and Greshenka to go to America to start their life - Kat and Dim forgave each other
Illyusha died and Alyosha spread word of love, memories to the kid friends
OVERALL MESSAGES
Money and women create conflict in the lives of men
Image in society affects actions
How can god exist when there is suffering
Kat caring for Dimitri just to hold on to reputation
Pride can affect our actions and behaviour. Children and their presence can brim this pride as values need to be passed on
love and forgiveness so important in human life
Absence of expected miracles can shatter faith
Ideologies can be powerful in motivating actions
Resentment and hatred can brew when there is lack of acknowledgment
Theodore saw servant child as a representation of his guilt and improper and that representation was neglected for his peace but it ended up killing him
Kat broke shackles of reputation and justice served against man who had hurt her so much. She was done defending him for her reputation
Love and forgiveness central themes
Though faith was tested, Alyosha preached teaching of his teacher to others where they applied
The book presents atheist has having no moral compass and theists as being compassionate.
Morality vs Belief vs Love vs Forgiveness
Everyone’s actions are painted with intention
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
I LOVE this book and Ivan. Thinking about spending my time reading the book felt like an org.
I really struggled with this book. I thought it was excessively boring, verbose, and rather pointless. Almost all the reviews I see are full of praise and acclamation, touting it as a great, life-changing, beautiful book. I hate it when I see such a disconnect because I really wonder "What did I miss?"
I gave it my best shot (or if not my best, a fair shot), and I pretty much read the whole book (I'll admit, skimming came into play more than a few times). I even switched to what seems to be considered the best translation (and with regards to that: the translation I switched to did flow better, and feel less stiff, so I'm happy with that change). Sadly, despite my slogging efforts, and despite there being a few lovely or funny passages, this book was a chore and I am so happy to be done.
My favorite passages were probably the ones addressing "the gentlemen of the jury", but maybe that's because it took me back to the beginning of one of my favorite books. ("Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns.").
My very least favorite passages/chapters were the ones in the monastery and all of the chapters where one person spoke, uninterrupted, for page after page, after page after page, after page after page... you get the idea. The endless spiritual discussions of whether God does or does not exist, and the endless physical discussions of why so and so loved or did not love Grushenka or Katerina Ivanovna... It doesn't even matter which subject it was because they were each so drawn out and beaten to death with words that it was impossible for me to care about any of the arguments in the end.
I'd be willing to give it another chance if I get to reading Russian well enough (although if that happens, I'd much rather just read Vladimir Nabokov's books over, and over, and over).
I gave it my best shot (or if not my best, a fair shot), and I pretty much read the whole book (I'll admit, skimming came into play more than a few times). I even switched to what seems to be considered the best translation (and with regards to that: the translation I switched to did flow better, and feel less stiff, so I'm happy with that change). Sadly, despite my slogging efforts, and despite there being a few lovely or funny passages, this book was a chore and I am so happy to be done.
My favorite passages were probably the ones addressing "the gentlemen of the jury", but maybe that's because it took me back to the beginning of one of my favorite books. ("Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns.").
My very least favorite passages/chapters were the ones in the monastery and all of the chapters where one person spoke, uninterrupted, for page after page, after page after page, after page after page... you get the idea. The endless spiritual discussions of whether God does or does not exist, and the endless physical discussions of why so and so loved or did not love Grushenka or Katerina Ivanovna... It doesn't even matter which subject it was because they were each so drawn out and beaten to death with words that it was impossible for me to care about any of the arguments in the end.
I'd be willing to give it another chance if I get to reading Russian well enough (although if that happens, I'd much rather just read Vladimir Nabokov's books over, and over, and over).
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes