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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Loved both stories, especially how the first dealt with the notion of how realising one's own death makes us reflect on a life well lived, or realise with horror one that is not. This translation seems more...modern than some I've read - maybe in the use of words or style. Overall a succinct introduction to Tolstoy (since I'm deciding whether it would be a suitable read for a thirteen year old acquaintance); the length, speed and flow are perfect. The footnotes would be much better were they printed at the bottom of each page - that way I wouldn't have to disrupt the flow of the story by constantly flipping to the back, and it would've ensured I dutifully read every single painstakingly noted footnote the translator invested time in.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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
Tolstoy what a deeply perplexing man; I can’t decide whether i want to completely dislike him or merit him something. Four stars because admittedly this is an excellent piece of work. The Death of Ivan and The Sonata are the two best in his collection. Family happiness was the first work i had ever read by Tolstoy and begun an easy but withdrawn opinion of him. Now though, I can definitely say that this is one of his weakest works including the Devil which turns itself into some sort of soap opera and one might say that it could and should have been much longer. LOL. To be honest, although I’ve highly enjoyed this collection i still withhold any deep feelings for Tolstoy. He seems to be a man with a gift but more than not goes from being robust to completely losing himself in his mind. Not sure how i feel just yet but really, the death of Ivan was beautiful and the Sonata was a real example of his talent.
I’m in between 3.5 and 4 stars — I liked the honesty of these works and there were some pretty profound passages. I particularly liked Ivan’s relationship with Gerasim. But it was a bit redundant in both the short story and Confession.
Read for the first time ages ago, re-read 11/23 (after Anna Karenina). Appreciated it much more this time around. A believable, detailed look into the slow and unremarkable illness/death of an average prosperous man who lived society's version of a good life.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A short opinion about each short story in this quite short collection:
"Family Happiness" - Wow, so much of this could have been avoided by just opening your mouth and communicating.
"The Death of Ivan Ilych" - Beautifully tragic as we all realize each of us is in fact Caius.
"The Kruetzer Sonata" - Really feel sorry for the narrator stuck listening to this incel manifesto rant full of $5 SAT words.
"Hadji Murad" - Also beautifully tragic because it seemed inevitable.
It's always a bit hard to rate short story collections because some resonate more than others. Still, it was pretty good - maybe I'll get around to reading War and Peace sometime. 4 stars.
"Family Happiness" - Wow, so much of this could have been avoided by just opening your mouth and communicating.
"The Death of Ivan Ilych" - Beautifully tragic as we all realize each of us is in fact Caius.
"The Kruetzer Sonata" - Really feel sorry for the narrator stuck listening to this incel manifesto rant full of $5 SAT words.
"Hadji Murad" - Also beautifully tragic because it seemed inevitable.
It's always a bit hard to rate short story collections because some resonate more than others. Still, it was pretty good - maybe I'll get around to reading War and Peace sometime. 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Abortion, Murder, War
Minor: Child death, Drug use
dark
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Only read The Death of II.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death