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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ded Lyova really be saying "abolish prisons!" with this one.
Αυτές τις δέκα μέρες που πέρασα με τον Τολστόι τις βρήκα από τις πιο απολαυστικές και χαλαρωτικές που έχω περάσει με κάποιο ανάγνωσμα. Θα μπορούσε κανείς να παρομοιάσει την γραφή του με ένα ζεστό φλιτζάνι τσάι μετά από μια κρύα και δύσκολη μέρα. Ζεστός και εγκάρδιος λόγος που προβληματίζει και «αγγαλιάζει» όποιον ασχοληθεί μαζί του, η ιστορία της ψυχικής αυτής Ανάστασης του πρίγκιπα Νεχλιούντοβ θα μου λείψει πολύ τα επόμενα βράδια...
Really lost steam after about 100/150 pages. Reverted from novel to a Tolstoy essay on the evils of the Russian bureaucracy and Orthodox Church. Not worth it if you're expecting anything similar to his other big novels.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
I came to this through Alexei Navalny, having recently read his memoir, Patriot. It was a favourite book of his. I can see why it resonated so much with him as a political prisoner (of Putin). There are many political prisoners here in Tolstoy’s novel. Justice seems to be as arbitrary now as it was then (the book was first published in 1899).
The central character, Prince Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhlyudov, is in the process of divesting himself of much of his wealth in favour of his peasant tenants. He feels he must atone for the extortion of his ancestors and his own . His guilt deepens as he becomes aware of the unjust imprisonment and worse of a woman he seduced as a teenager. He seeks to make amends by visiting her in prison and following her into exile in Siberia. He describes in grim detail the conditions of prisoners and the sordid hypocritical system which imprisons them.
Navalny quotes Nekhlyudov from Resurrection in his Memoir:
“Yes, the only suitable place for an honest man in Russia at the present time is in prison”.
Just as Navalny was strengthened by his Christian faith to the bitter end, so Nekhlyudov will come to see the true meaning of Christ’s words spoken in His Sermon on the Mount.
My heart wants to award 5 stars but my head ached with all those characters and their troublesome names and the sheer length of the book and the piteous suffering portrayed.
In the aftermath of the Russian revolution and the fall of soviet communism it’s hard not to see Nekhlyudov as naive, albeit with a big heart becoming purer by the day.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
medium-paced
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
First Tolstoy- finished:)
What an amazing book. In talking with a friend about this book- I realized I am happy to finally meet Tolystoy as I feel I have found genius. He said that "Genius- is the ability to state a simple truth simply so many can understand it."
And Tolstoy is this genius. I found through the pages of this glorious book, 'The Resurection' or 'The Awakening', concepts clearly stated. Concepts that I've been struggling to put into words for years, faith, regards to my own faith, and man's constant struggle to 'be better'- is what is at the core of this book and Tolstoy frames it so perfectly. I would recommend this book to many of my friends who I have had these exact conversations with- hopefully Tolstoy could answer it better than I did.
Tolstoy- I'm happy to finally meet you, I'm happy to have met you in Moscow, it's going to be the beginning to a beautiful relationship. More review to come**
"In Nekhludoff, as in all people, there were two beings; one spiritual, who south only such happiness for himself as also benefited others; and the animal being, seeking his own happiness for the sake of which he is willing to sacrifice that of the world. During this period of his insane egotism, called forth by the life in the army and in St. Petersburg, the animal man dominated him and completely suppressed the spiritual man. But, seeing Katiousha, and being again imbued with the feelings he formerly experienced towards her, the spiritual man raised his head and began to assert his rights."
"His true self he then considered his spiritual being; now, his healthy, vigorous, animal self was his true ego. And all this terrible transformation took place in him only because he ceased to have faith in himself, and began to believe in others."
What an amazing book. In talking with a friend about this book- I realized I am happy to finally meet Tolystoy as I feel I have found genius. He said that "Genius- is the ability to state a simple truth simply so many can understand it."
And Tolstoy is this genius. I found through the pages of this glorious book, 'The Resurection' or 'The Awakening', concepts clearly stated. Concepts that I've been struggling to put into words for years, faith, regards to my own faith, and man's constant struggle to 'be better'- is what is at the core of this book and Tolstoy frames it so perfectly. I would recommend this book to many of my friends who I have had these exact conversations with- hopefully Tolstoy could answer it better than I did.
Tolstoy- I'm happy to finally meet you, I'm happy to have met you in Moscow, it's going to be the beginning to a beautiful relationship. More review to come**
"In Nekhludoff, as in all people, there were two beings; one spiritual, who south only such happiness for himself as also benefited others; and the animal being, seeking his own happiness for the sake of which he is willing to sacrifice that of the world. During this period of his insane egotism, called forth by the life in the army and in St. Petersburg, the animal man dominated him and completely suppressed the spiritual man. But, seeing Katiousha, and being again imbued with the feelings he formerly experienced towards her, the spiritual man raised his head and began to assert his rights."
"His true self he then considered his spiritual being; now, his healthy, vigorous, animal self was his true ego. And all this terrible transformation took place in him only because he ceased to have faith in himself, and began to believe in others."