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462 reviews for:

Poor Folk

Fyodor Dostoevsky

3.61 AVERAGE

reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

تازه کتاب رو تموم کردم و صورتم پر اشکه.
این حجم غم تو این عشق هم سوزناکه و قلب آدم رو می‌فشارد، هم باعث میشه لبخند به لب آدم بیاد.
شاید واقعا عشق برای به وجود اومدن و متولد شدن نیازی به دیدن و ظاهر و پول و تجربه های دل انگیز نداره ولی انگار زنده موندنش، وابسته است به همه این ها.
این داستان(این عشق) نوعی از غم نفس گیر رو داره که به خس خس میفتی ولی لبخند از لبت نمیره.

‘Dearest one, even to think of you is like medicine for my ailing soul. Though I suffer for you, I at least suffer gladly.’
dark emotional reflective medium-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
reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional sad 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

Quite a disappointing book. Since I love Dostoyevsky I was curious to read the first book written by him but did not have any expectations from it. Nevertheless, it came as a surprise to me that the story had no head or tail at all. When I saw that it is an Epistolary novel, I thought it is going to be interesting, considering the fact that it's Dostoyevsky writing this, but it was really not!
The letters were quite foolish and made the characters seem foolish as well. They start off on a good note, writing about the pure love between them and so on, then start spending a lot of money on senseless things, pushing them towards poverty and misery. Ending finally with long paragraphs about their struggle and how difficult it is to live with this burden.

Honestly, neither sympathy nor empathy could be felt by me, since it all seemed quite ridiculous and senseless throughout. Every letter getting more boring one after the other!
As for the style of writing, I think this review has summed it up quite well.
challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I wanted to ease myself into Dostoevsky, as I have begun a few others of his and become discouraged. While I was able to finish this one, I had to force myself. I understood that he was trying to show us the plight of the poor during this time frame, but the characters he used to do this were maddening!

First, it's back and forth, I love you, but not THAT way, no you mustn't, I can't help it, I'm IN love with you, I'm too old for you, on and on until I felt like smacking them. When they finally settle into the acceptance of their love for one another, they manipulate, use and take advantage of each other so much they STILL deserve smacks! Or better yet...each other!

I could not find one redeeming virtue in either of the characters. In the end, when she is finally given an out, she treats him appallingly as a common servant. Not only does she send him on endless errands for her upcoming new life, but errands that are bound to make him feel more poor and useless than he already did.

I hated them both, but in the end, I found her worse.