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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was one of those books where i kept asking myself if i was going to stay the path throughout the first hundred pages, and i was so glad that i stuck with it.
one thing, the environment where you are reading makes a huge difference. trying to read this book in an urban environment - on the train while commuting in particular - was difficult. the narrative voice - in first person - is the voice of an adolescent whose consciousness is fragmented, rushed, impulsive.
from the get-go you understand that the story is leading towards a big event where most of the characters you meet are or will be compromised in some way. one of the most astonishing things about the book is the way dostoevsky is able to sustain the tension and suspense - after those first hundred pages where the groundwork is laid. i really didn't want to put the book down for the remaining 469 pages!
this is one of those books where reading the introduction gave me a much deeper appreciation of the work. richard pevear (for newcomers, pevear and his wife, larrisa volokhonsky have been the go to translators of russian literature for a few decades now) talks about the time period when this book appeared, and how up until then russian literature was dominated by "family novels", written in a traditional 3rd person omniscient narrative. in THE ADOLESCENT, you have a first-person narrative that features a character from a fractured family - he is the bastard child of a prince who had an affair with a servant girl and was "raised" by a gentleman who adopts the boy and puts him in a moscow boarding school. the basic story line is our anti-hero has just graduated from the school, comes to saint petersburg, meets his mother and father and eventually his "birth father", and becomes involved with an intrigue that threatens to pull apart the web of family connection.
and so - a departure from tradition that has some modern flourishes, which includes a closing epilogue where the narrator meets a supporting character, who has just read the "notes" (novel) the reader has just read and gives his opinion on the work and its place or reflection of russian society.
in closing, i would say that while this novel does not wrestle with the BIG THEMES that the well read novels have to offer, it offers a lot more than satisfying idle curiosity about how the russian genius got his footing. as i put the book down for the last time i had a lot more to commend than criticize; in short, i grew to love it in spite of whatever flaws i perceived along the way.
4 and 1/2 stars!
one thing, the environment where you are reading makes a huge difference. trying to read this book in an urban environment - on the train while commuting in particular - was difficult. the narrative voice - in first person - is the voice of an adolescent whose consciousness is fragmented, rushed, impulsive.
from the get-go you understand that the story is leading towards a big event where most of the characters you meet are or will be compromised in some way. one of the most astonishing things about the book is the way dostoevsky is able to sustain the tension and suspense - after those first hundred pages where the groundwork is laid. i really didn't want to put the book down for the remaining 469 pages!
this is one of those books where reading the introduction gave me a much deeper appreciation of the work. richard pevear (for newcomers, pevear and his wife, larrisa volokhonsky have been the go to translators of russian literature for a few decades now) talks about the time period when this book appeared, and how up until then russian literature was dominated by "family novels", written in a traditional 3rd person omniscient narrative. in THE ADOLESCENT, you have a first-person narrative that features a character from a fractured family - he is the bastard child of a prince who had an affair with a servant girl and was "raised" by a gentleman who adopts the boy and puts him in a moscow boarding school. the basic story line is our anti-hero has just graduated from the school, comes to saint petersburg, meets his mother and father and eventually his "birth father", and becomes involved with an intrigue that threatens to pull apart the web of family connection.
and so - a departure from tradition that has some modern flourishes, which includes a closing epilogue where the narrator meets a supporting character, who has just read the "notes" (novel) the reader has just read and gives his opinion on the work and its place or reflection of russian society.
in closing, i would say that while this novel does not wrestle with the BIG THEMES that the well read novels have to offer, it offers a lot more than satisfying idle curiosity about how the russian genius got his footing. as i put the book down for the last time i had a lot more to commend than criticize; in short, i grew to love it in spite of whatever flaws i perceived along the way.
4 and 1/2 stars!
Spero che la mia lettura dell'opera omnia di Dostoyevsky sia quasi giunta a termine prima di perdere ogni desiderio. Dopo l'idiota, anche questo libro si é trascinato per quasi un mese e mai una volta che, dopo averlo chiuso, mi avesse lasciato un buon ricordo. Ribadisco che io e la letteratura russa non ci capiamo proprio.
I struggle to give a Dostoevsky only 2 stars, but alas- I just never really got into this one. Confusing. Too confusing- I struggled to understand what Dostoevsky was really saying because I could barely understand what was being said literally. It just didn't feel as clear in message, characters (outside of Arkady), plot, anything- which might actually be brilliant, but it still doesn't make for a particularly enjoyable read if that's the case (teenage years are confusing, yada yada). It's an alright book, it still has some interesting psychological elements to it- but I read it months ago and am struggling to recall anything of significance- that doesn't happen with Dostoevsky's other works. Feels more like a confusing plot that just kinda serves as a backdrop to ruminate on the difficulties of the teenage years- like, Arkady had this big plan, that was kinda the thing for the first 100+ pages. Turns out he just wanted to make money by saving it. That was his plan, he largely failed at it, he gave it up. It's completely disappeared halfway through the book. The Kid thinks he has a truly novel, unique way to live and make money, realizes that it's just damned hard, and gives up. So as a reflection of real characters and life, it's spot-on. But as a read it's just kinda weird. Like, where is this all going? Blah.
Worth rereading at some point just because it's the Dostoevsky I understood the least, but that's from a personal interest perspective. From a "read this because it's enjoyable/good" perspective I just didn't like this one, so despite the strengths any Dostoevsky novel brings with it. 2-3 stars.
Worth rereading at some point just because it's the Dostoevsky I understood the least, but that's from a personal interest perspective. From a "read this because it's enjoyable/good" perspective I just didn't like this one, so despite the strengths any Dostoevsky novel brings with it. 2-3 stars.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ce mai dezastru, inteleg de ce nu a avut nimeni curaj sa ii scrie un rezumat pe wikipedia...stiu ca Dostoievski nu a luat cartea asta in serios pentru ca s-a terminat prea bine, cu toate personajele impacate (ma bucur ca Vasin a iesit de la inchisoare, mi-a placut personajul lui- sau il confund cu Kraft care s-a sinucis pe la inceputul cartii?)
ce contine aceasta carte:
- un personaj principal puturos care lesina
- tatal lui cu bpd
- o domnisoara mandra care e indragostita de tatal puturosului (cine poate sa o invinovateasca pe katia ca ii plac dilfii oricum?) si de care e indragostit puturosul
- o scrisoare de santaj cusuta in buzunarul unei camasi
- un vis cu un cal batut
- un mos "ghid spiritual" care moare
- jocuri de noroc
- o fata saraca fortata sa se prostituteze
nu prea mai am idei, dar parca suna cunoscut...
(ah sa nu uit avem si un arici)
marele minus: cartea a cam dus lipsa de nihilisti macinati, si daca ii scoatem pe ei ce ne ramane in afara de "dostoievski didacticul" care vrea sa ne invete cum sa ne traim frumos viata si pe care nu il suporta nimeni?
primeste 3 stelute trebuie sa recunosc ca a fost distractiva
ce contine aceasta carte:
- un personaj principal puturos care lesina
- tatal lui cu bpd
- o domnisoara mandra care e indragostita de tatal puturosului (cine poate sa o invinovateasca pe katia ca ii plac dilfii oricum?) si de care e indragostit puturosul
- o scrisoare de santaj cusuta in buzunarul unei camasi
- un vis cu un cal batut
- un mos "ghid spiritual" care moare
- jocuri de noroc
- o fata saraca fortata sa se prostituteze
nu prea mai am idei, dar parca suna cunoscut...
(ah sa nu uit avem si un arici)
marele minus: cartea a cam dus lipsa de nihilisti macinati, si daca ii scoatem pe ei ce ne ramane in afara de "dostoievski didacticul" care vrea sa ne invete cum sa ne traim frumos viata si pe care nu il suporta nimeni?
primeste 3 stelute trebuie sa recunosc ca a fost distractiva