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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So much of what Dostoevsky went on to later right is foreshadowed in this book, from characters to themes to ideas.
Here once again the humanist and empathetic tone of Dostoevsky work shines through. I think what Dostoevsky is really getting at is the innate human capacity to adapt to adversity and suffering and how in the deepest and darkest of moments people's spirits can shine. How in the worst of imprisonment a man can dream of liberty.
There are ways in which Dostoevsky's own internal state come through in this book and he also seems to be saying that between the easier and better, we should choose the better. For example, after one commits a crime and gets sent to prison one can take the easier path of a prison break or take the better path of retrospection and redemption. Do not let suffering go to waste, learn from it!
Some of my favorite lines/ideas from the Book are, in no particular order:
Here once again the humanist and empathetic tone of Dostoevsky work shines through. I think what Dostoevsky is really getting at is the innate human capacity to adapt to adversity and suffering and how in the deepest and darkest of moments people's spirits can shine. How in the worst of imprisonment a man can dream of liberty.
There are ways in which Dostoevsky's own internal state come through in this book and he also seems to be saying that between the easier and better, we should choose the better. For example, after one commits a crime and gets sent to prison one can take the easier path of a prison break or take the better path of retrospection and redemption. Do not let suffering go to waste, learn from it!
Some of my favorite lines/ideas from the Book are, in no particular order:
- He had a mother, too.
- I was so consumed by rage and hate, I did not see the good around me.
- No living man can go on living without a goal. Without a goal he becomes an apathetic monster.
- The best of humanity knows no social hierarchy.
If you are a fan of Dostoevsky work, this may not be his best book but it is a book that explains or adds to a reader's understanding of how Dostoevsky became Dostoevsky.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Medical content
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
the average pub experience
reflective
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
A departure from his usual fare, this is a fascinating tale of Dostoyevsky’s experiences in a Siberian gulag, filled with engrossing descriptions of the world and the people around him. Not much introspection to be had here, no powerfully moving, fully fleshed out characters (but some very interesting and funny ones), but still a really worthwhile read.
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
sad
medium-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
If I must put my thoughts and feelings on this book, too many words will need to be used and even then, it will fail to capture the honesty and sincerity pouring out from it.
Dostoevsky wrote this based on his own experience of being imprisoned for four years in Siberia. Through his eyes, he wrote down incredible details on the feelings of his own protagonist, that might echoed his; the prisoners and their characters, behaviours and the psychological impacts of being imprisoned and trying to understand the system the prison uphold, and how the prison itself changes people. There are many things that can be said about this semifictional story but from the top of my head, I love how Alexander, the protagonist of this story, tried to look and regard each of the prisoner with an open mind. Time and time again, Alexander will judge his peers based on their characters and behaviours during their imprisonment and not the crimes they have committed that caused their imprisonment. Alexander himself is regarded quite well in the prison despite murdering his own wife.
It also posed such an intriguing question to me—is it fair for us to judge other people’s actions especially so, in a circumstances where the murders aren’t serial and is an isolated incident(s)? How do we, as a member of a society, who have (yet) to commit any murder judge those who doesn’t? How do we choose who is deserving our kindness and acceptance and who should have never received any other chance? I found the questions posed in the book remarkable and engaging. The crimes committed by the prisoners are all judged differently, one from another. I found myself to be more distant and disappointed in crimes where women are murdered and minded less over prisoners’ stories where they are thieves, smugglers and killed or attempted to kill someone who have offended them or insulted them. The fact of the matter is, everyone who read this book will have different feelings over all the stories are incredible. It also said a lot about how, each of us, personally would have connected, judge and evaluate each crimes and characters based on our material, current feelings and not fully on the basis of the crimes that have been committed. For example, the murder committed by Gypsy Rose and the serial killings done by Ted Bundy received different treatments and discussion by society despite the commonality shared: live(s) are taken by their hands.
I cannot remember the name anymore, but there is a story of someone that was imprisoned for the crimes of parricide. He needs his inheritance to settle his debts so he beheaded his own father. Extremely disturbing but wouldn’t this crime is done entirely by the capitalism and its wretched, oppressive class system? Desperation from his circumstances pushed him over. He wouldn’t be pushed over if his circumstances doesn’t exist in the first place. Of course, this story is written in a way that is simple, straight to the point and has removed complexities of feeling and thought process behind the actions of every party involved. Almost all stories are written in this straightforward way, highlighting Alexander’s roles as a third party, observer and simple narrator.
The chapters that are my favourite is the Christmas theater performances and on the animals that made its way into the prison. The performances highlighted such a warm feeling in me, making me forget that its acted by people who have taken lives and hurt people. It also made me think about how humane all these prisoners truly are; that they are in a way, a victim of circumstances, systems and their chosen ways to react to it. The stories about all the animals in the prison struck me in the face. I was feeling amused, content and happy—for the lack of a better word—over their fussing on the matter of purchasing a new horse. And the goats, the dogs and the eagle. The dogs ended up being skinned or killed due to their circumstances and fated meetings with some people is a forthright metaphors to the fate of the prisoners themselves. The goat being paraded but accidentally ended up in a circumstance where he was punished by being slaughtered and eaten feels like one of the category of the prisoner that ended there. And the eagle—broken, injured and distrustful—is a direct comparison of the prisoners’ physical and emotional state after being imprisoned. Even the most aloof and merry of a prisoner experienced this brokenness that is in my opinion, a completely humane reactions. When the eagle are finally found and set free, despite its broken wings, it invokes in me a feeling of appreciation over the concept of freedom and how much it means for a human being.
Dostoevsky wrote this based on his own experience of being imprisoned for four years in Siberia. Through his eyes, he wrote down incredible details on the feelings of his own protagonist, that might echoed his; the prisoners and their characters, behaviours and the psychological impacts of being imprisoned and trying to understand the system the prison uphold, and how the prison itself changes people. There are many things that can be said about this semifictional story but from the top of my head, I love how Alexander, the protagonist of this story, tried to look and regard each of the prisoner with an open mind. Time and time again, Alexander will judge his peers based on their characters and behaviours during their imprisonment and not the crimes they have committed that caused their imprisonment. Alexander himself is regarded quite well in the prison despite murdering his own wife.
It also posed such an intriguing question to me—is it fair for us to judge other people’s actions especially so, in a circumstances where the murders aren’t serial and is an isolated incident(s)? How do we, as a member of a society, who have (yet) to commit any murder judge those who doesn’t? How do we choose who is deserving our kindness and acceptance and who should have never received any other chance? I found the questions posed in the book remarkable and engaging. The crimes committed by the prisoners are all judged differently, one from another. I found myself to be more distant and disappointed in crimes where women are murdered and minded less over prisoners’ stories where they are thieves, smugglers and killed or attempted to kill someone who have offended them or insulted them. The fact of the matter is, everyone who read this book will have different feelings over all the stories are incredible. It also said a lot about how, each of us, personally would have connected, judge and evaluate each crimes and characters based on our material, current feelings and not fully on the basis of the crimes that have been committed. For example, the murder committed by Gypsy Rose and the serial killings done by Ted Bundy received different treatments and discussion by society despite the commonality shared: live(s) are taken by their hands.
"Every man, whoever he may be and however humiliated, still requires, even if instinctively, even if unconsciously, respect for his human dignity. The prisoner himself knows that he is a prisoner, an outcast, and he knows his place before his superior; but no brands, no fetters will make him forget that he is a human being. And since he is in fact a human being, it follows that he must be treated as a human being. My God! Humane treatment may make a human being even of someone in whom the image of God has faded long ago."
challenging
dark
informative
reflective