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angelsrgorgeous's review against another edition
5.0
Wow - there is quite a bit of truth in here!
Dostoyevsky continues to impress me with both the depth of his subjects and the eloquence with which he explores them:
"There exists no greater or more painful anxiety for a
man who has freed himself from all religious bias, than how he
shall soonest find a new object or idea to worship. But man seeks
to bow before that only which is recognized by the greater
majority, if not by all his fellow-men, as having a right to be
worshiped; whose rights are so unquestionable that men agree
unanimously to bow down to it. For the chief concern of these
miserable creatures is not to find and worship the idol of their
own choice, but to discover that which all others will believe
in, and consent to bow down to in a mass. "
Dostoyevsky continues to impress me with both the depth of his subjects and the eloquence with which he explores them:
"There exists no greater or more painful anxiety for a
man who has freed himself from all religious bias, than how he
shall soonest find a new object or idea to worship. But man seeks
to bow before that only which is recognized by the greater
majority, if not by all his fellow-men, as having a right to be
worshiped; whose rights are so unquestionable that men agree
unanimously to bow down to it. For the chief concern of these
miserable creatures is not to find and worship the idol of their
own choice, but to discover that which all others will believe
in, and consent to bow down to in a mass. "
catalina_monserrate's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
melinum's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
alanffm's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great collection of stories from The Brothers Karamazov and The House of the Dead. I'm at a loss for words - Dostoevsky has a way with archetypes, words, stories... just an amazing writer. While these excerpts are a great introduction, I recommend reading his original works.
saarahrust's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
byrenical's review against another edition
3.0
I deducted a star because he mentions bread too much as I ate too much of it today. If you have not ate too much bread this is worth a read, although quite heavy at points, almost as if you'd ate too much bread.
“Without a clear perception of his reasons for living, man will never consent to live, and will rather destroy himself than tarry on earth, though he be surrounded with bread.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Grand Inquisitor
hades9stages's review against another edition
4.0
“That day must come when men will understand that freedom and daily bread enough to satisfy all are unthinkable and can never be had together, as men will never be able to fairly divide the two among themselves. And they will also learn that they can never be free, for they are weak, vicious, miserable nonentities born wicked and rebellious.”
Dostoyevky’s last work (?) and definitely one of his most interesting. It’s pretty dense, written in a way where it’s kind of hard to follow, even for a Dostoyevky. A startling difference to his much earlier stories which I have recently read. But I found it quite interesting. Not my type of book, though.
“I swear man is weaker and lower than Thou hast ever imagined him to be! Can he ever do that which Thou art said to have accomplished?”
“'And thus, after all Thou has suffered for mankind and its freedom, the present fate of men may be summed up in three words: Unrest, Confusion, Misery!”
“Humanity as a whole has ever aspired to unite itself universally. Many were, the great nations with great histories, but the greater they were, the more unhappy they felt, as they felt the stronger necessity of a universal union among men.”
Dostoyevky’s last work (?) and definitely one of his most interesting. It’s pretty dense, written in a way where it’s kind of hard to follow, even for a Dostoyevky. A startling difference to his much earlier stories which I have recently read. But I found it quite interesting. Not my type of book, though.
“I swear man is weaker and lower than Thou hast ever imagined him to be! Can he ever do that which Thou art said to have accomplished?”
“'And thus, after all Thou has suffered for mankind and its freedom, the present fate of men may be summed up in three words: Unrest, Confusion, Misery!”
“Humanity as a whole has ever aspired to unite itself universally. Many were, the great nations with great histories, but the greater they were, the more unhappy they felt, as they felt the stronger necessity of a universal union among men.”