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emyleigh 's review for:
What Is to Be Done?
by Nikolai Chernyshevsky
I wish I could give this novel 5 stars, as it’s made such a great impression on me. Unfortunately, about half of the book was very difficult to read (I found it a bit slow and boring at times) and consequently it took me a very long time to get through (though the last quarter was incredibly entertaining and I finished it in a couple of hours). My advice to prospective readers would be to not discard it to the DNF pile based on the first few sections, because it does get better and all the loose threads are tied, making it feel worth the slog in the end.
Beyond the sections that provide an intentional critique of literature, I think this book could have really benefitted from more cohesion which, due to the circumstances under which it was written, I can’t really blame the author for. The final chapter lacks the charm of the preceding chapters, and it almost felt like I was reading a different book.
Ultimately this book succeeds in how it brings down to earth seemingly “extraordinary” characters who are shown completely with all their flaws and humanness. Contrary to how the book is usually read as a political pamphlet, I think it’s the love story that makes this novel worth reading (and the philosophy of love and women’s emancipation that permeates it). The wit in this novel is, in my opinion, unmatched and I laughed quite a bit while reading.
It is odd to me how the book was misinterpreted completely for nearly 100 years as the narrator (who can be understood to be Chernyshevsky himself) consistently makes his positions clear through hilarious asides. I think this book does not provide a solution to how society should be run (instead showing us what is not to be done). Its central themes are far more focused on the individual, how each of us should think and act in order to achieve a fulfilling life and to reach our potential as individuals that can make up a revolutionary force for societal change.
Having read Andrew Drozd’s "Chernishevskii’s What is to Be Done?: A Re-evaluation" alongside the novel itself, I am excited to dive deeper into the various interpretations of the novel. There are many scenes and points of discourse that I don’t think I fully grasped upon the first read. The novel is so rich in content and there are so much to uncover below the surface.
To conclude, although no where near a perfect novel, I’d highly recommend Chernyshevsky’s "What is to Be Done?" to anyone who enjoys classic literature and especially those who are also sympathetic to revolutionary ideas. I think the modern reader still has much to learn from Chernyshevsky and anyone who says this book should be a relic of history is absolutely missing the point. I certainly feel like reading this novel has given me a better understanding of life and the nuances of being human.
Beyond the sections that provide an intentional critique of literature, I think this book could have really benefitted from more cohesion which, due to the circumstances under which it was written, I can’t really blame the author for. The final chapter lacks the charm of the preceding chapters, and it almost felt like I was reading a different book.
Ultimately this book succeeds in how it brings down to earth seemingly “extraordinary” characters who are shown completely with all their flaws and humanness. Contrary to how the book is usually read as a political pamphlet, I think it’s the love story that makes this novel worth reading (and the philosophy of love and women’s emancipation that permeates it). The wit in this novel is, in my opinion, unmatched and I laughed quite a bit while reading.
It is odd to me how the book was misinterpreted completely for nearly 100 years as the narrator (who can be understood to be Chernyshevsky himself) consistently makes his positions clear through hilarious asides. I think this book does not provide a solution to how society should be run (instead showing us what is not to be done). Its central themes are far more focused on the individual, how each of us should think and act in order to achieve a fulfilling life and to reach our potential as individuals that can make up a revolutionary force for societal change.
Having read Andrew Drozd’s "Chernishevskii’s What is to Be Done?: A Re-evaluation" alongside the novel itself, I am excited to dive deeper into the various interpretations of the novel. There are many scenes and points of discourse that I don’t think I fully grasped upon the first read. The novel is so rich in content and there are so much to uncover below the surface.
To conclude, although no where near a perfect novel, I’d highly recommend Chernyshevsky’s "What is to Be Done?" to anyone who enjoys classic literature and especially those who are also sympathetic to revolutionary ideas. I think the modern reader still has much to learn from Chernyshevsky and anyone who says this book should be a relic of history is absolutely missing the point. I certainly feel like reading this novel has given me a better understanding of life and the nuances of being human.