“The Idiot” by Dostoyevsky

Reading “The Idiot” by Dostoyevsky felt like having a conversation with someone incredibly wise, big-hearted, and understanding. It consumed all my thoughts, and invited me to reflect and reconnect with my core values and beliefs. Why? Well, because the novel deals with the different sides of being a human: it is a story about the agonizing power of love, an inquiry into the philosophical dilemmas about the value of life and the role of religion, and a commentary on the Russian society of the XIX century (that still applies today…and not just to Russian society…).

In this novel, Dostoyevsky aimed to depict “a positively good and beautiful man” and our protagonist, Prince Myshkin, fulfills his role: he is young, inexperienced, naïve, credulous and kind. This is beyond the benefit-driven society’s understanding, so he is considered to be either an idiot or an actor. As he soon becomes to get exploited, they realize that he truly is an “idiot.”

At the same time, however, the Prince appears to be very wise in some matters. He recounts witnessing an execution, a moment when he realized that the true value of life is only understood when it is about to be taken away. In fact, several characters ponder over the question of how to live each moment of life to its true value, with Ippolit, a lethally ill boy, concluding that:
«If one is alive, he has everything in his power!»

At this point, I find it important to note that I do understand that Dostoyevsky’s seemingly exaggerated portrayal of reality, extreme changes in emotions, and somewhat feverish writing style might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But, in my opinion, his style illustrates his idea that
«Another’s soul is a mystery…My own soul is a mystery.»

Moreover, I do find this book to be more powerful than “Crime and Punishment” and I wonder why it’s not his most popular one – just read some of the quotes:

«Children are capable of giving advice in the most important matters.»

«And what beautiful things there are at every step […] Look at a child! Look at God’s sunrise! Look at the grass, how it grows! Look at the eyes that gaze at you and love you!…»

“Barn Burning” (1983) by Haruki Murakami

“You’re a writer, so I thought you must be interested in patterns of human behavior. Writers are supposed to appreciate something for what it is, before they hand down a judgment.”

Murakami’s talent shines through as he manages to craft a multidimensional story in just 12 pages! “Multidimensional” is not a coincidental word choice – the author examines the question of the different realities we live in, and by the end of this enigmatic story I realized that I’ve missed the answer that was lying right on the surface…just like the main character did…

To shed the light on the content without revealing the major plot twists, I’ll just say that it follows the somewhat classic Murakami storyline, where a 20-year-old working class writer loses the girl he loves to a rich 20-year-old boy with “The Great Gatsby” vibes and a strange hobby of burning down abandoned barns. The veil of ambiguity hangs over this seemingly simple and strange story, and only the unexpected open ending uncovers that in fact every word and every small detail were constantly pointing towards one idea…

An interesting thought was put forward by the South-Korean director who adapted this story into a film called “Burning” (2018) – Lee Chang-dong. He highlights that, in a way, this story acts as a reflection to our modern world, where the rapid pace of life sometimes gives little time to deal with subtleties and complexities that hide beneath the shiny surface. And I have to say that he does a brilliant job of communicating his thoughtful interpretation through film. Initially, I didn’t plan to watch it, but listening to the discussion of it on the New Yorker podcast persuaded me to do it, and wow! I’m so impressed how Lee Chang-dong captured the many dilemmas that may tear the young minds as they search for the right path, navigate through their feelings, encounter the instances of inequality and get “burned” by some of the experiences. 

Please let me know if you have read or watched it – I would love to hear your thoughts!

And I hope you all are staying healthy and safe at this difficult time!

“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt

“One’s thought patterns become different, he said, when forced into the confines of a rigid and unfamiliar tongue. Certain common ideas become inexpressible; other, previously undreamt-of ones spring to life, finding miraculous new articulation”

No matter which book I pick, my thoughts keep returning to this disturbing beauty. The magic of Donna Tartt’s words made me feel a part of that small elitist circle of students studying Greek and now I dearly miss her emotionally confused, well-read, witty, unlikeable in many ways and not at all adapted to living in the real world characters – Richard, Camilla, Henry, Francis, Charles and Edmund. To be honest, at first I didn’t think I liked “The Secret History” as much (maybe because I kept comparing it to the greatness of “The Goldfinch”) yet, surprisingly, the memory of this book becomes more and more precious to me as the time goes. .

First of all, this book is like a bow to the great classics. The storyline reminds of the “Crime and Punishment” (the constant allusions confirm it), whereas one of the main characters, Henry, is like an evil version of Sherlock Holmes. So it was rather entertaining to see Donna Tartt put a twist on the good old stories to give birth to a new one. .

Secondly, Donna Tartt again manages to tackle so many relevant topics: the search of identity, unrequited love, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse. Just like “The Goldfinch”, it provides a glance into different aspects of the modern day life. .

And of course, Donna Tartt’s writing is a separate piece of art. The novel could be condensed to about 300 pages, and I agree that some details might have been unnecessary to the development of the plot, yet the positive side is the prolonged enjoyment of her mastery of the English language and her rich vocabulary. I read it with a notebook and a pen closely by my side. 
Would love to hear your thoughts about this one!

“Kolyma Tales” by Varlam Shalamov

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Coming across the photo of the “Kolyma Tales” reminded me that I still haven’t posted about this powerful book: a collection of deeply touching and astonishing stories about life in Soviet labor camps. What makes Varlam Shalamov’s writing unique is that he universalizes the experiences of the prisoners by exploring the themes of love, friendship and death in his stories. He doesn’t lecture or draw any conclusions, he simply writes down what he sees in a matter of fact tone and leaves the ending open for interpretation, which only intensifies the realization of the reality of the events described…Moreover, his rich vocabulary allows him to construct comprehensive visual and emotional portraits that can be compared to those seen in Chekhov’s short stories.

Of the stories I have read, the ones that impressed me the most were “Through The Snow”, “Carpenters” and “A Child’s Drawings.” Reading all the stories in one gulp appeared to be emotionally hard since I had read “Into The Whirlwind” by Eugenia Ginzburg around the same time but I plan to return to Varlam Shalamov’s work during the holidays. 

I’d love to hear if you have read this book and if there are any short stories in this collection that you would recommend.

“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck

“Of Mice And Men” by John Steinbeck is an incredibly touching story.

I admire John Steinbeck’s wisdom, captivating writing and dynamic characters. As he writes in his journal entry: “Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other.” The Great Depression steals the characters of their aspirations, leaving them lonely and bitter, seeking a company of a friend. Socially and financially insecure, they move from place to place in search for work and find refugee in bars. Yet, the protagonists, George and Lennie, appear to be different because they have each other, they are loyal friends, they work hard and they share a dream of buying land one day and becoming independent. But how long will their common dream be able protect them from the oppression and abuse they experience?

“Of Mice And Mice” is a short and compelling read… Highly recommend.

“March Violets” by Philip Kerr

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I initially planned to write a proper review about this one but decided against it since this is more of an entertaining read that doesn’t need much of an introduction other than: it is a historical detective set in Nazi Germany in 1936 that revolves around political intrigues of Goering and Himmler (if you would like to learn more about these characters or Nazi Germany as a whole, you might consider picking this up). Also the narrator is very sarcastic which makes the book darkly funny at times despite the horrific events described. “The March Violets” by Philip Kerr is one of my first reads in genre of historical detective and I have to say I was surprised to find out that the author himself was born two decades after the year his novel is set in. Or maybe not, maybe if he was a real witness of such events, he would not have been as sarcastic in his writing. 

Have you read anything by Philip Kerr? Do you have any historical detective recommendations? 

“The Boy in Striped Pyjamas” by John Boyne

“The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas” by John Boyne (@JohnBoyne) .
It’s a very moving story. I’ve read much about the horrors of the Second World War yet scarcely have any of those readings grasped the abyss between the two sides (Nazi soldiers and Jews in concentration camps) like this book.

The story is told from the perspective of 9-year-old Bruno, whose father is a Commandant in Auschwitz. There, Bruno secretly becomes friends with a Jewish boy, Shmuel, to confront the evil together. –

I like the accessible language of this book because many war-themed novels have adults as their target audience but this one would be easy for young people to read. Excellent way to educate.

What makes the book unique is, probably, the child’s point of view because it is free from hypocrisy and sees people as they really are. Despite the simple childish thinking, Bruno touches on some very philosophical questions, especially: “What exactly was the difference? And who decided which people wore the striped pyjamas and which people wore uniforms?” I would also like to mention a character that I find to be very controversial: Bruno’s father. Often the soldiers are presented as monsters but in this book Bruno’s father seemed to have two personalities: that of a loving (in his own way) father and that of a stone-hearted soldier. And it is very hard to understand how one person can act so different.

*spoiler alert*

The ending was shocking. Very sad but it shows that all people are the same and the distinctions are artificial because if the soldiers knew Bruno was German, he would not have been killed and that is terrifying that innocent people were killed for their nationality. Really shows that such distinctions are absurd. And the last lines of the book are rather sarcastic and bitter “Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age.”
Strongly recommend, “The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas” is a must-read.

If you have read it, please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

“The Red And The Black” by Stendhal

“Much shall be forgiven thee for thou hast loved much”

I adore Stendhal for writing a literary masterpiece that “The Red And The Black” is. Despite being written in 1830, the book is still very applicable to modern society -it seems that the advances in science didn’t eradicate passions and ambitions common to our ancestors. I wonder if that is good and if that ever changes.
The book is about Julien, a plebeian, determined to reach success, – that for him is becoming a part of elite society,- while saving his pride. Along his journey, Julien falls in love with provincial Mme. de Renal and conquers haughty Mathilde. Moreover, with his hard work and brilliant mind, Julien manages to reach his goals only to realize that “simplest, modest virtue has been sacrificed to that which glitters.” And there, at the end of the book, comes the unexpected shocking climax! The book was written in one pace, with Stendhal‘s care for reader’s psychological state, until those explosive concluding untitled chapters.
It’s been a week now that I have finished reading this book but with each day I find more areas to apply Stendhal’s philosophy to. Grateful to Stendhal for sharing his wisdom. It is a very educating book. Even in terms of language and writing because the omniscient narrator of “The Red And The Black” captures scenes like a playwright and feelings like a poet.
Of course, there is so much more to add to this review and if you have read this book, I’d like to discuss it with you in comments!
Also important to note that the title “The Red And The Black” can be interpreted differently. For me, it seems like a description of Julien’s dual nature. But also critics explain that “red” is the color of soldier’s uniform and “black” is the color of priests’ cassocks – both clothings worn by elite whom Julien admired. How do you prefer to interpret the title?

 

“The Master And Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov

“The Master And Margarita” set a storm in my head. First element of the book I adored was the brilliant writing that grabs the attention from the first page, or, better to say, from the first line. Bulgakov creates vivid pictures by using original similes and metaphors and I wonder how much skill it takes to translate those native Russian phrases to other languages. Second, mysticism is tied into the story in such way that it seems truthful. It seems truthful that Satan comes to Moscow, black cat behaves like a human, people are sent miles away in a matter of seconds and, well, have to pause before I reveal too much about the plot. Obviously, this book was banned in USSR because of its religious content.
As I read, it was hard for me understand where the plot was going so I kept turning the pages (the story is so fast-paced) , eager to learn what exactly Bulgakov wants to say. And he says a lot. And, in my opinion, the messages of the book are up for different interpretations. For me, one of the main messages of the book is that our belief and imagination are powerful and “it will be given to each according to his faith.” And the book itself is a proof of these words in many ways. Especially, Margarita’s strong character demonstrates the reader what true faith and courage are. The relationship between Master and Margarita is the one to adore: “we had, of course, loved each other for a long, long time, without knowing each other.” And there is so much more I have to say so there may be more posts coming about this great book! It certainly is a must read! If you’ve read it, I’d like to discuss it with you in comments!

“The Stranger” by Albert Camus

I finished reading “The Stranger” on Sunday. Or on Monday maybe. That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was Sunday. (An attempt to write in Camus’ indifferent style)

Anyway, I read “The Stranger” and it was like reading a philosophical treatise in fictional form. I like how it makes complex situations look simple. What contributes to such effect is the writing style as the sentences are simple (I mean grammar and vocabulary) and concise, like Hemingway’s, despite the seriousness of most topics. This book is clearly an amazing example of how language shapes the plot of the story. In the beginning, it was hard to understand where the plot was going but now I realize that probably the purpose of the book is to show how the main hero Mr.Meursault is more like an observer of other people’s lives; he listens to people, he gives advice but in his own life he simply accepts the situations as they are. He looks at his own tragedies almost as if they were happening with anyone else but him.

.The book includes two parts: before the murder and after the murder. Almost like “Crime and Punishment” ( Dostoyevsky finds his way into my review for the 3rd time in a row – that’s how much I like him), the difference being that unlike Raskolnikov, Mr.Meursault commits unintended murder, gives honest indication to police when asked, goes to prison, does not feel guilty and is sentenced to death. Clearly, Meursault’s actions are more than just odd because there was no reason to commit a murder and there was a way to get out of the prison or at least not to get a death sentence, so, why?
Apparently, because Camus aimed to depict “absurdity”. The main hero has “it does not mean anything” attitude to the events that take place in his life. He questions his life and the meaning of his life because what if it was a product of his imagination? So, the themes discussed are mostly the ones majority of people have thought of and the book provides Camus’ view on those themes. I might not have agreed with him on some matters but I liked how Camus gave reader more freedom by using many metaphorical lines that allowed for numerous interpretations. Moreover, Camus put emphasis on the power of the imagination. For instance, to entertain himself in prison, Mr.Meursault dug out details about different days from his memory and got himself immersed in those memories. Mr.Meursault teaches how to “take it easy” by making complex situations simple. “The Stranger” also won a Nobel Prize for literature (just so if you haven’t got enough reasons already to read it).

If you have read it, please let’s discuss the book in the comments!