A while ago I posted a reflection on “problems with the love of comfort,” as inspired by a scene in Crime in Punishment in which Razumikhin ridicules Zossimov for letting himself get slack in the desire for comforts. Chekhov’s “Gooseberries” seems to go in the same direction — though it doesn’t name the problem as love of … Read more
Wow, wow, WOW. I’ve said many times before that Dostoevsky is one of my all-time favorite novelists. I read The Brothers Karamazov almost two years ago and was stunned by his prophetic voice, as well as the strength and multidimensionality of his characters. It’s true that reading his works does require some patience from the modern … Read more
I’ve been reading Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and — to say the least — really enjoying it. As with The Brothers Karamazov, I’m always resisting the urge to post certain brilliant passages to Facebook, to people who probably don’t share my enthusiasm and some of whom must wonder who Dostoevsky is. This is the latest in … Read more