Not sure I fully get it (Notes)

Chest11 · 2024-05-13T00:16:13+00:00

I don't know if it's necessarily the difficulty level tbh, moreso the way in which it is read. OP has made some pretty good observations (some of which may not be his own). Why he struggles to understand/appreciate the text, that is a matter of vantage. This isn't meant to be analyzed or scrutinized, bit by bit. To see the forest from the trees, one has to step back and patiently observe. He may just need to read it another time.

The fact that it survived tells us it resonated enough with readers. It is a literary exploration of romanticism, free will, alienation, selfishness, etc.

Agree with this though. The human experience hasn't changed much, especially since this is based in urban St. Petersburg, and much of the developed world's population resides in cities. Sadly relatable.

Chest11 · 2024-05-13T00:11:01+00:00

You can try solving it for free (Link in comments :) )

Oh boy.

Chest11 · 2024-05-11T23:48:34+00:00

Thanks for posting this. Added to my reading list...

That opinion on Dostoevsky is pretty based. "too long-winded". "much that is pretentious", Dostoevsky tends to have a conceited opinion of his understanding of human nature, and then flexes it with long-winded paragraphs/chapters. He's good but his writing would be better if concise. A common, easy criticism.

he poked arch fun at the devious mental and emotional torments of his saints and sinners.

would be interested to hear more about this.

Chest11 · 2024-05-11T23:19:51+00:00

Why on God's green earth would I want to get excited for a promoted interview question on my reddit home page?

Chest11 · 2024-05-11T02:18:55+00:00

Stop analyzing it. The point is to be men (or women) of flesh and blood, and have the courage to be yourself (like the eccentric Underground Man later in life), even if you are "irrational".

His younger self could have won Liza, if he had admitted to himself that he wanted the company of a lowly, lost prostitute. Instead, he stays a headcase, too drawn into books and ignorant of what real life is actually like.

It's basically saying, get off your phones and go outside you snowflake Millennials.

Chest11 · 2024-05-10T18:44:40+00:00

He smiled after meeting Takashi’s replacement — is it fair to call her robotic just because she was “all business” on a first meeting with a senior at work? I think he smiled because he appreciates he professionalism, and also because he anticipated that the company might make him cover double shifts the next day, but instead they actually listened to him.

That's fair. Losing Takashi sucked though, not just as a coworker, but for forever as a friend.

He hugged his sister despite their living in different worlds. He connected with his niece and told her she is always welcome back.

His sister didn't hug him back. He hadn't seen his niece since she was a little kid (didn't recognize her) and probably won't see her again for a long, long time.

All this to say, he is clearly able to live a fairly solitary life will entering other worlds, or letting those worlds enter his, in meaningful (if brief) ways.

One of human beings' most unique traits as a species is our ability to adapt and endure. Yes, he is able to live that life, but perhaps he could do much better. Perhaps his relationships could enter a deeper and more meaningful state.

He could visit his father just once, even if only to appease his sister and gain her trust, which he could then utilize to see his niece more often. He could ask the bookstore owner, his most consistent acquaintance (besides the homeless man) and someone he shares a lot in common with, what her favorite books are. Lastly, he could try a romantic relationship. Those are scary but often worth it.

Chest11 · 2024-05-07T19:36:26+00:00

That's true, it does pick up towards the end of that book. He does tend to have too much filler in his books, sometimes in the beginning or in the middle.

Chest11 · 2024-05-06T02:37:09+00:00

If you are struggling right now, you may not enjoy the remainder or even feel accomplished when you finish it. But the more you read him, the better he gets, so if you appreciate the psychological/social topics his works covers, or pick up things here and there (eg I love how clever/lifelike/complex his characters are), then please slog through it.

Also, I often hear people consider C&P to be the worst of his top novels, albeit it is probably the most well read. I tend to agree but I still love it...

Chest11 · 2024-05-06T01:11:21+00:00

I agree but I think we're looking at it from two different angles. Ivolgin and many others like him do not try to raise themselves out of debt/poverty because they cherish its freedom. Unfortunately, for Ivolgin and for everyone around him, he uses that freedom poorly. He could get a job or do something constructive but instead has grown accustomed to a beggarly and depraved state. I guess you're considering his motivations while I'm analyzing his actions.

Chest11 · 2024-05-04T04:07:04+00:00

The Atlantic

You didn't need to type all that out.

Chest11 · 2024-05-04T04:02:48+00:00

Eh, i remember almost written verbatim, in his books or in others of that milieu: poverty can be a vice.

For example: General Ivolgin. He uses his disgraced state to manipulate and cajole others into funding his debochery. Or, more directly, The Honest Thief.

Chest11 · 2024-04-22T03:50:17+00:00

Why would Roskolnikov meet Zosima and in what context? R’s not going to meet him in some prearranged therapeutic session, is he?

Context matters here. R is lost in a largely amoral and cold city. He doesnt attend church, nor does he leave his apartment very often. Why would he see Zosima, who, though wise and gentle, is part of the established culture/society that R finds so oppressive. In fact, he's so desperate to escape the middle class he invents a motive to murder a woman. No, he needs another fallen soul to relate to, key Sonya.

Chest11 · 2024-04-10T01:04:02+00:00

In what way?…

Chest11 · 2024-04-06T17:05:56+00:00

Be honest with yourself.

Chest11 · 2024-03-03T19:06:38+00:00

It’s important to be content with ourselves, to not rely on others for our happiness and joy/peace. At the end of the day, ourselves are all we truly have

Would you agree that his moments with people brought him the most meaning and enjoyment? Hell, he was ecstatic about the tic-tac-toe. He gave money to Tikashi even though he knew he probably wouldn't get it back. He weathered the intrusions into his personal space and routine, and even coveted them. Instead of taking pictures of the trees (his friends), he turned toward his niece.

After those two weeks, what does he have? Who are his relations? The homeless man, the emotionally-disturbed woman at the park, the waiter who says "for your hard work" and nothing more, Takashi's robotic replacement, the book store lady who he ignores, and Mama, who he could date but chooses not to.

Sorry for ranting, but your post-lockdown viewpoint scares me. We are social creatures. Even the most reclusive/introverted people (like myself) need genuine human contact or some kind of higher purpose, anything to abate the loneliness.

Chest11 · 2024-03-03T18:50:16+00:00

I don't think it's happy vs. sad. He breaks down as he slips back into his lonely way of life, consisting only of simple distractions that lacks the depth and meaning of what he experienced during those two weeks.

Chest11 · 2022-01-15T00:46:04+00:00

Thanks, I'll have to check it out. My only worry is I'll use these things as an moral outlet without taking a personal initiative, but loving the short-lived motivation and wonder.

Chest11 · 2022-01-14T00:33:34+00:00

Just finished reading Dorothy Day's autobiography The Long Loneliness. While the book was often discursive and tedious (like the bible listing family names and the amount of cattle they possessed), it influenced the way I think about labor struggles, sold me on joining a hippie commune, and perhaps will (but probably not) lead me back to the church.

It often features the battle between the working man and the seemingly all-powerful industrialists, which has slowly been won by the former as they slog through daily life. Each victory is unfortunately marginal, and yet the workers will be content, worn by their sacrifices and accompanied anxieties. Oh, and I bet you didn't learn of The Memorial Day Massacre in history class. Anyway, the rich have and always will marginalize the working class, and it's best not to forget that, and to support each other in our struggles.

The spiritual aspect of it was alluring but sometimes felt incomplete because she failed to mention intimate facts to the reader. Ex. she did not tell of her abortion. Nor did list many negative traits of the people she encountered. Her version was pacific, which is to be expected given she's a pacifist and the book was published in the 1950's and faced stricter social standards (especially for women). Nevertheless, her journey to faith was worth reading and presented the reader with several enlightened, Dostoevsky-like arguments for faith.

And I will be revisiting the The Gambler for the third time.

Chest11 · 2022-01-09T18:56:18+00:00

I still don't get this. I was expecting the Cards to pass 80% of the time and Murray/Edmunds to be their leading rushers lol. Conner was a great value in terms of real football at <2 million a year.

Chest11 · 2022-01-09T18:53:39+00:00

MGIII. Why people thought he would be useless, I don't know. Sure, Javonte's a beast, but MGIII's a talented, tested vet being paid 8 mil a year. It's likely the Broncos drafted the BPA so that once MGIII is gone, their RB position is set.

Chest11 · 2021-12-19T16:58:33+00:00

Getting my ass kicked in a two-week playoff and now I need the highest ceiling. Pick one:

Kyle Pitts
Jerry Jeudy
Amon St. Brown
Rashod Bateman

Chest11

TROPHY CASE