A trip into Russian characters with F. Dostoevsky through his own life
(b. Nov. 11, 1821, Moscow, Russia-d. Feb. 9, 1881, St. Petersburg)
From school I have got little love to mathematics, unclaimed love to girls and a desire to read Dostoevsky. When I finished my first his book - “Crime and Punishment” (Преступление и наказание) - I couldn’t understand what exactly impressed me (later I faced with an idea of super human in Nietzsche’s works and firstly this fact didn’t take my attention but now I think - how different ways may lead to one idea and how the idea of one man can be interpreted by another). Probably I hadn’t met such literature characters yet… And afterwards I assessed (in some extent) a depth of immersion into human soul through Dostoevsky’s description.
So, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. His life could be a good basis for serious profound novel, and it happened so in his own ones - his past were appeared shown on the pages of his novels and as if proved a possibility and reality of events.
When he was condemned to the prison due to his relation to ‘Petrashevsky circle’ (liberal society which had sympathy to socialistic movement and tended to be an anarchic revolutionary group) and when he was in prisoner sentenced to death shoes - such curve of fate couldn’t help reflecting on his literature. In the moment when a rifle is directed to your face you will understand something obligatory.
During and after the exile Dostoevsky wrote his main novels.
His exile years found their reflection in the “The house of the dead” (Записки из мертвого дома) and “The Idiot” (Идиот)
His passion for game (roulette) one can feel in the “The gambler” (Игрок)
A hero of “The Idiot” - prince Myshkin had epileptic attacks - it’s the same with which Dostoevsky suffered.
Revolutionary ideas mixed with the feeling of own dignity (so well known to F.M. from the Petrashevsky circle) he showed in the “Demons” (Бесы) and in the “Crime and Punishment”. In the “Demons” he appeared as a prophet (in his way)
And in the “The brothers Karamazovs” he gathered all his past, mature philosophy, faith and hope…
Figure of Dostoevsky is unique - he created new type of Russian novels. How military engineer could explore a Russian soul so deeply - it’s an utter enigma for me. But no doubt his convictions were formed because of touch with eternity, human sorrow and faith. For some people his works seem something dark, sad, depressive. For others - as inspired impulse, a trip into Russian character, as confessions of so different people who become more innocent, more human thanks to their confessions.
Anyway a suspense of his novels are practically equal to English detective stories (for me)
Now I’m reading “The Brothers Karamazovs” and find a fact that I haven’t read it before (taking into account my steady interest to Dostoevsky) is extremely significant and intrinsic. Now I understand that a present I can see much more than I could do it earlier. Christian look on matter is revealed and perceived more closely and such way which Dostoevsky put (I hope)… Providence? This point of view is assumed too -)
From school I have got little love to mathematics, unclaimed love to girls and a desire to read Dostoevsky. When I finished my first his book - “Crime and Punishment” (Преступление и наказание) - I couldn’t understand what exactly impressed me (later I faced with an idea of super human in Nietzsche’s works and firstly this fact didn’t take my attention but now I think - how different ways may lead to one idea and how the idea of one man can be interpreted by another). Probably I hadn’t met such literature characters yet… And afterwards I assessed (in some extent) a depth of immersion into human soul through Dostoevsky’s description.
So, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. His life could be a good basis for serious profound novel, and it happened so in his own ones - his past were appeared shown on the pages of his novels and as if proved a possibility and reality of events.
When he was condemned to the prison due to his relation to ‘Petrashevsky circle’ (liberal society which had sympathy to socialistic movement and tended to be an anarchic revolutionary group) and when he was in prisoner sentenced to death shoes - such curve of fate couldn’t help reflecting on his literature. In the moment when a rifle is directed to your face you will understand something obligatory.
During and after the exile Dostoevsky wrote his main novels.
His exile years found their reflection in the “The house of the dead” (Записки из мертвого дома) and “The Idiot” (Идиот)
His passion for game (roulette) one can feel in the “The gambler” (Игрок)
A hero of “The Idiot” - prince Myshkin had epileptic attacks - it’s the same with which Dostoevsky suffered.
Revolutionary ideas mixed with the feeling of own dignity (so well known to F.M. from the Petrashevsky circle) he showed in the “Demons” (Бесы) and in the “Crime and Punishment”. In the “Demons” he appeared as a prophet (in his way)
And in the “The brothers Karamazovs” he gathered all his past, mature philosophy, faith and hope…
Figure of Dostoevsky is unique - he created new type of Russian novels. How military engineer could explore a Russian soul so deeply - it’s an utter enigma for me. But no doubt his convictions were formed because of touch with eternity, human sorrow and faith. For some people his works seem something dark, sad, depressive. For others - as inspired impulse, a trip into Russian character, as confessions of so different people who become more innocent, more human thanks to their confessions.
Anyway a suspense of his novels are practically equal to English detective stories (for me)
Now I’m reading “The Brothers Karamazovs” and find a fact that I haven’t read it before (taking into account my steady interest to Dostoevsky) is extremely significant and intrinsic. Now I understand that a present I can see much more than I could do it earlier. Christian look on matter is revealed and perceived more closely and such way which Dostoevsky put (I hope)… Providence? This point of view is assumed too -)