Maybe I missed some of the subtleties of this tale, but I felt like it was nothing more than a romanticization of over-zealous chivalry. It is a storyMaybe I missed some of the subtleties of this tale, but I felt like it was nothing more than a romanticization of over-zealous chivalry. It is a story about honor defended through duels and indebting the life of another to the mercy (or whim) of the other. Silvio carefully plans his revenge on another man who seems blessed by fortune. He patiently waits till his marked man has something great to lose, the life with his new bride, before seeking his vengeance. Only, after being offered the chance he refuses a second time to shoot the man he envies and simply disappears, forever leaving his marked man's conscience now in his debt....more
A decent read. Three different stories. The "Christmas Tree" and "The Wedding" went along together. Those two stories were essentially about the objecA decent read. Three different stories. The "Christmas Tree" and "The Wedding" went along together. Those two stories were essentially about the objectification of another human being, in this case an unfortunate bride. The groom celebrating his prize like a boy who is eager to open a Christmas present.
Bobok is a tale about a man who is considered crazy that listens to the conversations of the dead. How even in death many people don't want to let go of who they were even though it makes little difference. The secrets the dead whisper to each other about those still living....more
My impressions of this novel might not be what the author intended. I took from it how once caught in the down-ward spiral of self-destructive behavioMy impressions of this novel might not be what the author intended. I took from it how once caught in the down-ward spiral of self-destructive behavior many fail to escape it. A Countess, a General, a Marquis, a Gentleman and a scholar all are susceptible to ruining everything they spent a lifetime creating. With a simple roll of the dice and a high risk bet all can be lost in an instant.
Gambling is an interesting context for a storyline because of how sometimes fate feels like the seemingly arbitrary roll of the dice. Everyone who gambles tries to discover some hidden secret to success through keeping notes and studying patterns they try to come up with some universal formula that will help them to be more successful. But in the end after all the theories, hypothesis, and assumptions they are no more than guesses meant to comfort the gambler attempting to make sense of randomness. So our lives can at times be similar as we struggle to make sense of it all and try to find the secret to unlock its infinite prosperity. We devise rules, principles and other safe-guards to make sure our life is a sure-bet. In the end those who follow all the "rules" are as apt to lose as those who get their thrills from being risky and carefree. Probabilities aside at the end of the day numbers are still numbers and humans are still humans and life can be full of surprises. ...more
I refuse to shy away from any book regardless of its theme. I know that many may feel uncomfortable reading any book that is of a religious nature or I refuse to shy away from any book regardless of its theme. I know that many may feel uncomfortable reading any book that is of a religious nature or hints of it. However, I can not ignore the heritage of mankind because I truly believe there is great wisdom hidden within them that can be beneficial. Unfortunately, I feel as though many easily get lost in either the symbolism, metaphors or are repulsed by the mere idea of something hinting of religion. I only say this because of the immediate images the title of this book might conjure up and the sensitivity of it.
This book is neither. The title should not dissuade anyone as to its contents or purpose. The focus of this work deals with one of the most frustrating paradoxes of the human condition, freedom as slavery and slavery as freedom. Within it is a brilliantly written monologue between the Grand Inquisitor and Jesus, who had decided to briefly return. The monologue is from the Inquisitor to Christ who questions in a rhetorical manner what Christ was setting out to accomplish and explaining that by making man free He had also made them slaves to their freedom. They became slaves to the anxiety and fear of free choice and responsibility. The inquisitor argued that this was too much for mankind to handle, that they instead preferred to be subjugated and told what to do and think.
It would be a grave mistake to believe this only applies to religion I think it goes way beyond that. This addresses an issue that crosses over into almost every aspect of our lives. How can we escape it. Religion can be replaced by new religions of psychology, consumerism, science, capitalism, any of them and each will gladly and adamantly promise you what you are looking for. Yet it is also impossible to completely escape all the ever pressing influences in our lives. Escapism being a powerful form of servitude as well. Nonconformity as conformity.
Below are some of my favorite quotes: (The Inquisitor speaking to Christ"
"I repeat to Thee, man has no greater anxiety in life than to find some one to whom he can make over that gift of freedom with which the unfortunate creature is born".
"Without a clear perception of his reasons for living, man will never consent to live, and will rather destroy himself than tarry on earth, though he be surrounded with bread".
"Hast Thou again forgotten that to man rest and even death are preferable to a free choice between the knowledge of Good and Evil? Nothing seems more seductive in his eyes than freedom of conscience, and nothing proves more painful".
"There are three Powers, three unique Forces upon earth, capable of conquering for ever by charming the conscience of these weak rebels--men--for their own good; and these Forces are: Miracle, Mystery and Authority"....more
Oh the sweetness and pain of becoming enamored with a mysterious stranger. Who at once lights the world up with a brilliant joy. To find the dull monoOh the sweetness and pain of becoming enamored with a mysterious stranger. Who at once lights the world up with a brilliant joy. To find the dull monotony of life broken by the accidental kiss of a lovely woman. A plain and average soldier finds his world temporarily transformed as he muses over his brief chance fortune with such an encounter. ...more
Who can feel pity for the children of the woods? The men and women who are taught by nature and understand it though they have never once read a book.Who can feel pity for the children of the woods? The men and women who are taught by nature and understand it though they have never once read a book. The intuitive life. There are definitely parts worth admiring though Chekhov doesn't mention the less than admirable. However, that aside the book is an interesting take on the living classroom. At some point in our lives we separate children from the world and make them read about it in books instead. The awe, majesty and mystery of life is reduced to written explanations and lectures. However, it may be possible that through reading books one may rekindle that burning thirst for living and feeling life. ...more
**spoiler alert** A man is wrongly accused for murder and spends 26 years in Siberia. He eventually meets the actual murderer and when a chance comes **spoiler alert** A man is wrongly accused for murder and spends 26 years in Siberia. He eventually meets the actual murderer and when a chance comes for retribution he doesn't take it. ...more
What makes this book so powerful for me is the fact that I too am struggling with similar issues, questions and doubts that Tolstoy experienced and wrWhat makes this book so powerful for me is the fact that I too am struggling with similar issues, questions and doubts that Tolstoy experienced and wrote about in this concise book. I can almost feel the agonizing pain he suffers as he questions life, its meaning and his own purpose in it. I suppose anyone who spends a great deal of time on introspection will sooner or later go through this crisis that he writes about here.
The part that I appreciated the most for its profundity was his statements on rationality and faith. By his assertions reason is unable to link man to the infinite but can only link man to the finite. Faith is the bridge to the infinite from the finite. It is not something explained or even completely understood but merely expereinced or aligned with. I cannot elaborate on it any clearer than he has. It was something that simply struck me and resonated with me...more
I visited Moscow and St. Petersburg shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rather than all the museums and sights it was the Russian people wI visited Moscow and St. Petersburg shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rather than all the museums and sights it was the Russian people who made an impression on me. I remember being struck by the blatant poverty. Being only 10 at the time I had not yet been exposed to such destitution. My child heart struggled to comprehend how people could survive selling rotten apples or other worthless trinkets. I can still see distinctly in my mind's eye an old Russian man leaning against a pole selling Soviet Pins. He was dressed rather shabbily, he had no tables or anything fancy with which to sell his wares. I stared at him from a distance and contemplated the look of despair on his face. Bold, as a child, I walked up to him and started to inspect his pins. He didn't speak English and I didn't speak Russian. I asked him how much it was and he tried to make a gesture with his hands. A younger man ran over and interpreted for me. My Father walked up behind me and tried to tell me to move on but after discovering the price being only $10 I asked my father if he would buy them for me as I had no money myself. I could tell he was reluctant as he hesitated but he could also tell that I wanted to do something to cheer this man up. After I bought the pin the interpreter told me that the money I had just given the old man was enough to feed his family for a month. He was over-joyed and thanked me many times. I didn't know what to make of it, this was my first experience up close and personal with poverty. So I handed the old man a pack of gum to which he didn't know what it was. I walked away feeling better but still troubled that that was all I could do.
This book is a close up look at the bonds of poverty. Written as a series of letters between an older man and a younger woman who commiserate together in their suffering. Their destitution being what also unites them. Both come to depend on each other emotionally and financially to cope with their distress. The old man tries to indulge the woman with nice things by selling off his own things and driving himself into further destitution, his excuse being that her happiness is what he lives for. A moving and heart-breaking tale that also can fill the heart with appreciation for the blessings of life and friendships. This book reminded me of my first experience of poverty listed above and the many I have had since. The subtle moral of this tale is that it isn't the material possession that are the real treasure it is the relationships....more
I wanted to be moved by this story, but at the time I wasn't. Maybe I will give it another try later.I wanted to be moved by this story, but at the time I wasn't. Maybe I will give it another try later....more
An interesting tale of the psychology of criminal thinking, and how in the end our own minds can be our greatest prison and punishment. I enjoyed the An interesting tale of the psychology of criminal thinking, and how in the end our own minds can be our greatest prison and punishment. I enjoyed the author's descriptions of each of the characters and how the smallest details are all brush strokes in painting a masterful tale. It illustrates the conflict of principals over relationships and how one can choose between a life devoted to one at the expense of the other....more
200 pages of an interminable balancing act between decision and indecision. A severely fractured protagonist suffering through the weight of unwanted 200 pages of an interminable balancing act between decision and indecision. A severely fractured protagonist suffering through the weight of unwanted responsibility. Hopelessly clawing at two realities with a narrow distinction between both and with the threats of his actions mercilessly ratcheting up the pressure.
The fragmented society in which he lives mirroring his own life; held together only by extinguishing and suppressing half of its humanity.
This book reminds me of that vague desire of a unified self that no longer struggles against itself or its own nature. How truly tragic it would be if one side actually succeeded in overcoming the other.
I am impressed by Yevgeny's creative use of limited metaphors and descriptions to create a far off future that is believable, human and not lost to outdated ideas of technology. The focus is always on the characters and not the nifty contraptions of an advanced civilization, ultimately demonstrating how no matter how technologically developed humans become each generation will struggle with the same basic themes of what it means to be human.
Quotes I liked:
"Who knows who you are...A person is a novel: You don't know how it will end until the very last page. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth reading to the very end..."
"That ancient legend about paradise... it, you see, was about us, about now. Yes! Think about that! Those two in paradise stood before a choice: Happiness without freedom or freedom without happiness; a third choice wasn't given. They, the blockheads, they chose freedom --and then what? Understandably, for centuries, they longed for fetters. For fetters--you understand: That was the cause of world sorrow. For centuries! Until we figured out how to return to happiness again. No, wait, wait, listen! We and the ancient God are side by side, at the same table. Yes! We have helped God to conquer the devil definitively-- It was this devil, you know, who urged people to violate what was forbidden and take a bite of that fatal freedom; he was the malicious snake. But our boot: on his head--Crrunch! and there: paradise is restored. Again we are simple-hearted innocents, like Adam and Eve."
"Here I saw, with my own eyes, that laughter was the most terrible weapon: you can kill anything with laughter--even murder itself"
"I ask you: what have people--from the very cradle--prayed for, dreamed about, and agonized over? They have wanted someone, anyone, to tell them once and for all what happiness is--and then to attach them to this happiness with a chain.. what are we now doing, if it isn't this? The ancient dream about paradise...Remember: in paradise, they don't know desire, they don't know pity, they don't know love"....more
This was a great read for me from a different perspective on the gospels of the New Testament. Translated from the oldest Greek originals in existenceThis was a great read for me from a different perspective on the gospels of the New Testament. Translated from the oldest Greek originals in existence and condensing the four gospels into one, Tolstoy attempts to focus only on Jesus' teachings as opposed to his miracles. He emphasizes what he believes the central aspects of the teachings of Jesus really are: To love God and Man as yourself is to recognize that all life comes from the same source. That time is illusory and we only live in the present. That God is that which gives life and is therefore present in all living things. Once someone realizes and embraces these ideas they are set free from the confines of their limited perceptions of reality.
I have to admit this aligns almost exactly with my own life philosophy. Organized religions seem to always lose focus on these aspects, i.e. love, even though they are fairly universal in importance to most major world religions. ...more
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