Jukka
I am very glad to have bought the penguin deluxe edition simply because the translation (I think) Is wonderfull and the annotations first class. When you read Dostoevsky you need a well annotated version just because he makes so many references of the times his works were written
In this book Dostoyevsky sends yet another young troubled man into his doom by having him murder a moneylender and his sister for what appears, just for the heck of it. Raskolnikov, much like Nietzche believes that there is really no need for God anymore since the modern human can survive perfectly well without religion, but can Raskolnikov cope with what he did without the Godly salvation? Can life be worth living if it's meaningless. I clearly see the inspiration that Albert Camus and other philosphers got from crime and punishment.
A fictional world resembling our real world and real events. Bysanthine, Hagia Sofia etc. Kay is a masterful writer and this was a wonderful introduction to his works.
This book is pretty similar to “things fall apart”. The main character, a preast of the most powerfull Igbo God, Ulu gets in trouble. By Faithfully serving his God it ultimately brings his people against him. The people are not ready anymore to make the ultimate sacrifices for their God, but end up Choosing christianity instead.
A short book. I would have liked to spend with Obi Okonkwo, and the Okonkwo family in general. I guess the book told the tale it was out there to do (Western culture crashing with the African one, corruption) but I do not much like books that are so short that you barely meet the characters and its all over.
Much like in Communism, something else hatched from the eggs that was originally intended.
Confusing book. The setting changed so rapidly that i did not always know what was happening. The structure of this novel was a strange one, with a narrator that sometimes appeared to know less than the reader and references that are not too familiar for a reader in 21th century. The annotations earned the second star.
This was one rare book i had to pause and read another one before continuing. Great stuff until the Felurian encounter and all that + the boasting about women and learning to be a heroic fighter. I really do not like when everything in the plot just keeps clicking for ONE person. He calls the wind, has awesome sex skills, kills shitloads of people because is a super magician + has luck on his side. Where the first book was 5/5+ stars, I would rate this one 3,5/5.
This was a torment to read. Such was the pride and the hunger of the main character. As a bohemian writer it is difficult to survive and eat in a place that wants to eat you. Back then it was Oslo. These days other cities.
Similarly dream-like as was the “hunger”, but not as painfully delirious. Knud pedersen is a middle aged guy who has given up his duties in the city in exchange for nomadic country life.
He teams up with another fellow, Falkenberg. Both falling in love with the mistress of a house they have gone working..
And this of course causes all kinds of chest pains for the main protagonists.
Why do I End up reading books where the main character is a young man, going mad or dying in the end?
I could not really relate with a delirious guy who starts to see his double. The style of the writing is very confusing probably in attempt to showcase the delirious state of mind where Goliadkin was in.
The Gambler is a much better effort, although dictated in a hurry in order to settle Dostoyevsky's own gambling debts.The character of the babushka was a similarly lovely fool as the lizaveta Prokofievna in the “idiot”.
A story with cunning female characters and desperate love that drives the main protagonist into fatalism. The notions that Dostoyevsky makes about Russia and Russian spirit appear timeless.
Powerfull Novella of a married couple trying to reinvigorate their marriage at the ruins of the second world war and their own lives.
Strange storytelling in this finnish translation. My reading did not really translate into understanding what was going on in the book. Maybe the book assumes that the reader already knows the centre pieces of this story from the history lessons. It does not really explain peoples motives and the characters are somehow loose.
The story is a simple one. Unhappy marriage, adultery, tragedy. The novel is a classic perhaps because it predicted the doom of Prussian society a couple of decades early. Would Effi have landed a in a world of trouble half a century later? a doubt it.
Really quite tormenting to read this, as Andrea the main character is a rich shallow a-hole who is really treating women more like a precious peace of art that are out there to get than a human being. really like Downtown Abbey or what is the series called..
But then again, it really is beautifully written and captures something essential from a world long gone, what comes to rich bachelors who invest in Money in Art, Time in Poetry and all else on women and ridiculous pride.
But there might come a time in a 100+ years when people read some such “difficult love” story from our time and think ‘Goddammit, those people knew nothing but how to care about nonsensical issues and making life difficult for themselves.'
Finally got to the end with this brick of a novel. A typical Dostoevsky. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong for Dimitry Karamazov who does not get along with his father in the first place when they even start to chase the same woman. Lots of Unlucky love and philosophizing about religion, human behavior, Russia and so on and so forth.
Maybe an over interpretation but I immediately thought Father Zosima to be Dostoyevsky himself who sends Alyosha to the world to spread love and forgiveness. I found the last chapter of the epilogue to be a very powerful farewell.
A young lad, Osric from the English coast befriends with a murdering gang of heathens led by Sigurd. Reminds of “grimdark” fantasy where nothing ever goes in a satisfactory way at the end. The plot is Ok, with a some predictable outcomes, a lot of fighting and what seems to be a case for impossible love. Nothing larger than life, but I enjoyed it with all its stereotypes and will probably finish the trilogy.
Herman Hesse is one brilliant. Period. This book is barely one 100 pages and its a masterpiece. At the end you get a beautiful description of wisdom by Siddhartha.
Mushashi tells the story of a legendary Japanese swordsman from his youth to perhaps the greatest battle he ever fought
The hero is very japanese. Just look at all ‘them Cartoon/Manga etc. Asian super heroes out there and you kow what i mean. The characterization resembles to my mind Myazaki and studio Ghibli movies.
Definately something to read for those who like Japanese culture or who have read the “Shogun” series by Clavell and now would like to leave the Western point-of-view aside.
3.5/5
A real brain holiday! Action, schemes, wizards, ruthlessness and even a love story. Great fantasy with a brutal, dark twist.
Very atmospheric wintery book with a fairy tale vibe. Especially loving the Slavic and russian mythology. The Narrator was very good with her Russian accent
a hundred year-old guy escapes from elderly home at his 100 birthdays. His adventures with the important people from the last century are quite enjoyable. Worth reading if you like Paasilinna
A little strange, but beautiful and emotional. Very interesting setting with neanderthals vs. modern human.