ReadingTheIdiot

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Finally finished!! It took many tries and a few years but this is one more Dostoyevsky off the list! While this isn‘t my favorite of his works, I did appreciate the Prince‘s side ramblings quite a bit; all very thought provoking. Thanks fellow #readingtheidiot readers @Cathythoughts @merelybookish @Billypar @jdtchicago @youneverarrived for pushing me to finish!! Seeing your comments and thoughts over these last few weeks has been great!

merelybookish That's awesome! Congrats! 👏👏👏 Its an accomplishment! 7y

Billypar Congrats!! 🎆🎊🎇🎉 I don't think it was my FD fav either, but the four that I've read have all been so different from each other. Sure you've got some similar philosophizing, but such a great variety of characters who are made suffer in a great variety of ways 😉 7y

JessNevertheless Thanks @merelybookish!! Russian lit definitely always feels like climbing a mountain ⛰ wonderful if somewhat exhausting 7y

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JessNevertheless @Billypar It‘s not Dostoyevsky if there‘s not an abundance of suffering to go around 😉 I‘m not sure but it felt like more characters than he usually writes so there seemed to be a bit less personal development. But then again is that the point? Does Myshkin change all that much from where we see him at the beginning? (edited) 7y

GoneFishing Congrats on finishing another FD! 7y

Billypar @JessNevertheless I think you're right about the character development staying fixed- everything about it reminded me more of a play- you might assume a change going forward after it ends, but not over the course of the drama. 7y

Cathythoughts @JessNevertheless congratulations 🎉 not an easy feat. Like climbing a mountain ⛰. Well it was , a literary mountain 📖. I‘ve only also read Crime & P , which is still my fave so far. But I loved the Idiot too. I love FD, the depth of him. I might try The Brothers Karamazov some day ( In a few years 😬). Meanwhile, well done on The Idiot 🍾🍾🍾. 7y

JessNevertheless @Billypar Thats exactly what it‘s like- a drama! I couldn‘t quite put my finger on what it felt like but that‘s exactly it! Definitely an interesting approach to the novel. 7y

JessNevertheless @Cathythoughts The Brothers K is my favorite!! Highly recommend it for when you have time in a few years 😉 Thank you for organizing this read! 7y

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JessNevertheless

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

Nearing the end of #readingtheidiot and starting to feel anxious about what‘ll happen in these last few chapters... #audiocrocheting

Billypar I had no idea what was going to happen, only that it wasn't going to be good 😬 7y

JessNevertheless @Billypar Yep, I definitely have that feeling too... 7y

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Billypar

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

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This Neko Case album cover is a good expression of my state of mind after finishing The Idiot. An alternate title could have been 'On Insanity' - by my count there are three legitimate cases of insanity and at least five more characters who have bouts of temporary insanity at least once in this sprawling, fiery novel that reads like a series of family dramas written for the stage. FD's characters present like bundles of warring impulses- 👇

Billypar reason and emotion seem hopelessly entangled and characters seem to change their position on important matters almost constantly. The central character of the Prince is both distinct from everyone else in his aloofness to societal norms and expectations, but also shares a great deal in common with the group in terms of his chaotic inner life. His struggle of how to act morally in impossible situations is vividly portrayed- so much to process 🤔 7y

Billypar Thanks for a great buddy read experience- I had a lot of fun! @Cathythoughts @merelybookish @youneverarrived @JessNevertheless @jdtchicago #ReadingtheIdiot 7y

Billypar #Litworld2018GB - Russia @GatheringBooks 7y

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GoneFishing @Billypar Nice summary! 7y

merelybookish @Billypar Not much time to comment and SO MANY THOUGHTS. First of all, congratulations! What a wrenching experience is #readingtheidiot! Pour yourself a drink! 🥂 Like the observation of multiple play scenes. So many were tense! Who do you consider insane? I'm guessing N & R. Who is the 3rd? 7y

Billypar @merelybookish I was including The Prince just because it seemed like a permanent thing by the end. Couldn't really nail R down- he was one of my temporaries because of the brain fever thing but with the constant murderousness...maybe it should be 4? Gen Ippolit was the other one- he seemed more delusional than a liar.. like schizophrenia or something. 7y

merelybookish Also, Neko Case is the 💣 7y

Billypar @merelybookish Agreed! I saw her perform for the first time earlier this week- she was amazing. I can't wait for the new album. 7y

Cathythoughts Well done 🎉you did it. I‘m glad I read it & also glad it‘s over, I got impatient & wanting to read other books by the end. I feel guilty on the Prince even saying this. You made some very interesting points ! And yes there is a Lot to process . Congratulations 🎉🍾 it was a pleasure connecting with you during this buddy read ✨ 7y

Liz_M You finished already :-o Amazing! And tusks for the excellent review 7y

Liz_M Tusks? I meant thanks (stupid phone) 7y

Billypar @Cathythoughts I loved it, but I agree that there were some tedious stretches- I feel like the whole subplot at the start of Pt 4 with Gen Ivolgin's theft could have been cut without much sacrifice to the broader story (by the way, @merelybookish , I realized I wrote Gen 'Ippolit' in the prior post... Probably obvious I meant *Ivolgin*...Ippolit was another I felt went temporarily insane at times due to his illness). 7y

Billypar @Liz_M Tusks! 😋 I do that all the time- sometimes if the autocorrect is funny enough I send it even if I catch it. The Idiot took me 3 weeks...not a bad span for me reading a chunkster but probably a reading eternity for many on Litsy. 7y

saresmoore Excellent review! Weirdly, it makes me want to get to reading this soon. 7y

Billypar @saresmoore Thanks! I procrastinated reading this for many years, glad I finally got to it though. I never read anything quite like it, from Dostoevsky or otherwise. 7y

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Billypar

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Part 4, Chapter 7 is excruciating. I didn't even realize I was reacting to it so loudly until my fiancee came from the other room to see if I was okay 😬😳😬😳😧 #ReadingtheIdiot @Cathythoughts

Cathythoughts Glad you were not alone ! And congratulations by the way ! Fiancée , I guess there will be wedding bells at some time in the future ! How lovely is that ? 7y

Billypar @Cathythoughts Thanks! In March we will be three years engaged, lol...but we are seriously planning to begin planning soon 😂 7y

Cathythoughts Ahhhh that‘s so exciting ✨ 7y

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merelybookish

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

Yay! It's my I finished #readingtheidiot selfie!! It has been a climb, a trek, a journey!
I have a lot of thoughts but mostly I wonder what, if anything, could/should the Prince have done differently. 🤔
@Cathythoughts @jdtchicago @Billypar @JessNevertheless

JessNevertheless Congrats!🎉🍾🎊🎈 7y

GoneFishing Congrats! I wonder if the prince would have been better off staying in Switzerland. 7y

OrangeMooseReads Congratulations on finishing! 7y

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Lindy 🎉🎉🎉 7y

LeahBergen Woohoo! 🎉🎉🎉 7y

Jess_Read_This 🎉Congrats on finishing!! 🎉 7y

Tamra 👏🏾👏🏾 7y

Billypar Hurray! You beat me to it- I'm determined to finish this weekend though. 7y

merelybookish @jdtchicago Interesting so he was pretty much doomed as soon as he arrived in Russia? I thought Yevegeny's take on how he immediately fell into a romantic story was interesting! Perhaps if he hadnt met Rogozhin on the train? 7y

merelybookish @Billypar Good luck! I told my husband this morning I was finishing it today!! 7y

merelybookish @Lindy @LeahBergen @Tamra @Jess_Read_This @JessNevertheless @OrangeMooseReads Thanks everyone! It was good but not an easy read! 7y

merelybookish This was also my first book finished for #litsyclassicsatoz. At this rate, I think it's unlikely I'll manage all 26. @Sarah83 7y

batsy Yay! 🎉🎉🎉 Do you have a number of chunksters ahead for litsyclassics? My plan was to get all of the smaller books out of the way early in the year, and this plan is not working 7y

batsy Sorry, hit send too soon 😁 7y

merelybookish @batsy I do that all the time. When will Android get a comment edit option?! 😑 I just reviewed my list. The only other major chunkster is Villette which is a re-read. I did try to be mindful of not loading up on tomes. Still, with some authors, even 200 ages can be hard. But I also have some kidlit books. I just ordered a copy of Owl Service so finally will read that! 7y

Cathythoughts Congratulations 🍾. Loving your #ReadingTheIdiot Selfie , fab pic ! I‘m also planning to read ( for the first time) Villette this year , but not for months, serious recovery is needed for me first. Could the Prince have done anything differently?! There‘s a line somewhere in the back of my mind ..... “what could he have done ..being who he is ..... “ its not coming to me . I‘ll chat with Hubby later , he‘s good at remembering. Well done girl 🎉 7y

ApoptyGina69 I have read lots of Russian lit incl Dostoyevsky, but I have stumbled over and never finished The Idiot. You‘ve inspired me to try again. I have a crappy old paperback, so a new edition will be critical. 7y

Billypar I feel like it could have been different for the Prince if someone (other than Lebedev!) counseled him a little. Seems like no one knew what to make of him, but if the frank conversation with Evgeny Pavlovich could have been replicated much earlier- that might have helped. I feel like he was missing those doses of common sense. That's not to judge him for acting compassionately, but I think it could have prevented some of the tragic events. 7y

merelybookish @ApoptyGina69 It definitely has a loose structure. I had read the Elif Batuman version of The Idiot last year. I think that helped me going in. But we would cheer you on! Reading it with others has helped. Feel free to tag us along the way. We'd enjoy hearing your thoughts about #readingtheidiot @Cathythoughts @Billypar @jdtchicago @JessNevertheless 7y

ApoptyGina69 @merelybookish thank you! I also read the Elif Batuman and loved it. 7y

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Cathythoughts

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

#NuYear #Savages @Cinfhen @TrishB 🖤N. B. Content of above is disturbing 🖤 also @Billypar another quote from the Idiot. At the Princes birthday & the champagne is flowing Lebedev holds forth on cannibalism in the 12th century. ( part 3 , chapter 4) 🤓 #ReadingTheIdiot

TrishB 😱😱 7y

Reggie A little off topic but there is this great cannibalism movie called We Are What We Are. It‘s great for a late night creepy feeling kind of movie. 7y

Cathythoughts @TrishB I know 😳😱 7y

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Cathythoughts @Reggie sounds fairly creepy 😳. I‘ll be sure not to watch it alone ..... & maybe not too late at night ! 7y

Cinfhen 😱😱😱 7y

Cinfhen @Reggie have you read or seen this book/ movie...really extraordinary and it‘s handled so beautifully in the book

Alive

Cathythoughts @Cinfhen 😳they go on to discuss this whole idea , as bottles of champagne are opening by the minute .....mad ! 7y

Cinfhen Definitely NOT for me.....#squimish 7y

batsy Love the humour in this passage - "very few compared to the number of clerics he had eaten"... 7y

Cathythoughts @batsy I know , and the conversation gets so bizarre 7y

Billypar @Cathythoughts Good choice- what savage would target eating monks to the exclusion of the lay public (excepting a few babies)? @batsy Despite the disturbing content, the whole drunken anecdote is pretty funny. Lebedev's story comes in response to others at the party asking him to explain why he hates the railroads(!) 7y

Cathythoughts @Billypar @batsy 😳😂😂What ???? Such crazy talk 😂it seems really funny sharing it . When I read it on my own I was more 😳. It‘s outrageous (edited) 7y

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Billypar

The Idiot | Fyodor Dostoevsky

As a character, Ganya, could be #NoiseNoise personified 😤 #ReadingtheIdiot #nuyear @TrishB @Cinfhen @Cathythoughts

Cinfhen Nicely done👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y

TrishB Cool pick 👍🏻 7y

Cathythoughts Perfect 👍Noise noise ! FD came in handy here 🤓 7y

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