Two questions on Brothers Karamazov

[ravilobo]

1. What is the motive for Smerdyakov to kill his father?
2. In the end, Does Mitya escapes from his prison or not?

[bazarov]

1. Hate. Just compare him and his brothers; do you think they had same status?
2. Nope.

[ravilobo]

Thank you Bazarov.

[bazarov]

You're welcome ravilobo. Welcome on forum!

[scarjo]

Dostoevsky intended to write a second part that took place thirteen years later, so we will never know whether Dmitri escaped.

[ravilobo]

Yes. That is correct. I can not imagine, how much more it would have been successful than BK.

The world missed a great book.

I am reading Gogol now.

[bazarov]

Could it be better then BK? That second part supposed to tell us the story about Alyosha. Googol is great, with excellent sense for humor and satire. Dead Souls, I guess...

[ravilobo]

Dead Souls, I guess...

I have started his short stories. It has – The overcoat, Dairy of a madman. Nose etc. I found Gogol is simpler than Dostoyevsky.

Dostoyevsky is not for everyone. Sometimes he strays from the story line and ventures into philosophy. However every time I come back to Dostoyevsky I understand him better. Having said that I will never understand him 100% anytime. Great writer though.

One of my dreams was to read all his great works. Which I full filled by reading C&P, BK and Idiot. I read them one after the other. It was a heavy dose. I have not read any short works of Dostoyevsky. I am taking a long break from him, will read them after finishing Gogol.

I envy all those readers who read them in Russian.

[bazarov]

I have started his short stories. It has – The overcoat, Dairy of a madman. Nose etc. I found Gogol is simpler than Dostoyevsky.

Dostoyevsky is not for everyone. Sometimes he strays from the story line and ventures into philosophy. However every time I come back to Dostoyevsky I understand him better. Having said that I will never understand him 100% anytime. Great writer though.

One of my dreams was to read all his great works. Which I full filled by reading C&P, BK and Idiot. I read them one after the other. It was a heavy dose. I have not read any short works of Dostoyevsky. I am taking a long break from him, will read them after finishing Gogol.

I envy all those readers who read them in Russian.

Yes, agree about Gogol and Dostoevsky comparison.
You should continue with Demons and Notes from the Underground - then you'll see what's philosophy :D

[ravilobo]

You should continue with Demons and Notes from the Underground - then you'll see what's philosophy :D


I read somewhere that Demons, is based on real life events. I am not sure how much they are relevant now. Also, I think more than one suicide in the book makes it bit discouraging. I guess, this is his 4th best book. I am bit skeptic on this one. Notes from the underground will be my next book.

They have also published - The grand inquisitor, separately. I will have to read that once again. I liked the question of Freedom and Security.

Also, in BK, I liked the question of – Can faith move the mountains?

These are really some wonderful thoughts.

Coming back to Gogol, I liked his Dairy of a Madman. Absolutely loved it. Very few writers can detail with such precision. For the time being, I will stick to Gogol and explore his wonderful world. Gogol is more compassionate about his characters.

Which is the best book to start – Gogol?

[bazarov]

Well, I prefer novels so I recommend Good Souls, but The Overcoat is also very good.

Yes, Demons are based on true; and suicides are normal in Russian literature - one or two; who counts? :D Well, his 4th best book is better then most writers best book so I wouldn't think about that too much.
Rebellion is also excellent chapter, true and needed intro to Grand Inquisitor.

Can faith move the mountains? If there is no God, is everything else permitted?

[mangueken]

I'm rereading it now. I love Ivan's dream among other great passages in this book. BK is my favorite among them (C&P and Idiot).
I haven't read the Good Souls but the I second Bazarov on The OverCoat.

[rimbaud]

I liked Gogol, we had it in school, but my teacher didn't do much of a job on that one
i read Nose, The overcoat and couple of others

[rimbaud]

Well, I prefer novels so I recommend Good Souls, but The Overcoat is also very good.

Yes, Demons are based on true; and suicides are normal in Russian literature - one or two; who counts? :D Well, his 4th best book is better then most writers best book so I wouldn't think about that too much.
Rebellion is also excellent chapter, true and needed intro to Grand Inquisitor.

Can faith move the mountains? If there is no God, is everything else permitted?

Rebellion is one of the best, I agree
I'm making my paper on it

“Listen: if everyone must suffer, in order to buy eternal harmony with their suffering, pray tell me what have children got to do with it? It's quite incomprehensible why they should have to suffer, and why they should buy harmony with their suffering.”

[nessgavin]

I'm in the midst of reading BK and it's getting under my skin. I see it everywhere, the sure sign of a great work of art. It's helping me to read some philosophy. Existentialism, Neitzche, etc. Clarifies what's going on.

[Gladys]

It's helping me to read some philosophy. Existentialism, Neitzche, etc.

Dostoevsky, who just about pre-dates Nietzsche's writings, would have been much influenced by the Danish priest, Soren Kierkegaard. I particularly loved The Idiot: starring Kierkegaard's knight of faith.

[nessgavin]

I thought his motive was hate, yes, but also justice. Why should this man live and defile the earth? That was the question and Ivan gave Smerdykov the rationale to do away with him. Just as Raskolnikov got rid of the landlady. Without God all is permitted and man can make his own justice. With God, it's only God who can judge man.

[nessgavin]

I hadn't checked the dates. So Dostoyevsky came before Neitzche? I think Freud came after. I'll have to check, they're all so close.

[bazarov]

I hadn't checked the dates. So Dostoyevsky came before Neitzche? I think Freud came after. I'll have to check, they're all so close.

They both came after Dostoevsky, numerous times Freud stated that Dostoevsky had a great influence on his work.

[nessgavin]

I just checked the dates. Nietzsche wrote before and after BK. I had to check because I see so much of Nietzsche in BK. "slave morality" for instance.

[Gladys]

Nietzsche wrote before and after BK.

Yes, but many a great novel, with existential themes, pre-dates Nietzsche's writings. For instance, from Wiki:



# 1864 – Notes from Underground
# 1866 – Crime and Punishment
# 1867 – The Gambler
# 1869 – The Idiot
# 1870 – The Eternal Husband

Perhaps Dostoevsky influenced Nietzsche.