His best novel in my opinion is Crime and Punishment, which I found to be at the age of 18 a real page turner. I easily related to the impoverished living circumstances of Raskolnikov. I think the moral of the story is that in spite of Marxist rhetoric humans do have a conscience. Some unscrupulous individuals probably do their best to suppress their conscience or ego ideal to justify criminality. It is because we can choose between authenticity or negation.
Yes, the conscience is an interesting phenomenon. Why do all humans have a conscience, and why does it make us feel good when we do the right thing and feel bad when we don't? Someone once suggested that the feel good/feel bad aspect of the conscience is an indication of the nature of the creator of the conscience.
And, certainly, it is possible to sear the conscience- I don't know what term psychology created for that characteristic (sociopath,) but it seems a great many of them are in positions of power. Or is that always how it's been?
That is YouTube, unfortunately. Someone in the comments said, "I feel like Raskolnikov after being subjected to that soundtrack," and got quite a few comments chiming in sympathy.
Thanks for that, Celia. I've never read Dostoievsky or maybe some short stories but I was sad to read that he had a gambling problem, however, it was good to learn from the video that that ended and his final years seemed to be in a good situation. What a life he had.
Interesting. The political conditions of the 1840s sounded very much like those of the 1940s.
I liked the quotation, "how often has his voice been heard here, calling for peace, for liberty, for democracy, he's Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, he's Betrand Russell, he's Pope John, he's every siren voice beckoning us to follow Peter Vensky, who is waiting to hand us over to the sloganeers, the brainwashers, the dogmatists, from whom there can be no escape."
Video mentions Lenin a few times, who was about 10 when Dostoyevsky died. I read Ronald Clark's bio of Lenin a couple of years ago. There are some similarities there.
If I recall correctly, Lenin had an older brother executed by the Czarist state, himself became radicalized, was sentenced to punishment in Siberia, escaped to Europe and moved about therein, and even had stints in Germany (Munich) and Geneva.
If all goes well, our descendants may watch digitally preserved works of much simpler storytellers, featuring actors who appear as fresh as the present despite having long since returned to dust. But the technical brilliance that spawned those digital technologies does not require Dostoyevsky's depth of thought to carry on.
His best novel in my opinion is Crime and Punishment, which I found to be at the age of 18 a real page turner. I easily related to the impoverished living circumstances of Raskolnikov. I think the moral of the story is that in spite of Marxist rhetoric humans do have a conscience. Some unscrupulous individuals probably do their best to suppress their conscience or ego ideal to justify criminality. It is because we can choose between authenticity or negation.
Yes, the conscience is an interesting phenomenon. Why do all humans have a conscience, and why does it make us feel good when we do the right thing and feel bad when we don't? Someone once suggested that the feel good/feel bad aspect of the conscience is an indication of the nature of the creator of the conscience.
And, certainly, it is possible to sear the conscience- I don't know what term psychology created for that characteristic (sociopath,) but it seems a great many of them are in positions of power. Or is that always how it's been?
thank you- it's not breaking down but waking up that's hard to do
neil sedaka has a slightly different take
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbad22CKlB4
;)
Good to have breaks from the insanity:)
Thank you for this 🙏 ~ just read The Brothers Karamazov which felt like a “stabilizing” microcosm of what we are living in.
Thank you, Celia.
Please take care of yourself; you do more for many than most.
Malcolm Muggeridge, that wonderful journalist, spy and Christian. Thanks for this, Celia☺️
Oh how I loved Notes from the Underground! I then knew I was not alone and crazy. Thanks for posting.
Thank you! Just what the doctor ordered! Dewey
Dostoyevsky is my favorite author of all time hands down...genius
Thank you, Celia. That looks great.
Thank you so much for sharing this.
O, Celia: I tried, but the soundtrack is so wonky.... Will see if I can get it on youTube... Thanks for trying to change the subject!!!@
That is YouTube, unfortunately. Someone in the comments said, "I feel like Raskolnikov after being subjected to that soundtrack," and got quite a few comments chiming in sympathy.
Link to comment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hDo436bnfk&lc=UgxLAG9ApAZg5oNs1AB4AaABAg
I tuned it out as best I could and then just got used to it.
Thanks for that, Celia. I've never read Dostoievsky or maybe some short stories but I was sad to read that he had a gambling problem, however, it was good to learn from the video that that ended and his final years seemed to be in a good situation. What a life he had.
Bishop Fulton Sheen life is worth living show on Dostoyevsky a real eye opener
Interesting. The political conditions of the 1840s sounded very much like those of the 1940s.
I liked the quotation, "how often has his voice been heard here, calling for peace, for liberty, for democracy, he's Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, he's Betrand Russell, he's Pope John, he's every siren voice beckoning us to follow Peter Vensky, who is waiting to hand us over to the sloganeers, the brainwashers, the dogmatists, from whom there can be no escape."
Video mentions Lenin a few times, who was about 10 when Dostoyevsky died. I read Ronald Clark's bio of Lenin a couple of years ago. There are some similarities there.
If I recall correctly, Lenin had an older brother executed by the Czarist state, himself became radicalized, was sentenced to punishment in Siberia, escaped to Europe and moved about therein, and even had stints in Germany (Munich) and Geneva.
If all goes well, our descendants may watch digitally preserved works of much simpler storytellers, featuring actors who appear as fresh as the present despite having long since returned to dust. But the technical brilliance that spawned those digital technologies does not require Dostoyevsky's depth of thought to carry on.