The K Brothers Challenge

I finished this Dostoevsky classic a while ago, but needed a little while to let it drift around in my mind before attempting any kind of write-up. First, one feels a particular sense of accomplishment at having taken on one of the great (and just plain big) literary titles, and even more, getting all the way through it. One of a number of survey-lit class titles I chose to skip (like I was actually going to read an 800-page book in the middle of summer, at that age?), I was turned on to this one after an enthusiastic literary discussion around the campfire around New Year's Eve. Instead of some heavy, probably depressing, and long-winded slog, of course it turns out to be quite different (mostly).

It did help, I think, to read Crime and Punishment earlier; also, adding the social element of a reading challenge with others at work or wherever certainly increased the pure enjoyment of the experience. The book contains, and embraces, so much that summarizing would be wholly inappropriate. I loved parts of this book, others I could have done without, but on the whole it is very much worth spending time with. I think the book does suffer from extended tangents, to the extent that the story loses some cohesion, and no character, in my opinion, emerges as the "hero" (I know, you are supposed to say it's Alyosha, but I disagree - he's mostly an observer, and he's around at the end, but I can't really call it his story more than any other character's).

Though it may seem trivial, I appreciate how tackling a supposedly "tough" book like this one and Crime and Punishment lessened my inclination to avoid the heftier literary classics. One learns to focus, yet be patient, and consistent. And before too much time has passed, you're at the end.

Next challenge: the upcoming new translation of War and Peace. Why not?