Your essays atre so full of illumination, that I have to take a couple of days to rethink what we read all over again. Would it be permissible to print everything you have used to guide us, so that when I reread this novel I can refer to them before each section? Until I think for a while……Ciao
That's very nice, Paula. Are you planning to reread the novel already? Of course, you can print out what you liked and read along with them. I think that during my second book club (or audio podcast, as I hope to do) on "Crime and Punishment," I will rewrite these notes again, so if you have any questions or would like to know more about specific chapters - please write to me anytime, I will make sure to remember them.
I agree completely. This is going to require multiple reads throughout the years. I’m thinking about making a list of threads that I’d eventually like to follow, focusing on one or two during each read through. For example, I want to trace the use of the color yellow in the novel in connection to moral corruption.
I love the idea of printing out all the articles for future reference. I started taking copious notes on the articles but soon found I was essentially rewriting them because I didn’t want to leave anything out as all the material was brand new to me. So much of it (like the article on Russian icons) helped later down the road in the War and Peace threads. I’m definitely going to print the articles before I have to go back to work!
Regarding the yellow color, there's a good article by Kozhinov - I couldn't find it completely in English, but there's a reprint of an excerpt on Reddit by an acquaintance of mine.
Other colors there are interesting too - I also have a desire to someday count all the mentions. Because green, as the color of nature and vegetation, should heal Raskolnikov's sick mind from his madness.
It will be interesting to hear your thoughts and ideas from future readings. You can track different things there - you can follow the manifestations of the diabolical and how often it's mentioned in passing, the hints about Svidrigailov and his wife, because that couple are quite the criminals. And the voice of the people - the crowd, folklore, which always remains in the background.
But we still have the Epilogue ahead. If I don't manage to post it tomorrow, the article will be on January 2-3. There are also ideas there about what one wants to reread after it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the article! Thank you for linking it! Now I need to read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman again. I might read that tomorrow evening while I’m waiting for the new year. 🥰
A reread is definitely in order. This book is very dense, and like an onion needs to be peeled back by layers (that’s a terrible analogy, I never cut onions like that 😂). I wasn’t sure what I expected at the outset but things kept taking darker and darker turns. Now that the plot is out of the way I can focus more on the characters’ motivations. (It’s also interesting since I listened to some chapters and read others, that the listening the first time is good for plot and language style because it is more performative, but the reading allows for more reflection.) I’m sure I’ll refer back to your commentary as well. Thanks for the introduction to an author who was previously not on my shortlist to get to.
I am very glad that you have taken this journey with me. Thank you, Chris, for your active participation and interesting comments and reflections. But the epilogue also has a plot, and your attitude towards it can greatly influence the entire plot of the novel. As always, it will be ambiguous, and I will explain why next time.
This is a very interesting feature of Dostoevsky's books, that each time I reread them, I find some new ideas. It's even amusing that for the article, I reread some chapters several times and each time something still caught my eye.
Your essays atre so full of illumination, that I have to take a couple of days to rethink what we read all over again. Would it be permissible to print everything you have used to guide us, so that when I reread this novel I can refer to them before each section? Until I think for a while……Ciao
That's very nice, Paula. Are you planning to reread the novel already? Of course, you can print out what you liked and read along with them. I think that during my second book club (or audio podcast, as I hope to do) on "Crime and Punishment," I will rewrite these notes again, so if you have any questions or would like to know more about specific chapters - please write to me anytime, I will make sure to remember them.
I agree completely. This is going to require multiple reads throughout the years. I’m thinking about making a list of threads that I’d eventually like to follow, focusing on one or two during each read through. For example, I want to trace the use of the color yellow in the novel in connection to moral corruption.
I love the idea of printing out all the articles for future reference. I started taking copious notes on the articles but soon found I was essentially rewriting them because I didn’t want to leave anything out as all the material was brand new to me. So much of it (like the article on Russian icons) helped later down the road in the War and Peace threads. I’m definitely going to print the articles before I have to go back to work!
Regarding the yellow color, there's a good article by Kozhinov - I couldn't find it completely in English, but there's a reprint of an excerpt on Reddit by an acquaintance of mine.
https://www.reddit.com/r/dostoevsky/s/zOm1ln7uct
Other colors there are interesting too - I also have a desire to someday count all the mentions. Because green, as the color of nature and vegetation, should heal Raskolnikov's sick mind from his madness.
It will be interesting to hear your thoughts and ideas from future readings. You can track different things there - you can follow the manifestations of the diabolical and how often it's mentioned in passing, the hints about Svidrigailov and his wife, because that couple are quite the criminals. And the voice of the people - the crowd, folklore, which always remains in the background.
But we still have the Epilogue ahead. If I don't manage to post it tomorrow, the article will be on January 2-3. There are also ideas there about what one wants to reread after it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the article! Thank you for linking it! Now I need to read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman again. I might read that tomorrow evening while I’m waiting for the new year. 🥰
A reread is definitely in order. This book is very dense, and like an onion needs to be peeled back by layers (that’s a terrible analogy, I never cut onions like that 😂). I wasn’t sure what I expected at the outset but things kept taking darker and darker turns. Now that the plot is out of the way I can focus more on the characters’ motivations. (It’s also interesting since I listened to some chapters and read others, that the listening the first time is good for plot and language style because it is more performative, but the reading allows for more reflection.) I’m sure I’ll refer back to your commentary as well. Thanks for the introduction to an author who was previously not on my shortlist to get to.
I am very glad that you have taken this journey with me. Thank you, Chris, for your active participation and interesting comments and reflections. But the epilogue also has a plot, and your attitude towards it can greatly influence the entire plot of the novel. As always, it will be ambiguous, and I will explain why next time.
This is a very interesting feature of Dostoevsky's books, that each time I reread them, I find some new ideas. It's even amusing that for the article, I reread some chapters several times and each time something still caught my eye.