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Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

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Re: Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

#11

Post by badpun »

SL61 wrote: post #6
q-base wrote: post #3

That was a very good read. Thank you very much. I purchased the Kindle version of "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" after reading this. I have never read Dostoyevsky before. Any recommendations on where else to start?

Crime and Punishment is a wonderful deep dive into the mind of a really messed up person. If you like the film Taxi Driver, it is sort of similar, but with a lot more direct philosophical underpinnings. Raskolnikov has a whole philosophical framework on why he's allowed to murder the pawn shop owner* and he spends time explaining and discussing it. The motif of the nihilistic, disaffected young man is something Fyodo…

Let’s not forget the context, too - Dostojewski was very worried about the individualistic and nihilistic trends he noticed in the Western world and which were slowly seeping through to Russia as well. He was worried they’ll lead to a collapse of civilization, and was looking for an answer on how to prevent that from happening. His books are an exploration of this subject.

Re: Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

#12

Post by Storiesofsome1 »

This was an incredible read! This is my first introduction to Dostoyesvky and I’m engrossed.

So from these excerpts, his profound writing reminds me of another great writer I admire the most; Poe. Poe’s writing has had a profound effect on me and so has this story by Dostoyesvky.

I see the similarity in the sense that both of these writers seem to distill such great truths about life and translate them into poetical and lyrical writing.

The conventional plot is barebones in their stories but their focus lies on the inner turmoil, revolving intensely around a lonesome nihilistic character musing about the existence, human desires and the consequent suffering that results thereafter.

I’m a fan now and will definitely be reading more of Dostoyesvky.

Re: Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

#13

Post by ianai »

Storiesofsome1 wrote: post #12

This was an incredible read! This is my first introduction to Dostoyesvky and I’m engrossed. So from these excerpts, his profound writing reminds me of another great writer I admire the most; Poe. Poe’s writing has had a profound effect on me and so has this story by Dostoyesvky. I see the similarity in the sense that both of these writers seem to distill such great truths about life and translate them into poetical…

I suggest House of the Dead. His life transformed immensely during the course of that book, to put it simply.

Re: Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

#18

Post by [deleted] »

Storiesofsome1 wrote: post #12

This was an incredible read! This is my first introduction to Dostoyesvky and I’m engrossed. So from these excerpts, his profound writing reminds me of another great writer I admire the most; Poe. Poe’s writing has had a profound effect on me and so has this story by Dostoyesvky. I see the similarity in the sense that both of these writers seem to distill such great truths about life and translate them into poetical…

[deleted]

Re: Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

#19

Post by dovvdkc »

q-base wrote: post #3

That was a very good read. Thank you very much. I purchased the Kindle version of "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" after reading this. I have never read Dostoyevsky before. Any recommendations on where else to start?

I loved Brothers Karanazov. Brilliant.

In fact the Russian authors are amazing. It’s a shame I discovered them when I was in grad school and not earlier.

Re: Dostoyevsky's “Dream of a Ridiculous Man” (2014)

#20

Post by dovvdkc »

badcede wrote: post #8
huxflux wrote: post #7

Dostoyevsky changed my life.

How?

I can’t speak for the OP, nor can I express how D. changed my life.

Perhaps D. is the exact opposite of a self-help book at the airport. It’s hard to read and emotionally devastating. You go into the depths of human depravity. Sin is real. Modernity is fraught with contradictions, with danger. Modernity offers mechanical band aids for what are sicknesses of our souls. For Doestoyevsky the greatest man is Christ but he is what we would consider an Idiot.

In the end you are offered catharsis. accept it and you are changed.

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