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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)

#41

Post by erikpukinskis »

coleifer wrote: post #25

> I saw and know that men could be beautiful and happy, without losing the capacity to live upon the earth. This struck me as the revelation that changed the protagonist's perspective. And Dostoyevsky presents this using the irrational, symbolic language of dreams: a vision of human dignity. He concludes by quoting Christ's commandment... showing that this isn't new knowledge. It's been known for a very long time, bu…

“Works of Love” https://www.amazon.com/Works-Harper-Perennial-Modern-Thought... perhaps

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

#42

Post by erikpukinskis »

kbuchanan wrote: post #38

For anyone who loves Dostoyevsky, I’d recommend Alexander Solzhenitsyn too. His writings have a stronger political bent, but his style is firmly in the Russian tradition, with a mastery of the polyphonic voice—the ability to bring life to many perspectives—and explores every aspect of life and humanity. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich—a portrait of a gulag prisoner—is the quickest introduction.

It’s harder to take this work seriously after the way it’s been politicized by Jordan Peterson.

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

#43

Post by james_s_tayler »

erikpukinskis wrote: post #42
kbuchanan wrote: post #38

For anyone who loves Dostoyevsky, I’d recommend Alexander Solzhenitsyn too. His writings have a stronger political bent, but his style is firmly in the Russian tradition, with a mastery of the polyphonic voice—the ability to bring life to many perspectives—and explores every aspect of life and humanity. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich—a portrait of a gulag prisoner—is the quickest introduction.

It’s harder to take this work seriously after the way it’s been politicized by Jordan Peterson.

How does what Peterson have to say effect your opinion on the significance of the contents of The Gulag Archipelago?

I bought a copy of it, so I could make up my own mind. Peterson brought it to my attention and it was timely as I read Man's Search For Meaning this year. That book is very widely read.

I had never even heard of The Gulag Archipelago. Peterson points out that it's severely under-read in the West compared to how significant it is. He's saying you should at least read it and judge for yourself and not let only the ideology itself be the basis on which you judge the ideology.

That seems reasonably sensible to me.

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

#44

Post by thatcat »

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?

The Gambler is probably the easiest to understand Dostoevsky novel I've read. It's a character analysis of himself written quickly to pay off his own gambling debts.

I'd recommend this first, then Notes from the Underground, for a gentle introduction.

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

#45

Post by gnulinux »

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 really really really believe everyone should read Dostoyevsky. I think a very fundamental part of human experience is understanding yourself with respect to your true self and with respect to the society. You know when they compare psychadelic substances people sometimes say LSD is extraspective and shrooms is introspective. Dostoyevsky is very much about finding a peace between introspection and extraspection. It is about the fundamental trade-off between "maximal personal freedom" vs "a moral society where nothing 'bad' happens". Being both hardcore religious and conservative and anarchist Dostoyevsky hosts two inconsistent (?) ideas that "one should always do the moral thing" and "morality is a social construct and 200 years from now nothing we deem im/moral today will be relevant and thus one should only do what they think is the right regardless of 'morality'". I think this is a very familiar discussion every person has with themselves.

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

#46

Post by erikpukinskis »

james_s_tayler wrote: post #43
erikpukinskis wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s harder to take this work seriously after the way it’s been politicized by Jordan Peterson.

How does what Peterson have to say effect your opinion on the significance of the contents of The Gulag Archipelago? I bought a copy of it, so I could make up my own mind. Peterson brought it to my attention and it was timely as I read Man's Search For Meaning this year. That book is very widely read. I had never even heard of The Gulag Archipelago. Peterson points out that it's severely under-read in the West compar…

He uses it as a boogeyman, which makes me less inclined to read it. But it could be great. Just a slight variation in my inclination, I'm not making any sweeping statement.

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

#47

Post by james_s_tayler »

erikpukinskis wrote: post #46
james_s_tayler wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does what Peterson have to say effect your opinion on the significance of the contents of The Gulag Archipelago? I bought a copy of it, so I could make up my own mind. Peterson brought it to my attention and it was timely as I read Man's Search For Meaning this year. That book is very widely read. I had never even heard of The Gulag Archipelago. Peterson points out that it's severely under-read in the West compar…

He uses it as a boogeyman, which makes me less inclined to read it. But it could be great. Just a slight variation in my inclination, I'm not making any sweeping statement.

He does mention it an awful lot. Then again if he's right about what he's saying that the ways of thinking that produced those kinds of outcomes are alive and well and trying to advance their agenda either consciously or unconsciously, then that seems significant to me.

I guess to that end it's one data point among many.

As I've grown ever more curious about history and have started to dive into more and more parts of it I find that really reading through things deeply yourself is a much richer experience than a crude surface level analysis or taking someone's word for it. I had never heard of it prior to him bringing it up and it's like holy moly here looks like the exact kind of thing I find quite engrossing to read.

I think HN book recommendation thread from recently mentioned An Era of Darkness which I haven't bought yet because I implement a moratorium on buying books until I get through another 50, but I did add it to my list. That one is an account of British Rule in India.

Id rather do my best to learn the lessons of history. I think it's a lost art these days.

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