See, I love Bulgakov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but I really didn't get Karamazov (it's a personal failing, not attributing it to the work).
There are some beautiful aspects of the book that will always stay with me. The Grand Inquisitor monologue is captivating, Alyosha is a deeply interesting character, Mitya's stories of gallivanting on a troika through Russia, and everything that is Grushenka...
But as a whole, I can't say I understood it. I didn't understand how these characters came together, or how the ending tied these (albeit interesting!) stories together.
Karamazov was the first Dostoevsky book I read. When it came to The Idiot, I was shocked by how different the writing style felt. It flowed more, the dialogue drove a lot of the narrative, and it generally was just a lot less dense.
I'm hardly an English Major let alone a scholar of Russian Lit so I'm sure the thoughts here are pedestrian.
Thanks! I should seek out more analysis... Master & Margarita is my favourite book, but I don't think it'd crack Top 10 if it weren't for the end notes.
There are some beautiful aspects of the book that will always stay with me. The Grand Inquisitor monologue is captivating, Alyosha is a deeply interesting character, Mitya's stories of gallivanting on a troika through Russia, and everything that is Grushenka...
But as a whole, I can't say I understood it. I didn't understand how these characters came together, or how the ending tied these (albeit interesting!) stories together.
Karamazov was the first Dostoevsky book I read. When it came to The Idiot, I was shocked by how different the writing style felt. It flowed more, the dialogue drove a lot of the narrative, and it generally was just a lot less dense.
I'm hardly an English Major let alone a scholar of Russian Lit so I'm sure the thoughts here are pedestrian.