Throughout the busy semester, I managed to complete six novels; here are my thoughts on each.
My Year of rest and relaxation
Ottessa Moshfegh
I committed a cardinal sin with this one: I judged a book by its cover. This was, obviously, a mistake. I assumed this novel would be elaborate, beautiful, and poetic; just like the cover. In reality, this novel was slow paced, unoriginal, shallow, and boring.
As much as I understand the intention behind the slow pacing and the lacking storyline, I do not want to read it. In my completely unqualified opinion, this book would read much better as a short story, something less than 100 pages.
Norwegian wood
Haruki Murakami
As expected from a Murakami novel, some parts of this book made me outright uncomfortable. However, as expected from a Murakami novel, I could not put this book down.
This novel is relatively short, but has a way of inducing emotions in such depth, it forms a lifetime connection with the reader. Contrary to the first novel, every sentence in this book felt completely necessary, as if without it the story would be missing something.
Polzunkov
Fyodor Dostoevsky
It feels wrong to say, but pre-Siberian prison Dostoevsky was just less captivating. Regardless of the content of this short story, I was filled with an intense sadness after reading this one. There’s such a stark difference between the type of author Dostoevsky was and the type of author he became. This was not by choice but something that happened as a byproduct of uncomfortable (to put it lightly) circumstances.
As for the story, it was OK. Simply OK is all I can give it. The desire to be valued, at any and every expense, lies at the core of this story. I felt with that potential, the story should have struck so much deeper than it actually did.
Notes from The Underground
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Historical context is critical for my understanding and opinion of this novel. Though this novel seems to be an advocate of the common man overcoming adversity and society working together in harmony, it is actually satirizing just that idea. In his caricature of What Is to Be Done by Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Dostoevsky makes a statement about his perception of human nature, and societal greed. (Think Lord of the Flies vs The Coral Island).
Dovstoevsky and the human condition after a century
Alexej Ugrinsky
Are you sensing a pattern? I became increasingly entranced with not only Dostoevsky, but with translated works as a whole (Murakami was the catalyst) throughout the semester. As for a review of this book, I really can’t review it as a piece of literature. It was more adjacent to scouring goodreads reviews, a glimpse into others opinions and tidbits of information they can provide to enhance a reading experience.
The book was compiled from several different papers from several different authors, so each voice was different. Some provided insightful, factual context, while others were merely an opinionated dissection of Dostoevsky’s work.
DRive Your plow over the bones of the dead
Olga Tokarczuk
To be completely honest, I checked this book out because Flights was unavailable. I was pleasantly surprised, however. At first, this book was an easy read to relax me while I left my homework to rot. However, as the ending neared it picked up intensity quickly, and poetically.
While reading this piece, this quote came to my mind:
“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” – Albert Camus
Upon finishing the piece, I was shocked by just how applicable the quote had become. This book was an exciting read, I’m happy it found me.
Currently Reading: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison