It has been a long, wet winter here in the French countryside. Recently, however, we have finally been blessed with a few days of sunshine, and each new dawn seems to promises warmer temperatures and a slow introduction to spring.
The ducks are paddling in the pond, and a few brave frogs have begun croaking.
Time for a new book, I thought to myself. Why not something breezy, light, and…Russian!
So now…I find myself in the early pages of The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
The novel is incredibly rich in character and dense with story, which is not surprising. Dostoyevsky is considered one of Russia’s great novelists, and one of the world’s great writers.
Tolstoy’s Childhood, Boyhood, Youth is my only other foray into Russian literature (translated into English, of course). The two don’t really invite comparison, as Tolstoy’s first person narrator is less mature–and more immediate and emotional–than Dostoyevsky’s even and objective third person.
I know nothing of the storyline that unfolds in The Idiot, but the scope of the tale and detail of the characters are thus far quite impressive. I’m in for a long read, but I believe a rewarding one.
What are you reading right now?
Looking forward to the conversation…
- BGT