I knew there was a reason I was saving this post for Monday, when the bleak clouds wouldn't part and the week ahead seemed, well, bleak. Not anymore! I laughed. Out loud, no less. And then the sun came out. More such reviews, please. The choose-your-own-adventure moment was genius.
On a serious note, I've always put off reading any Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. This weighing it at only 70 pages might be a good place to start though, especially now I have the plot summary in my head.
I, too, need to spend more time with Russian authors. The short stories are a good way in. The hardest thing is trying to remember who all the different characters are, especially as the same person might have more than one name. A good place to start is Chekhov, especially a famous one of his, Lady with lapdog.
Most celebrate Russian novelists are. I think commend you to one who had something ti say about the penal justice system. I have my doubts about Chaucer. I think it is hokum.
You mean like Dostoevsky? Chaucer was very satirical (including against the Church). Also very funny. The Miller's Tale in particular is hilarious, in a schoolboy humour/Brian Rix farce kind of way!
awake at night. What jinx next either too responsive or not at all. Yes I was alluding to Dostoevsky and all the other bad boys of Russian lit - the girls might have had something going bout they kept quiet about it. I think Chaucer is supposed to be accorded some due respect but it took an American poet to illuminate it appropriately.
They were featured in Viz and hilariously lampoon the ‘chattering classes’ obviously it’s fairly well taking aim at an open barn door but who cares - that never stopped no one.
Thanks very much, Bryan. I have a question: WHY do you think it's excellent? I'm not fishing for compliments, I am always interested in what exactly people like or don't like something I;'ve written. It helps me improve I think. Thanks
Hi, Terry - It's excellent because of its precision. Straight, to the point - and laced with your trademark humour. I'm not a fan of Tolstoy (I can date the origin of my distaste to 1986 when I had to present 'The Death of Ivan Ilych' to my junior year (Year 12) English class), but this makes me want to read the story nevertheless. I also like your accompanying photo and the Beethovan clip is great. So, in all an excellent multimedia presentation!
Thanks Bryan. I can understand your antipathy towards Tolstoy given that experience. I was out off reading Dickens by being given Oliver Twist as a prize when I was 10 years old.
"...is exactly what the narrator of this story chooses, condemning the rest of us to a 70 page diatribe by someone who is clearly unhinged."
Well, Terry, once I'd picked myself up off the floor (where I'd landed, laughing, having read the above) I made the effort to put my sensible hat on again to read this post properly! I've never read any Tolstoy but now I'm almost - almost, Terry - tempted.
Thank you for the link to the wonderful Anne-Sophie Mutter performance of the sonata itself - such a complicated piece, pretty equal in effort for both violinist and pianist - that makes perfect sense, and so in listening to it I have gained an understanding of where Tolstoy might have been coming from!
A great post, Terry - I'll be thinking about this for a while.
Thanks very much, Rebecca. We covered this story in a course I did called Greatest Russian Short Stories at the City Lit ,you know the place where I'm running a course that you haven't signed up to, that place. Anyway, I sent it to the tutor and he said he laughed out loud at that bit! 🤣
I knew there was a reason I was saving this post for Monday, when the bleak clouds wouldn't part and the week ahead seemed, well, bleak. Not anymore! I laughed. Out loud, no less. And then the sun came out. More such reviews, please. The choose-your-own-adventure moment was genius.
On a serious note, I've always put off reading any Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. This weighing it at only 70 pages might be a good place to start though, especially now I have the plot summary in my head.
Hi Nathan. Thanks. I hadn't thought of it quite as a choose-your-own-adventure story but you're right. In that case maybe you would enjoy reading my review of The Comfort of Strangers: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/review-the-comfort-of-strangers-238
I, too, need to spend more time with Russian authors. The short stories are a good way in. The hardest thing is trying to remember who all the different characters are, especially as the same person might have more than one name. A good place to start is Chekhov, especially a famous one of his, Lady with lapdog.
Chekhov has been on my list for a long time, especially because he's referenced so much by Murakami and was seemingly an influence for him.
It's good to have a place to start though, so thanks. I'll add yet another book to my wishlist :P (But seriously, thank you.)
It's available as a pdf online. It's not too long
Most celebrate Russian novelists are. I think commend you to one who had something ti say about the penal justice system. I have my doubts about Chaucer. I think it is hokum.
You mean like Dostoevsky? Chaucer was very satirical (including against the Church). Also very funny. The Miller's Tale in particular is hilarious, in a schoolboy humour/Brian Rix farce kind of way!
That’s what I mean. Toch screen keeps me
awake at night. What jinx next either too responsive or not at all. Yes I was alluding to Dostoevsky and all the other bad boys of Russian lit - the girls might have had something going bout they kept quiet about it. I think Chaucer is supposed to be accorded some due respect but it took an American poet to illuminate it appropriately.
You're not supposed to use touch screens at night! Which American poet? I hadn't heard of that!! Chaucer was English: I know my rights.
T S Elliot of course ‘Murder in the Cathedral’.
Oh ok. Well he doesn't count because he became British, didn't he? 🧐
That should read ‘celebrated’, obviously. Lots of typos - touch screen is not very good this morning.
Don't worry about it, Marple. My toch screen has a mind of its own.
Does sound brilliant.
Indeed. I fear my send-up of it doesn't quite do it justice 🤣
Maybe we can all stage a come back of ‘The Critics’.
That rigns a vague bell. What was or is it? A TV programme?
They were featured in Viz and hilariously lampoon the ‘chattering classes’ obviously it’s fairly well taking aim at an open barn door but who cares - that never stopped no one.
LOL. Barn doors are good things to aim for 😂
Hard to miss. I think that’s the idea.
One word: excellent.
Thanks very much, Bryan. I have a question: WHY do you think it's excellent? I'm not fishing for compliments, I am always interested in what exactly people like or don't like something I;'ve written. It helps me improve I think. Thanks
Hi, Terry - It's excellent because of its precision. Straight, to the point - and laced with your trademark humour. I'm not a fan of Tolstoy (I can date the origin of my distaste to 1986 when I had to present 'The Death of Ivan Ilych' to my junior year (Year 12) English class), but this makes me want to read the story nevertheless. I also like your accompanying photo and the Beethovan clip is great. So, in all an excellent multimedia presentation!
Thanks Bryan. I can understand your antipathy towards Tolstoy given that experience. I was out off reading Dickens by being given Oliver Twist as a prize when I was 10 years old.
That was definitely better than me having to read it. Thanks!
LOL. Certainly a lot shorter, if that's what you mean! 🤣
"...is exactly what the narrator of this story chooses, condemning the rest of us to a 70 page diatribe by someone who is clearly unhinged."
Well, Terry, once I'd picked myself up off the floor (where I'd landed, laughing, having read the above) I made the effort to put my sensible hat on again to read this post properly! I've never read any Tolstoy but now I'm almost - almost, Terry - tempted.
Thank you for the link to the wonderful Anne-Sophie Mutter performance of the sonata itself - such a complicated piece, pretty equal in effort for both violinist and pianist - that makes perfect sense, and so in listening to it I have gained an understanding of where Tolstoy might have been coming from!
A great post, Terry - I'll be thinking about this for a while.
Thanks very much, Rebecca. We covered this story in a course I did called Greatest Russian Short Stories at the City Lit ,you know the place where I'm running a course that you haven't signed up to, that place. Anyway, I sent it to the tutor and he said he laughed out loud at that bit! 🤣
🤣 #turningthescrew 😉
😂