Scratch Crime and Punishment from the Winter's Classics list.
I came home from work last night to find that a bored S. had picked up The Brothers Karamazov and wasn't going to need any encouragement on my part to continue. (His sister will be thrilled.) He will, however, need a discussion buddy, so, now that I'm signing on for the impromptu re-read of a 776-pager, I'm throwing earlier plans out the window.
Revised plans are now:
the substituted Dostoevsky
Proust's In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower
Stendhal's The Red and the Black
Chekhov's Ward No. 6
Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author
Mann's Buddenbrooks
Hardy's The Return of the Native
I may not have time to finish the Mann and Hardy before the challenge ends, but I'm definitely going to read them.
And now I must scramble to catch up in The Brothers.
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Oh my goodness. The Dostoevsky brings back memory. Good luck on "Brothers Karamazov". I read it when I was still in the university - angsty, stupid, naive and with lots of time to spare. While I enjoyed it I remember how intense Dostoevsky can be. How I LOVED that kind of intensity.
ReplyDeleteAnd how thick "Brothers Karamazov" felt.
Is yours the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation? Their version seems less dry than some of the other translators in the market.
Very nice list! I'm kind of resisting this challenge because I'm not sure how much time I'll have, but ... it does tempt me.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have the Pevear translation. I'm having to make do with the Garnett here at the library tonight, but I ordered a second copy so we won't have to fight over the "good one" over the holidays.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter fell in love with the Brothers K in 8th grade (she read it very slowly, with dictionary in hand) and convinced her best friend to read it not long after. Then, when they were in 9th grade, a Davidson College prof gave a series of lectures on the novel here in Charlotte and I took them to those.
I feel my son is finally being initiated into an exclusive cult!
Dorothy, I thought you did sign up for the challenge. Aren't you committed to reading Buddenbrooks, too?
I'm terribly impressed that your daughter read 'Brothers' at such a young age. How old is your son? I love reading the same book as a child and discussing it as you progress, but my daughter and I have never tackled anything that challenging.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I like the new look for your blog. I liked the last one, too. Just wanted you know that I noticed.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteMy son's fast approaching 18--he's a senior. No way he'd have attempted this book in 8th grade (no way I would have either).