I keep meaning to post the questions from the discussion section at the back of my book. Sorry that I haven't done that. I do remember a couple of them:
Do you think the title, "The Good Earth" is correct and apt, or was it intended to be taken more sarcastically---the earth was treated as the most important and good thing in life by Wang Lung---was it?
Some have said The Good Earth deals with a lot of universal issues, despite being specifically set in China during/after the last empire. Do you agree?
I know a few people set out reading this book, not sure who is done. I really liked this book, but typically find stories set in China to be pretty fascinating anyway, so no surprise there. What did you think? Add any questions you think are interesting to think about, too!
AND ALSO any interest in reading something else "together"?? Any ideas?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wherever you are, it's okay to read this post.
I finished the book last night and am so glad I did. That sounds bad. What I mean is that I'm really glad to have read this book. I hope everyone is still reading or done reading. The end presents some very interesting and in my opinion, satisfying twists and thoughts. I hope to discuss with you soon!
So as not to give away anything accidentally (andmostlybecauseIdidn'ttakenotesasIread) I have only created pretty blank posts for each chapter. That way people can comment as they read each chapter because I have NO IDEA where other people are now! Hope to hear from someone soon :)
So as not to give away anything accidentally (andmostlybecauseIdidn'ttakenotesasIread) I have only created pretty blank posts for each chapter. That way people can comment as they read each chapter because I have NO IDEA where other people are now! Hope to hear from someone soon :)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Part 6: Coming atcha tomorrow
Too tired to write it tonight thanks to this crummy cold...plus it seems as if no one else is reading anymore???
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Part 5: Some thoughts...for reals this time
The little girl, his child, was so sweet and Anna had become so attached to her, once this little girl was all she had left, that she rarely remembered her son.
This sentence made me sad---as a mother, as well as on behalf of her son.
And much later in Part 5:
It was impossible not to smile, not to kiss the little girl, not to give her a finger ...And Anna did all this, took her in her arms, got her to jump, and kissed her fresh cheek and bare little elbows; but the sight of this child made it still clearer that her feeling for her, compared to what she felt for Seryozha, was not even love. Everything about this little girl was sweet, but for some reason none of it touched her heart.
More of me feeling sad.
In everything he (Vronsky) said, thought and did, she saw something especially noble and lofty. Her admiration for him often frightened her: she sought and failed to find anything not beautiful in him. she did not dare show him her awareness of her own nullity before him. It seemed to her that if he knew it, he would stop loving her sooner; and she feared nothing so much now, though she had no reason for it...He, manly as he was, not only never contradicted her, but had no will of his own and seemed to be concerned only with anticipating her wishes. And she could not help appreciating it, though the very strain of his attentiveness towards her, the atmosphere of solicitude he surrounded her with, was sometimes burdensome to her.
Vronsky meanwhile, despite the full realization of what he had desired for so long, was not fully happy...It showed him the eternal error people make in imagining that happiness is the realization of desires.
Whoa. So true.
Vronsky's enthusiasm for painting and the Middle Ages did not last long...With his peculiar resoluteness of character, without explaining anything or justifying himself, he ceased to occupy himself with painting.
Methinks there might be another, deeper parallel here.
Levin and Kitty:
These confrontations also often took place because they did not yet know what was important for the other and because during this initial time they were both often in bad spirits.
I thought this was a really elegant way to view one of the things that's so important in a marriage.
He continued his occupations, but he now felt that the center of gravity of his attention had shifted elsewhere, and owing to that he looked at his work quite differently and more clearly. Formerly his work had been a salvation from life for him. Formerly he had felt that without it his life would have been too bleak. But now this work was necessary to him so that life would not be so uniformly bright.
Happy :)
The sight of his brother and the proximity of death renewed in Levin's soul that feeling of horror at the inscrutability and, ith that, the nearness and invitability of death, which had seized him on that autumn evening when his brother had come for a visit. The feeling was now stronger than before; he felt even less capable than before of understanding the meaning of death, and its inevitability appeared still more horrible to him; but now, thanks to his wife's nearness, the feeling did not drive him to despair: in spite of death, he felt the necessity to live and to love.
Back to Anna and Vronsky:
He felt that his respect for her was decreasing at the same time as his consciousness of her beauty increased.
He felt sorry for her, and still he was vexed. He assured her of his love, because he saw that that alone could calm her now, and he did not reproach her in words, but in his soul he did reproach her.
So much happened in Part 5! I'm sure there are many other quotes that struck you. Feel free to comment on any of the quotes I included above, but also do share what struck you for one reason or another.
Ohhh, Miss Anna. Hot. Cold. In love. Not in love. Scornful. Needy. Apathetic. Desperate. Tender. Offended. Loving. This princess is ALL OVER the map. But in typical Tolstoy fashion, he's managed to evoke sympathy from me for her. She is so unstable and seemingly co-dependant on Vronsky that I just want some way for things to work out for her. While very young, she married a man whom she never felt connected to or loved/known/understood. She ends up losing her son---the one person who genuinely loves her. She's currently in a relationship that caused her to sacrifice nearly everything in her life and now that man is growing more and more dissatisfied with her with every page. Sure she's brought much of this unhappiness and misfortune on herself, but can't a sister catch a break?? You know, other than being born into priviledge, being uncommonly beautiful, having two healthy children, and a husband who stands aside quietly while she humiliates him because he wants what is best for her...
This sentence made me sad---as a mother, as well as on behalf of her son.
And much later in Part 5:
It was impossible not to smile, not to kiss the little girl, not to give her a finger ...And Anna did all this, took her in her arms, got her to jump, and kissed her fresh cheek and bare little elbows; but the sight of this child made it still clearer that her feeling for her, compared to what she felt for Seryozha, was not even love. Everything about this little girl was sweet, but for some reason none of it touched her heart.
More of me feeling sad.
In everything he (Vronsky) said, thought and did, she saw something especially noble and lofty. Her admiration for him often frightened her: she sought and failed to find anything not beautiful in him. she did not dare show him her awareness of her own nullity before him. It seemed to her that if he knew it, he would stop loving her sooner; and she feared nothing so much now, though she had no reason for it...He, manly as he was, not only never contradicted her, but had no will of his own and seemed to be concerned only with anticipating her wishes. And she could not help appreciating it, though the very strain of his attentiveness towards her, the atmosphere of solicitude he surrounded her with, was sometimes burdensome to her.
Vronsky meanwhile, despite the full realization of what he had desired for so long, was not fully happy...It showed him the eternal error people make in imagining that happiness is the realization of desires.
Whoa. So true.
Vronsky's enthusiasm for painting and the Middle Ages did not last long...With his peculiar resoluteness of character, without explaining anything or justifying himself, he ceased to occupy himself with painting.
Methinks there might be another, deeper parallel here.
Levin and Kitty:
These confrontations also often took place because they did not yet know what was important for the other and because during this initial time they were both often in bad spirits.
I thought this was a really elegant way to view one of the things that's so important in a marriage.
He continued his occupations, but he now felt that the center of gravity of his attention had shifted elsewhere, and owing to that he looked at his work quite differently and more clearly. Formerly his work had been a salvation from life for him. Formerly he had felt that without it his life would have been too bleak. But now this work was necessary to him so that life would not be so uniformly bright.
Happy :)
The sight of his brother and the proximity of death renewed in Levin's soul that feeling of horror at the inscrutability and, ith that, the nearness and invitability of death, which had seized him on that autumn evening when his brother had come for a visit. The feeling was now stronger than before; he felt even less capable than before of understanding the meaning of death, and its inevitability appeared still more horrible to him; but now, thanks to his wife's nearness, the feeling did not drive him to despair: in spite of death, he felt the necessity to live and to love.
Back to Anna and Vronsky:
He felt that his respect for her was decreasing at the same time as his consciousness of her beauty increased.
He felt sorry for her, and still he was vexed. He assured her of his love, because he saw that that alone could calm her now, and he did not reproach her in words, but in his soul he did reproach her.
So much happened in Part 5! I'm sure there are many other quotes that struck you. Feel free to comment on any of the quotes I included above, but also do share what struck you for one reason or another.
Ohhh, Miss Anna. Hot. Cold. In love. Not in love. Scornful. Needy. Apathetic. Desperate. Tender. Offended. Loving. This princess is ALL OVER the map. But in typical Tolstoy fashion, he's managed to evoke sympathy from me for her. She is so unstable and seemingly co-dependant on Vronsky that I just want some way for things to work out for her. While very young, she married a man whom she never felt connected to or loved/known/understood. She ends up losing her son---the one person who genuinely loves her. She's currently in a relationship that caused her to sacrifice nearly everything in her life and now that man is growing more and more dissatisfied with her with every page. Sure she's brought much of this unhappiness and misfortune on herself, but can't a sister catch a break?? You know, other than being born into priviledge, being uncommonly beautiful, having two healthy children, and a husband who stands aside quietly while she humiliates him because he wants what is best for her...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Part 4: 180 Degrees, or Boyz to Men
Well you know there is hope for anyone when the word magnanimous is used to aptly describe Alexei! I felt like it was very believable, but I don't really understand how Tolstoy pulled that off. If you agree that Tolstoy managed to successfully and believably reform a cold robot of a man into a dignified and compassionate man (who even loves his wife's illegitimate baby!), then can you tell me how you think he did this? And, am I naive to think that this is how Alexei will continue to be?
Speaking of 180's, it seems that the once confident and unshakable Vronsky has ridden quite the roller coaster during Part 4. I found it particularly disheartening and repulsive that once Anna was gaining weight (carrying Vronsky's baby) he began to be less interested in her, less in love with her. Don't dive into that pool. Know what I'm saying? You're likely to break your neck. Shallow. (However, in his defense, Anna did seem a little irrational (read: crazy) during that time---but come on, pregnancy hormones were then and are still very powerful)
In part 4 we see Vronsky experience boredom, hopelessness, shame, fear, some more shame, despair and then once again, back to passion. And I probably left some out.
When I thought Anna might die, I began to think about her impact on the rest of the story and characters. I mean, if the book's namesake dies halfway through, I've got to understand how she is so far-reaching, even after death. She mended her brother's marriage. She unintentionally (right?) lured Vronsky away from Kitty: Kitty has finally realized Vronsky was not all she had him cracked up to be, but that Levin was much more than she...cracked him...up...to be. Levin is now loving life, no longer obsessed with dying, and has decided to like everyone he meets. She caused Vronsky to love deeply, and feel things other than self-satisfaction. She caused her husband to soften (even though this repulses her even more than how he was before). So Anna could have died and I would have understood why the book was titled after her.
But she didn't die.
So there must be more...
I hope Anna begins to love her new baby. I hope that Levin and Kitty remain as endearing as they are to me right now in the dawn of their newfound, mutual love. I don't know what I hope in the triangle of Anna, Vronsky and Alexei. I hope people keep reading and catch up so we can continue conversing! :)
Speaking of 180's, it seems that the once confident and unshakable Vronsky has ridden quite the roller coaster during Part 4. I found it particularly disheartening and repulsive that once Anna was gaining weight (carrying Vronsky's baby) he began to be less interested in her, less in love with her. Don't dive into that pool. Know what I'm saying? You're likely to break your neck. Shallow. (However, in his defense, Anna did seem a little irrational (read: crazy) during that time---but come on, pregnancy hormones were then and are still very powerful)
In part 4 we see Vronsky experience boredom, hopelessness, shame, fear, some more shame, despair and then once again, back to passion. And I probably left some out.
When I thought Anna might die, I began to think about her impact on the rest of the story and characters. I mean, if the book's namesake dies halfway through, I've got to understand how she is so far-reaching, even after death. She mended her brother's marriage. She unintentionally (right?) lured Vronsky away from Kitty: Kitty has finally realized Vronsky was not all she had him cracked up to be, but that Levin was much more than she...cracked him...up...to be. Levin is now loving life, no longer obsessed with dying, and has decided to like everyone he meets. She caused Vronsky to love deeply, and feel things other than self-satisfaction. She caused her husband to soften (even though this repulses her even more than how he was before). So Anna could have died and I would have understood why the book was titled after her.
But she didn't die.
So there must be more...
I hope Anna begins to love her new baby. I hope that Levin and Kitty remain as endearing as they are to me right now in the dawn of their newfound, mutual love. I don't know what I hope in the triangle of Anna, Vronsky and Alexei. I hope people keep reading and catch up so we can continue conversing! :)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Part 3: Poor...everybody?
I'm going to finish Part 4 tonight...so my thoughts for specifically the Part 3 are a little foggy since I didn't write anything out while or right after reading, so I decided to...cheat. Here are some questions I found on Oprah's website. If you see something that touches on a thought for you, go ahead and answer. Obviously if you have other thoughts, do share.
1. Spend some time thinking about and talking about Levin's brothers, Nikolai and Sergei. How do they come together to form a family? In what ways to they challenge each other to make good choices and live good lives...and in what ways to they seem to hinder this process for each other?
2. What do you like about Levin's nurse and housekeeper Agafya?
3. How do you feel about the fact that Levin has taken on the work of a laborer, mowing right along with the muzhiks? How does this endear him to you as a character?
4. Levin's brother Sergei comes to visit him in the country. What do you think about their interactions? Do you get the feeling that one or the other of them is a stronger or more "noble" man? What specifically gives you that impression?
5. On Page 277, Levin and Kitty see each other for the first time after the debacle of his initial proposal. Tolstoy writes, "There were no other eyes in the world like those. There was no other being in the world capable of concentrating for him all the light and meaning of life." What do you think of this passage, and Levin's feelings towards Kitty despite all that has passed between them?
6. What do you think about the fact that Karenin considers and rejects the possibility of a duel with Vronsky for Anna? Do you think the fact that he initially decides on divorce instead is reasonable?
7. Trace the ways Anna has thought of her affair with Vronsky up to this point. Discuss what Anna says makes her happy and unhappy about her situation. Do you think she is being realistic or naive?
8. Do you feel Anna's relationship with her brother and his wife Dolly is a good one? Discuss this dynamic and how you think it may play out as the book progresses.
9. On Page 302, Vronsky is described as a man who "hated disorder." If this is the case, why do you think he allows such a disorderly situation as his affair with Anna comes to fruition? Think about the dichotomies set up by the author with regard to their passionate infidelity.
10. Both Stiva and Karenin are pillars of Russian society, and shown to be very adept at their jobs and in working with people. Is this interesting to you—and if so in what ways? What do you learn about the Russian business/diplomatic world from Karenin and Stiva?
1. Spend some time thinking about and talking about Levin's brothers, Nikolai and Sergei. How do they come together to form a family? In what ways to they challenge each other to make good choices and live good lives...and in what ways to they seem to hinder this process for each other?
2. What do you like about Levin's nurse and housekeeper Agafya?
3. How do you feel about the fact that Levin has taken on the work of a laborer, mowing right along with the muzhiks? How does this endear him to you as a character?
4. Levin's brother Sergei comes to visit him in the country. What do you think about their interactions? Do you get the feeling that one or the other of them is a stronger or more "noble" man? What specifically gives you that impression?
5. On Page 277, Levin and Kitty see each other for the first time after the debacle of his initial proposal. Tolstoy writes, "There were no other eyes in the world like those. There was no other being in the world capable of concentrating for him all the light and meaning of life." What do you think of this passage, and Levin's feelings towards Kitty despite all that has passed between them?
6. What do you think about the fact that Karenin considers and rejects the possibility of a duel with Vronsky for Anna? Do you think the fact that he initially decides on divorce instead is reasonable?
7. Trace the ways Anna has thought of her affair with Vronsky up to this point. Discuss what Anna says makes her happy and unhappy about her situation. Do you think she is being realistic or naive?
8. Do you feel Anna's relationship with her brother and his wife Dolly is a good one? Discuss this dynamic and how you think it may play out as the book progresses.
9. On Page 302, Vronsky is described as a man who "hated disorder." If this is the case, why do you think he allows such a disorderly situation as his affair with Anna comes to fruition? Think about the dichotomies set up by the author with regard to their passionate infidelity.
10. Both Stiva and Karenin are pillars of Russian society, and shown to be very adept at their jobs and in working with people. Is this interesting to you—and if so in what ways? What do you learn about the Russian business/diplomatic world from Karenin and Stiva?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Deep thought (not by Jack Handy)
I still plan on posting about Part 3 tomorrow sometime.
But I just noticed something. Actually I noticed it a few days ago but forgot. So I just re-noticed something: The cloud in my little identity icon looks like a manicured poodle with a duck head. Right? I'll open it up for discussion now.
But I just noticed something. Actually I noticed it a few days ago but forgot. So I just re-noticed something: The cloud in my little identity icon looks like a manicured poodle with a duck head. Right? I'll open it up for discussion now.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Leaping into---technology.
My plan was to post on Part 3 tonight. However, our new SMART phones (Amy knows my old phone was "stupid") arrived. I was anxiously awaiting the UPS truck all. day. Finally just after 4:00 it pulled up right in front of my front door. The delivery driver took his sweet time and finally rushed out -- to my neigbor's door. At this point I came out onto my front step. Wha?? Is he mistakenly delivering my new VERY long awaited phone to the wrong address? Awkward wave and nervous smile...Got anything for me??! She said in a slightly too high-pitched voice...We'll see...YES!!! It turns out my neigbors also had a package rightfully delivered today. He handed me my package and a rushed inside and ripped it open. Hours later and I've put my toddler to bed and proceeded to set up my new phone, as well as download as many free apps as I could. If you had ever talked to me on my old phone and found it impossible to make out whether I was even speaking English, or seen my frustration as my puny, colorless screen went blank--AGAIN--you would understand my obsession and excitement.
ALL of that to say, I still have about 20 pages left to read of Part 3.
Part 3 is loooong. My guess is that no one will be too upset if Part 3's post is slightly delayed by a day or so.
Also, I just read through the new comments and WOW---the stores must be selling out of smarty pants because you are all wearing 'em. I apologize for that joke. Clearly the radiation eminating from my new phone has fried away some -a lot- of my brain cells over the last couple of hours. But now you understand why I will be responding to your deep thoughts and questions once I've had some healthy space from my NEW PHONE. So freaking excited.
ALL of that to say, I still have about 20 pages left to read of Part 3.
Part 3 is loooong. My guess is that no one will be too upset if Part 3's post is slightly delayed by a day or so.
Also, I just read through the new comments and WOW---the stores must be selling out of smarty pants because you are all wearing 'em. I apologize for that joke. Clearly the radiation eminating from my new phone has fried away some -a lot- of my brain cells over the last couple of hours. But now you understand why I will be responding to your deep thoughts and questions once I've had some healthy space from my NEW PHONE. So freaking excited.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Part 2: Privy
First: Even if you are caught up through Part 2, go back and read and respond to Jenn's comments! This lady has brought the proverbial "it" I requested in the last post. I loved reading your thoughts, Jenn...now through the power of peer pressure I encourage the rest of you smart chicks to follow suit. I know you're there thinking all kinds of thoughts. Please share.
Part 2, part 2, part 2. Have you ever found yourself being judgemental of others (I'm sure not, so just pretend and go with me here)? Have you ever found yourself later to have been straight up wrong about your initial judgements? What I'm noticing as I become more deeply involved in the lives of Tolstoy's characters, is that when you are privy to people's inner thoughts/motivations/hang-ups, etc. that it becomes much less black and white and therefore much more difficult to label them one way or another. It gets a little messy. I begin to see the good and the bad co-existing within one person. I'm sure there is a lesson here that is very pertinent to real life. I'll let you flesh that out in your subsequent comments...
I agree with Jenn's comment and in fact think she put it perfectly:
I think one of the greatest things I appreciate about AK so far is the way Tolstoy develops the characters. We are privy to thoughts and intentions of each character but Tolstoy usually seems to let them unfold in a non-judgmental way. Sometimes we see the way others see them but sometimes we get their perspective. I love the candid way each character is exposed....it almost seems unfair! :) But I find myself identifying with certain thoughts and intentions of various characters, their noble thoughts as well as their shameful ones.
Notice that we both used the word "privy"? I think I read Jenn's comment earlier, wrote my own and subconsciously copied her sentiment. Or great minds think alike. But probably the first thing.
AMY: I know you're reading. I know you're busy. I know I love everything your brain comes up with...
KATE: I'm pretty sure you're reading. I know potentially everything you say is intelligent and hilarious...
KRISTI: I know you started. I think you're still reading. I know you are one of the kindest thinking people I know...
TIFFANY and KERRI: I have no idea who you are, what you think, or how you came upon this blog...but I can't wait to find out...
Sooooooo, this discussion could be even greater and more diverse...
Back to Part 2.
Kitty is so charmingly immature, isn't she? I just want to help guide her along somehow in all my infinite life wisdom... I love that she's trying so intently to be a better person. She's trying so hard to grow up; to figure out who she is and who she'll be. I even like that she leans a bit toward the melodramatic. I feel like patting her on the head. What's your reaction to Kitty?
So Anna and Vronsky. Earlier when I was talking about seeing the good and the bad within a person, and how that makes judgment so much more difficult, I was mostly thinking about these two when I said it. Vronsky has pursued and succeeded in catching a married woman, thus compromising...pretty much her whole life. But by the end of Part 2, I liked him more. Anna is in over her head, now an adulteress...and I can't write her off as a miserable excuse for a human. Whether you agree with me in that, or not, you have to agree that Tolstoy has succeeded in writing some complex characters, right?
Part 2, part 2, part 2. Have you ever found yourself being judgemental of others (I'm sure not, so just pretend and go with me here)? Have you ever found yourself later to have been straight up wrong about your initial judgements? What I'm noticing as I become more deeply involved in the lives of Tolstoy's characters, is that when you are privy to people's inner thoughts/motivations/hang-ups, etc. that it becomes much less black and white and therefore much more difficult to label them one way or another. It gets a little messy. I begin to see the good and the bad co-existing within one person. I'm sure there is a lesson here that is very pertinent to real life. I'll let you flesh that out in your subsequent comments...
I agree with Jenn's comment and in fact think she put it perfectly:
I think one of the greatest things I appreciate about AK so far is the way Tolstoy develops the characters. We are privy to thoughts and intentions of each character but Tolstoy usually seems to let them unfold in a non-judgmental way. Sometimes we see the way others see them but sometimes we get their perspective. I love the candid way each character is exposed....it almost seems unfair! :) But I find myself identifying with certain thoughts and intentions of various characters, their noble thoughts as well as their shameful ones.
Notice that we both used the word "privy"? I think I read Jenn's comment earlier, wrote my own and subconsciously copied her sentiment. Or great minds think alike. But probably the first thing.
AMY: I know you're reading. I know you're busy. I know I love everything your brain comes up with...
KATE: I'm pretty sure you're reading. I know potentially everything you say is intelligent and hilarious...
KRISTI: I know you started. I think you're still reading. I know you are one of the kindest thinking people I know...
TIFFANY and KERRI: I have no idea who you are, what you think, or how you came upon this blog...but I can't wait to find out...
Sooooooo, this discussion could be even greater and more diverse...
Back to Part 2.
Kitty is so charmingly immature, isn't she? I just want to help guide her along somehow in all my infinite life wisdom... I love that she's trying so intently to be a better person. She's trying so hard to grow up; to figure out who she is and who she'll be. I even like that she leans a bit toward the melodramatic. I feel like patting her on the head. What's your reaction to Kitty?
So Anna and Vronsky. Earlier when I was talking about seeing the good and the bad within a person, and how that makes judgment so much more difficult, I was mostly thinking about these two when I said it. Vronsky has pursued and succeeded in catching a married woman, thus compromising...pretty much her whole life. But by the end of Part 2, I liked him more. Anna is in over her head, now an adulteress...and I can't write her off as a miserable excuse for a human. Whether you agree with me in that, or not, you have to agree that Tolstoy has succeeded in writing some complex characters, right?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Where you at?
So I just finished Part 2, but I think I'll hold off on posting about it until I know where most of us are. So, where are you in the book? Or the world...some of you I don't know, and most of you don't know each other, so that get-to-know-ya info would be good, too.
If you're not the commenting type, that's fine. I'm just curious about who is actually reading along. Make yourselves known! Plus I know we would all like reading other people's thoughts, so bring it.
Are you liking the book? Having any profound thoughts? Any quotes from the book that stood out to you?
Bring. It.
*Aside: Did anyone else notice in the movie "Bring It On" that the girl actually says "Bring It. (Notice the lack of the word ON)"? No? Just me. Okay. Let's resume our discussion about this great Russian novel then.
If you're not the commenting type, that's fine. I'm just curious about who is actually reading along. Make yourselves known! Plus I know we would all like reading other people's thoughts, so bring it.
Are you liking the book? Having any profound thoughts? Any quotes from the book that stood out to you?
Bring. It.
*Aside: Did anyone else notice in the movie "Bring It On" that the girl actually says "Bring It. (Notice the lack of the word ON)"? No? Just me. Okay. Let's resume our discussion about this great Russian novel then.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Part 1: Like Brother, Like Sister?
So we've got 6 characters that we've become pretty familiar with in Part 1...and a whole lot of names. Apparently all of the names can be explained like this: Traditionally, people were often referred to by not only their first name, but also that of their father. So for instance, Prince Stepan Arkadyich, whose last name is Oblonsky, is also called Stiva. That's like Robert being called Bob, or Richard being called Dick---sort of a less formal nick-name.
Ekaterina Alexandrovna (father is Prince Alexander Dmitrievich) or Katerina, or Kitty or Katia, or Katenka
Anna Arkadeyvna Karenina, or Princess Oblonsky
Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky or Alyosha
Princess Darya Alexandrovna or Dolly or Dasha or Dashenka or Dollenka
Konstantin Dmitrich Levin or Kostya
(don't you feel a little bad for how hard it must be for Russian children when they're first learning how to spell their name(s)? I spelled Brooke B O O R K E quite often when I was first learning. Imagine if I had half a dozen different Russian names? Probably would have failed kindergarten and then where would I be? Certainly not hosting a blog discussing 800-page-long books.)
...................................................................................................................................................
Liking:
--I appreciate how Tolstoy gets you acquainted with each character without coming straight out and telling you, Vronsky prefers convenience and personal pleasure to depth and responsibility. Instead he shows us by describing a character's thoughts/reactions/interests/pet-peeves/etc. So a fuller picture seems to develop in my mind of who that person is.
--Levin. And I feel like I'm going to keep liking him more and more. Others, I'm not as sure of.
Not liking:
--That I think I might have a double standard in regards to men or women and infidelity...I'm hoping to eliminate this in myself before I'm absolutely certain it's there. But as I began to like and respect Anna along with everyone else (in the story) she began to feel guilty about her interactions with Vronsky. So of course it seems obvious that something is developing there. Do I immediately decide she needs the same crass consequences that I mentioned Stiva needed in an earlier post? No. I start thinking, well I wonder what awful things her husband has done to make her start to stray? There must be more behind this. Surely she wouldn't be capable of infidelity unless --fill in the blank (blank to be filled in in Part 2, I'm sure). Not proud, just saying.
--Vronsky. He's too smooth, right? Or do you like him just like every woman in the book does? Maybe I like him, too...I just don't trust him? I'm not sure yet.
So now, what are your reactions? And if you have great questions to ask us, please do---We need great questions to get the discussion started!
Ekaterina Alexandrovna (father is Prince Alexander Dmitrievich) or Katerina, or Kitty or Katia, or Katenka
Anna Arkadeyvna Karenina, or Princess Oblonsky
Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky or Alyosha
Princess Darya Alexandrovna or Dolly or Dasha or Dashenka or Dollenka
Konstantin Dmitrich Levin or Kostya
(don't you feel a little bad for how hard it must be for Russian children when they're first learning how to spell their name(s)? I spelled Brooke B O O R K E quite often when I was first learning. Imagine if I had half a dozen different Russian names? Probably would have failed kindergarten and then where would I be? Certainly not hosting a blog discussing 800-page-long books.)
...................................................................................................................................................
Liking:
--I appreciate how Tolstoy gets you acquainted with each character without coming straight out and telling you, Vronsky prefers convenience and personal pleasure to depth and responsibility. Instead he shows us by describing a character's thoughts/reactions/interests/pet-peeves/etc. So a fuller picture seems to develop in my mind of who that person is.
--Levin. And I feel like I'm going to keep liking him more and more. Others, I'm not as sure of.
Not liking:
--That I think I might have a double standard in regards to men or women and infidelity...I'm hoping to eliminate this in myself before I'm absolutely certain it's there. But as I began to like and respect Anna along with everyone else (in the story) she began to feel guilty about her interactions with Vronsky. So of course it seems obvious that something is developing there. Do I immediately decide she needs the same crass consequences that I mentioned Stiva needed in an earlier post? No. I start thinking, well I wonder what awful things her husband has done to make her start to stray? There must be more behind this. Surely she wouldn't be capable of infidelity unless --fill in the blank (blank to be filled in in Part 2, I'm sure). Not proud, just saying.
--Vronsky. He's too smooth, right? Or do you like him just like every woman in the book does? Maybe I like him, too...I just don't trust him? I'm not sure yet.
So now, what are your reactions? And if you have great questions to ask us, please do---We need great questions to get the discussion started!
F Your I
If you haven't already, DON'T read the introduction OR the character list that are probably at the beginning of your book. They will give away information you don't want to know yet! I read a little into the character list and unfortunately found out something I wish I hadn't. Oh well. Hopefully it's not too late for the rest of you!
One more thing: I was talking with Gabe about how I was sort of surprised to find that I'm really enjoying reading Tolstoy. I thought it might be really difficult to get through, being a Russian novel and also being so. long. He told me that the particular translation we have is one of the most readable (it's the one by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky). So if you haven't yet gotten your copy, I recommend looking for that particular translation. If you have your copy by another translator and are trudging through, maybe see about switching?
I'm one chapter shy of finishing Part I and I have officially been sucked into the story. Because this book is SO. LONG. how should we do this? Obviously everyone will always be at different points in the story. Do we want to set deadlines for sections? For the whole book? Other suggestions? I'd really like to read your thoughts throughout the book because it is such a massive undertaking, rather than just waiting to "discuss" once everyone has read the whole thing. What do you say? I've thought about posting a little for each Part (there are 8 of them) and that way if you aren't yet to that part you can avoid that post. And if you're flying past the rest of us, you can push us along or taunt us for reading so slowly. Your choice.
I already said "one more thing" and am now starting my third thing. I read a helpful tip on another blog once. If you are wanting to finish a book in say, seven days, place seven post-its throughout your book to give yourself a visible goal for each day. I'm shooting for 7-10 days, so it will almost certainly take me two weeks to finish this book.
One more thing: I was talking with Gabe about how I was sort of surprised to find that I'm really enjoying reading Tolstoy. I thought it might be really difficult to get through, being a Russian novel and also being so. long. He told me that the particular translation we have is one of the most readable (it's the one by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky). So if you haven't yet gotten your copy, I recommend looking for that particular translation. If you have your copy by another translator and are trudging through, maybe see about switching?
I'm one chapter shy of finishing Part I and I have officially been sucked into the story. Because this book is SO. LONG. how should we do this? Obviously everyone will always be at different points in the story. Do we want to set deadlines for sections? For the whole book? Other suggestions? I'd really like to read your thoughts throughout the book because it is such a massive undertaking, rather than just waiting to "discuss" once everyone has read the whole thing. What do you say? I've thought about posting a little for each Part (there are 8 of them) and that way if you aren't yet to that part you can avoid that post. And if you're flying past the rest of us, you can push us along or taunt us for reading so slowly. Your choice.
I already said "one more thing" and am now starting my third thing. I read a helpful tip on another blog once. If you are wanting to finish a book in say, seven days, place seven post-its throughout your book to give yourself a visible goal for each day. I'm shooting for 7-10 days, so it will almost certainly take me two weeks to finish this book.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Spoiler: here's the first sentence from the book...
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Would you agree that unhappiness is often either caused by or leads to feelings of lonliness and/or isolation?
Would you agree that happiness is often inextricably linked to connection? Is that what all happy families have in common?
Reading that assertion, I think it sounds like Tolstoy is claiming there are simply happy families or there are unhappy families. Do you believe in such a black-and-white view, or more of a middle ground? Do you interpret that statement differently than I have?
Epigraph: a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme.
The epigraph at the start of Anna Karenina states:
Vengeance is mine; I will repay.
How many times have we all said that? Maybe none actually, but it is a rather provocative start to the book, eh? Any reactions?
So whether you've gotten the book already, or need to run to the library/book store tomorrow...you can enter into our discussion either way. Please chime in!
Would you agree that unhappiness is often either caused by or leads to feelings of lonliness and/or isolation?
Would you agree that happiness is often inextricably linked to connection? Is that what all happy families have in common?
Reading that assertion, I think it sounds like Tolstoy is claiming there are simply happy families or there are unhappy families. Do you believe in such a black-and-white view, or more of a middle ground? Do you interpret that statement differently than I have?
Epigraph: a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme.
The epigraph at the start of Anna Karenina states:
Vengeance is mine; I will repay.
How many times have we all said that? Maybe none actually, but it is a rather provocative start to the book, eh? Any reactions?
So whether you've gotten the book already, or need to run to the library/book store tomorrow...you can enter into our discussion either way. Please chime in!
Greatest Novel Ever Written?
A and I have decided on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy for our first book selection---after much agonizing deliberation (A: How about Anna Karenina? B: Okay, -Husband- owns a copy already, so it sounds good to me.).
Apparently, some have named A.K. as the greatest novel ever written. It's going to take a few days to get through every novel ever written in order to have an informed opinion on that, but we are ready to get started.
We're excited. And I'm particularly excited for this fact: Since our discussion will occur over the computer, via this blog, I don't have to worry about mispronouncing "Karenina" every time it comes up. I also don't have to worry about laughing at and consequently offending you when you mispronounce it. Because if you've ever been part of a traditional book club, you know that drinking wine is often a standard for meetings, and Wine + "Karenina" = Mispronunciation.
We will post our questions/comments/reactions as we read. If you are reading "with" us, please send your own comments/questions/insights to keep the discussion (and reading) moving along. You can also email us, Amy and Brooke, at AllBookedUpNow@gmail.com
So with that, let's get started...best of luck :)
Here is some Wikipedia background, if you're interested:
Anna Karenina (Russian: Анна Каренина; Russian pronunciation: [ˈanə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə]) (sometimes Anglicised as Anna Karenin)[1] is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger. Tolstoy clashed with its editor Mikhail Katkov over issues that arose in the final installment; therefore, the novel's first complete appearance was in book form.
Widely regarded[who?] as a pinnacle in realist fiction, Tolstoy considered Anna Karenina his first true novel, when he came to consider War and Peace to be more than a novel. The character of Anna was likely inspired, in part, by Maria Hartung (Russian spelling Maria Gartung, 1832–1919), the elder daughter of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.[citation needed] Soon after meeting her at dinner, Tolstoy began reading Pushkin's prose and once had a fleeting daydream of "a bare exquisite aristocratic elbow", which proved to be the first intimation of Anna's character.[2]
Although Russian critics dismissed the novel on its publication as a "trifling romance of high life",[3] Fyodor Dostoevsky declared it to be "flawless as a work of art". His opinion was shared by Vladimir Nabokov, who especially admired "the flawless magic of Tolstoy's style", and by William Faulkner, who described the novel as "the best ever written".[4] The novel is currently enjoying popularity as demonstrated by a recent poll of 125 contemporary authors by J. Peder Zane, published in 2007 in The Top Ten, which declared that Anna Karenina is the "greatest novel ever written".[5]
Apparently, some have named A.K. as the greatest novel ever written. It's going to take a few days to get through every novel ever written in order to have an informed opinion on that, but we are ready to get started.
We're excited. And I'm particularly excited for this fact: Since our discussion will occur over the computer, via this blog, I don't have to worry about mispronouncing "Karenina" every time it comes up. I also don't have to worry about laughing at and consequently offending you when you mispronounce it. Because if you've ever been part of a traditional book club, you know that drinking wine is often a standard for meetings, and Wine + "Karenina" = Mispronunciation.
We will post our questions/comments/reactions as we read. If you are reading "with" us, please send your own comments/questions/insights to keep the discussion (and reading) moving along. You can also email us, Amy and Brooke, at AllBookedUpNow@gmail.com
So with that, let's get started...best of luck :)
Here is some Wikipedia background, if you're interested:
Anna Karenina (Russian: Анна Каренина; Russian pronunciation: [ˈanə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə]) (sometimes Anglicised as Anna Karenin)[1] is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger. Tolstoy clashed with its editor Mikhail Katkov over issues that arose in the final installment; therefore, the novel's first complete appearance was in book form.
Widely regarded[who?] as a pinnacle in realist fiction, Tolstoy considered Anna Karenina his first true novel, when he came to consider War and Peace to be more than a novel. The character of Anna was likely inspired, in part, by Maria Hartung (Russian spelling Maria Gartung, 1832–1919), the elder daughter of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.[citation needed] Soon after meeting her at dinner, Tolstoy began reading Pushkin's prose and once had a fleeting daydream of "a bare exquisite aristocratic elbow", which proved to be the first intimation of Anna's character.[2]
Although Russian critics dismissed the novel on its publication as a "trifling romance of high life",[3] Fyodor Dostoevsky declared it to be "flawless as a work of art". His opinion was shared by Vladimir Nabokov, who especially admired "the flawless magic of Tolstoy's style", and by William Faulkner, who described the novel as "the best ever written".[4] The novel is currently enjoying popularity as demonstrated by a recent poll of 125 contemporary authors by J. Peder Zane, published in 2007 in The Top Ten, which declared that Anna Karenina is the "greatest novel ever written".[5]
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