[UncleOxidant]

Read Crime and Punishment ~25 years ago, the Idiot ~20 years ago. I read Karamazov last year and Demons early this year. I still think C&P is the best of his books with Karamazov a close 2nd. Demons is very dark, but also it seems prophetic - it's like he foresaw some of what would happen in 1917 way back in 1870. He's even got a character in there that's short and bald and likes to wave his arms around wildly as he's speaking, whipping the crowd into a frenzy - sounds a lot like Lenin who was born about the time Demons was written. Still, I wouldn't have made it through Demons if I hadn't read it in an online book group where once a week we met to discuss.

[eager_learner]

have you tried 'A hero of our time' by Lermontov. Upon reading it, I felt really sorry the author died an early death. I have not felt like that about any other European author.

[orthoxerox]

> I felt really sorry the author died an early death.

Everyone who knew Lermonotov personally thought Michel was a massive asshole. His biggest hobbies were destroying existing relationships by seducing the women and badmouthing everyone in his vicinity.

[eager_learner]

Eh... I don't think a man capable of such poetry to be that asshole. He says as much in the second preface. I think he may have used the narrator in the first part of the novel as his own mouthpiece.

[S_Bear]

One of my all-time favorites. Still reads like a 'modern' book.

[eager_learner]

I'm reading Trollope these days. There's a massive difference between the two authors. Trollope is more psychological, focused on relationship dynamics (at least in the books I've read so far, such as "He knew he was right").

A bit dull at the start but it quickly ramps up and escalates to pitch fever excitement. Can't wait to see what Lizzie would do wrt to her diamonds. :)

[6LLvveMx2koXfwn]

I'm an Idiot man, myself