Book I: A Nice Little Family

A few friends and I are reading Brothers Karamazov.  We're going to blog about it.  I think. 

I just finished Book one.  I'm supposed to finish book three tomorrow.

Book one introduces what I gather are supposed to be the three main characters of the novel.  Dmitri (ESFP), Ivan (INTJ), and Alyosha (INFP).  They are the son of Fyodor.  (so they're all Fyodorovich Karamazov.  I love Russian names.  Seriously.)  They're all massively different from one another and have very little experience dealing with one another until the narrator brings us into their lives.

So I figure one way to do this is to do the reading response, summary, quote, question thingy...Right now I'm really tired and I know this is going to be a nearly heartless rushed job.

The first time I read through Book 1 (I read the first 100 pages or so last year) I thought Alyosha was the guy I was going to be relating to most.   That's probably still the case but I don't think I relate to him (modern reader syndrome) as well as I first thought.  I'm definitely aware of money and people, and I'm definitely.  Judgmental.  He is neither of these things.  Here's something I like that sums up what he is aware of. " 'I cannot give two roubles instead of "all," and instead of "follow me" just go to Sunday liturgy.' "  (in response to the story of the rich young man, asking Jesus what he must do to get eternal life).  Undoubtedly an NF after that.

Some more quotes I liked...

"...if the cliff, chosen and cherished from long ago, had not been so picturesque, if it had been merely a flat, prosaic bank, the suicide might not have taken place at all."  (story of a romantic girl.)

The first paragraph, which works toward defining muddleheadedness, I'm sure will only reveal it's self to me more brilliant as I read it over again and gain more context.   I know it felt good when I was flipping back and forth through the first couple pages.  The thoughts I thought escape me now though.  I need to take notes.  Write at length right as I come to things.  I need to stop saying I.