Earlier today I was on the blog Meriel's Medley, where the blog owner-Meriel, natch-has recently posted a list of all the books she has or has yet to read that fit into specific categories. "Book that changed your life ', for example, or "Book You'd Wish You'd Written", so on and so forth.
I've seen this list before, on other blogs and web-sites, it's like one of those memes that have been making the rounds lately. When I saw this on Meriel's site, I got to thinking-hell, I ain't got nothing else for the moment I feel like posting about. I'm sure not too many people care to read about the drama I went through the last three days with the plumbing, which has pretty much got me out of the mood to think about anything. On the other hand, something like this might just take my mind of all this shit.
That would be all this shit I've been holding off shitting becasue my motherfucking commode won't flush. So, right about the time I'd made up my mind I was going to go ahead and buy that bag of lime, then go ahead and buy those shower curtains to drape around my back porch deck, then go ahead and saw that hole in the middle of it, then go ahead and take my presently useless toilet out on the deck and place strategically over that hole, I happenned right upon Meriel's post.
Afterwards, the city sewer people came out and unblocked my sewer, and I felt waves of relief rushing over me, and not too long afterwards, a great big hefty load of shit rushing out of me. I never thought the sound of a flushing toilet could sound so much like a chorus of angels.
Soon, I was thinking about Meriels post, and then my own little potential exercise in reading futility, one that stretches back a few years. I got to thinking about what what is almost inarguably the greatest novel ever written-The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of the all time greats of Russian literature.
I remembered the time that book was heartily recommended to me, and the time that then I purchased the book, and began to read. Without a doubt, it is indeed at least one of the greatest novel ever written. It is an intensely spiritual book but set around a fairly common setting and premise.
Three brothers have this father, who is grossly immoral, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. There is a fourth alleged brother he keeps as a servant, the son of an insane woman, a deaf mute epileptic who was considered a holy idiot, yet was seduced by this man in an ultimate act of willful debauchery. She died giving birth to this illegitimate son.
They all hate the father. One brother, though, the oldest, is very much like him. The second is an atheist, and yet, has a concrete set of values and ethics. The third brother is highly spiritual. The son of the demented woman seems to be a symbolic representative of some evil satanic force of nature, cunning and yet stupid. Some might say a Russian version of karma.
At one point, the father is brutally murdered, and naturally all three of the brothers are suspects. But the third son is actually the main character of the novel, and the events portrayed are actually a journal of his own growing spirituality, and search for the true meaning of life.
This is the kind of book you don't really have to agree with insofar as it's spiritual aspects go. You can appreciate it wholly for the one thing it is which can not be disputed. A great work of literature.
Unfortunately, when I set out to read this book, I found out that, in a way, this was too true. This book, as literature, is too damn good. I read the first four chapters of the damn thing, and found myself going back and re-reading them.
That wasn't good enough. I had to go back and read them again, these same four chapters. Damn, I thought, that was fucking good. It seemed that every time I read those first four chapters, the better they were.
And so I read them a fourth time. In fact, believe it or not, this book is so damn good-I never made it past the first four chapters.
Which brings me to the list.
BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE
"The Brothers Karamazov"-This is the book that taught me what makes a truly great work of literature. No matter how many times you read it, you come away with something different, a different insight, something you might have missed before, something that adds some texture and appreciation, and speaks to something deep inside of you. Something that makes you say, damn, I can't wait to read chapter five-but I think I want to read those first four fucking chapters over first.
Book You've Read More Than Once
The Brothers Karamazov, of course. But only the first four fucking chapters.
BOOK YOU'D WANT ON A DESERT ISLAND
The Brothers Karamazov
If I were never found, maybe-maybe-I'd finally get around to reading more than the first four fucking chapters. Maybe I'd read the whole fucking book.
BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH
The Brothers Karamazov. Yeah, there are some funny parts to it too. Well, at least there were in the first four fucking chapters.
BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY
The Brothers Karamazov. I cried becasue I lost the motherfucker somehow in the stressful process of moving, along with a bunch of other stuff. I have yet to acquire another copy and finish reading it. Those first four fucking chapters are burned in my brain, though, or they were. Now, I know good and well, when i get around to getting it, I'll end up reading those four fucking chapters a bunch of more times.
BOOK YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
The Brothers Karamazov. Only I seriously doubt I'd ever have written past those first four fucking chapters.
BOOK YOU WISH HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN
The Brothers Karamazov. At least not those first four fucking chapters, maybe then I could finish the whole fucking book.
ONE BOOK YOU ARE READING RIGHT NOW
Well, it's not the Brothers Karamazov, thank God, if it were, I'd probably still be on those first four fucking chapters.
ONE BOOK YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO READ
Do I really have to tell you that.
A couple of places, both about a mile away. A courthouse and a Dollar Store. I was mainly worried about having to pay a big plumbing bill, but that turned out to be a false alarm.
ReplyDeleteDang Patrick- I'm tagging you for my next meme!
ReplyDeleteCool, thanks Meowkatt. Did you ever read that book? I never did find out what happens after chapter four.
ReplyDeletePatrick, you beat me to the tag! I came home from work, intending to update my list and provoke you and Rufus to create lists yourself...
ReplyDeleteIt's cool to have a little word show up on your blogroll that lets you know when everybody updates (though it don't work on some blog sites, like I think WordPress). I couldn't think of anything worth blogging about, then I read your post and you inspired the perfect answer. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI imagine you liked Karamazov?
ReplyDeleteCorrection, to Meowkatt. I didn't know what you meant at first. Please, respectfully, don't tag me, I'm not really into memes, I doubt I would do one that anybody would give a rats ass about reading, maybe including this one, though hopefully not.
ReplyDeleteI was kidding, don't worry. :) And no, I haven't read it, but if I do, I'll review it just for you.
ReplyDeleteRenegade-You mean the old man, or the book? I thought the old man was a great character, actually. He was a wealthy peasant, who was a bar owner, if I remember right. It's been a while. Doestoevsky seems to imply that he was a person who had risen above what might be considered his proper station in life, but at the same time didn't grow personally or spiritually, etc., along with it. But he made him amusing, in some respects. My favorite line from the book-well, my favorite line from those first four fucking chapters-was when the narrator describes old man Karamazovs personality after an emotional scene, which could be interpreted as a display of kindness on his part, while in a drunken state.
ReplyDelete"He was sentimental. He was evil, and he was sentimental."
Meowkatt-that would be cool, but don't thow any obvious spoilers in there. You can talk about those first four fucking chapters all you want though. Maybe if you refresh my memory I won't make the mistake of starting the book from the beginning all over again.
ReplyDelete