I wish I could understand Russian, because to me, if I could read the book in the way it was intended to be read, the language would probably be much more captivating. It’s like reading translated poetry; it just doesn’t read properly. I decided to look Raskolnikov’s character up, and I learned that “the name Raskolnikov comes from the Russian raskolnik meaning "schismatic".” (Thank you, Wikipedia!) Learning that tiny tidbit of information made me appreciate Dostoevsky’s cleverness and use of language, since it’s not as easily picked up on through a translation.
After the murders, Raskolnikov’s sick, depressed, heartless side seems to be showing up less and less, while his light-hearted, kind and generous side becomes more prevalent. I feel as if Dostoevsky is alluding to everyone’s personal fight against the devil, and throughout the entire novel so far, I picture Raskolnikov in that cliché, tug-of-war-like fight between the devil and angel on his shoulders. Even when he comes to Marmeladov’s rescue, I still feel as if he is doing a good deed solely to clear his conscious and look like less of a suspect in the murder case.
After being more than halfway done with the novel, I still feel no real sense of excitement or adventure, even though the story is about a murderer! By this point I shouldn’t want to put the book down, but it still feels like a chore, which is unfortunate because I wish I could appreciate such a classic.
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I like how you describe the good deed bad deed impression Raskolnikov gave you, however when i saw him commit to giving aid to Marmaledov, he gave me more of an impression as he was trying to repent for the crime he had just commited. So in my mediocre analogies, i saw it more as a soccer player spriting back for a ball he has just lost, only this particular sprint is to get back into the righteous side of a society. Like as you see later on in the novel he's consistently fighting to find all sense of righteousness in his actions which in my opinion is even worse than just being pestered by the good angel bad angel.
ReplyDeleteAlso, i too find this book really dull, and that's a great point saying that's its probably due to the translation. They say vintage books had the best translation for this novel.... probably by default haha. Hang in there, and keep at pace, you'll get through it. *insert smiley face*
Alyson,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the fact that we should all learn Russian and then read the original work. I am sure the message would have been a bit clearer. It is like Thoreau said, "A literature is supposed to be read the way it is written." I do not think this applies to translated version regardless of how terrific of a job the translators have done.
I noticed that you actually think Rasklinkov is helping Marmeladov to clear his conscious, I DISAGREE! For example, if I meet a person in a bar who tells me a story as inspirational and as sad as Marmeladov's, i would be moved so much that i would actually help that person as much as i can whether it is financial or by just lending a hand. Rasklinkov did not commit the murder yet so therefore i do not think there was anything to clear of. He was doing it because he was a human being and as human beings, we all have responsibilities of taking care of one another. I just think Rasklinkov was actually playing his part.
-Bin