Have you ever visited the location of a book you have read?
Yes, but not solely for that purpose, if you see what I mean. I've never read a book and thought 'I have to go to that place', but I have ended up doing so at times simply during regular travel and sightseeing.
Opening sentence:
Our prison stood at the edge of the edge of the fortress grounds, close to the fortress wall.
From page 56:
The minute before punishment is certainly terrible for condemned man, and in the course of several years it was my lot to see a good number of men on the eve of this fatal day.
The House of the Dead & The Gambler
Dostoevsky
The House of the Dead is a stark account of Dostoyevsky's own experience of penal servitude in Siberia. In graphic detail he describes the suffering of the convicts - their squalor and degradation, their terror and resignation, from the rampages of a pyschopath to the brief serenity of Christmas Day. Amid the horror of labour in the sub-zero work camp, we hear the stories of the prisoners, and live through the freezing isolation and pain of day after day of misery. We see a young intellectual forced to live, eat and sleep with men from a background of cruelty, coarseness and brutality.
This sounds very good, but a heavy read. Imagine visiting the location of this novel - interesting, at least! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bev. No, it's no light tale.
DeleteIs it a novel, or nonfiction? I can't tell from the quotes. My Friday Quotes
ReplyDeleteIt's fiction. However, it is based on his own experiences, so I guess semi-autobiographical.
DeleteLove the 56 and hate the beginning. To much use of the edge I say. :-) Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought that too. Could be a translation issue though.
DeleteIt is probably the translation, but the repetition of both the words "edge" and "fortress" in the first sentence turns me off as lazy writing.
ReplyDeleteYes, I wondered if it was lazy translation too.
DeleteI wanted to go to Barcelona after reading SHADOW OF THE WIND. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Thanks for the visit, Elizabeth.
DeleteWow, Dostoevsky! It has been a while since I read him...and I haven't read this one. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteI love his work, but this wasn't one of my faves.
DeleteI read this a long while ago, he certainly had a different style of writing back then. Still a great choice, once you accept the style. ;)
ReplyDeleteHere's my Friday post. Hope you're enjoying you're weekend! x
Yes, prose is rather different these days from the 19th century style.
DeleteSounds like an interesting read! Hope you have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ashley. Hope you're having a good week.
DeleteI wonder what places you've visited! Sounds like you've traveled extensively. Oh, I can't help but be a little envious.... :)
ReplyDeleteAs you know from my own post, I happen to live in a city featured in a book I've read. Of course, I came to live in this city long before I ever read the book! Lol.
One place I'd LOVE to visit is London. And that's because of two of my favorite authors -- J.K. Rowling and Charles Dickens.
The one Dostoevsky work I've read is "Crime and Punishment", which is a masterpiece, if at times very depressing. I want to read more of his books. However, having read the synopsis for "The House of Dead", I know I won't be picking this one up!
Thanks for sharing! Thanks as well for commenting on my BBH post!! <3 :)
For more Dostoevsky, I can recommend Poor Folk, Devils, and The Idiot.
DeleteLondon is a wonderful place. Yes, I have travelled a bit, but never as much as I'd like! :)
I've never read Dostoevsky, but I've always been curious. I hope your weekend went well!
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to give him a go, I recommend starting with Crime and Punishment, or else Poor Folk.
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