Version 1 Unfinished
A Book Report:
The Idiot is a grand novel following around a naive prince who recovered from his mental illness, and comes from Switzerland back to his homeland, Russia, seeking a family tie — that was a stretch to say the least. His train-ride and “family tie” would lay out the rest of the story. He had an optimistic and humble attitude that immediately made him likable to most. But, he was hated by those who had ill intentions, because his conduct showed the selfish how far they were off the mark. The prince was by no means an idiot and was articulate, honest to a fault, and he had a way of bringing chaos where he went through who he associated with.
He was able to laugh at himself unimpeded by ego, and this made him very transparent about how he felt. Very early on he fell in love with two beautiful women and his heart would lead him astray after the insane woman…Nastasya Fillipnova. He would follow her to her death, and her death sent him over the edge, back to his previous state of mind. His belief that beauty would save the world was one he lived out. But one thing is apparent, beauty could not save him.
Nastasya Fillipnova was a beauty who harbored shame and ultimately her self destructive tendencies won leaving her lifeless, even though she knew what her lover and eventual killer was capable of. She ran away from multiple alters, and acted impulsively. Yet despite this, the prince still offered himself for her. Almost in a sacrificial way because he was giving up Aglaya whom he also loved for the sake of Nastasya. He was able to find a spark of goodness in everyone he came into contact with and was very quick to forgive…and he was taken advantage of and ridiculed for this.
The tragic naivety was that the prince’s noble love would wind up hurting the other woman he loved when he chose to comfort Nastasya Fillipnova; this act of [[irrational]] and selfless love would lead to his own destruction and even the destruction of Aglaya. This story shows just how irrational love can be, especially when you are dealing with real people who have real feelings. Jealousy was put on display in a way that is all too common to love’s shadow side, fear. One thing is for sure, love could not be bought, and it is a disgrace to try to. Out of all the suitors of Aglaya and Nastasya, the prince is the only one who did not yield to this lowliness. His noble soul would win both of them over in different ways, but in the end he would be alone in Switzerland.
The ending was so hard because the good had lost. The prince died a non-physical death when his goodness was helpless in saving Nastasya. All that was high and lofty in the prince was suddenly was brought low enough to return him to his former disarray, which was spiritual at its core. Gratitude and child like wonder pulled him out his illness, society and evil pushed him back into it. The prince failed nobly, but he still failed. The death of beauty was too much for him to bear.
Everyone in this novel lived out their philosophy to the extreme. Nastasya, the Prince, and Ippolit
Ippolit was a young resentful man sick with consumption and pride. His nihistic “Final Explanation” was lived out when he tried to commit suicide and failed deadfully.
Then the stark contrast surrounding the portrait of Christ.
The essense of religious is observed in the heart, not from reason.
Individual good deeds can change the world.
Quotes I liked:
“At present I have no one, but I have hopes”
“Through children the soul is healed”
“No, it was not the ‘Russian soul’ that was ‘darkness’, but he himself had darkness in his soul, if he was able to imagine such horror.”
One second of beauty can redeem a seizure, and is a higher reality, one with increased self awareness.
The estute observation of the opposition of liberals and their own country. Man what an observation. So true in the West. Europe and U.S alike.
Weave it together
The Human Condition
The Spiritual State
The Russian Element. Dostoyevsky opens up the Russian soul in his novels.
The Nature of Love
Dostoyevsky masterfully engaged in showing and not telling and used characters like Lizaveta to facilitate this.
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