tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post6203366170295196073..comments2023-12-25T05:12:46.199+01:00Comments on ORA ET LABORA: St Theophan's Whispered Advice About BooksFelix Culpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062279686869827534noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-27475948813698637212008-04-03T03:19:00.000+02:002008-04-03T03:19:00.000+02:00True. I had forgotten about the novel's novel sta...True. I had forgotten about the novel's novel status. Reading your comment made me think of Austen's novel, Northanger Abbey-her parody of the Gothic novel, which was becoming popular at the beginning of the 19th century.<BR/><BR/>I plan on reading "Crime and Punishment" after I finish TBK. I see that there is a translation of C and P by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (I have their translation of TBK). <BR/><BR/>I am anxious to read your post regarding TBK and Orthodoxy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-27353224899394650162008-04-02T13:43:00.000+02:002008-04-02T13:43:00.000+02:00Mercifuljuliana:Bear in mind that when St Theophan...Mercifuljuliana:<BR/><BR/>Bear in mind that when St Theophan wrote this letter in the mid-19th century the novel was still very much of a novelty (quite literally, in fact) and had not read received the sort of classical or canonical status it now has. (In fact, it wasn't until the early twentieth century that English departments appeared in Anglo-American universities.) The great majority of novels of St Theophan's time were essentially romances; hence his reluctance to endorse reading them. <BR/><BR/>Dostoevsky and Austen are, of course, excellent choices for reading. Although The Brothers Karamazov is the former's most explicitly religious novel, in my opinion "Crime and Punishment" is his most deeply Christian work (and also his best novel from a purely literary perspective). I have an old post somewhere in which I write a little bit about the Brothers K & Orthodoxy.Felix Culpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18062279686869827534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-62140081128304998042008-04-02T02:02:00.000+02:002008-04-02T02:02:00.000+02:00I am also a fan of Jane Austen.I am also a fan of Jane Austen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-1754619536496815032008-04-02T02:00:00.000+02:002008-04-02T02:00:00.000+02:00I recently began reading The Brothers Karamazov ba...I recently began reading The Brothers Karamazov based on the recommendation of my priest. Certainly most novels are not worth reading; however, I plan on reading Dostoevsky since my priest seems to think his novels edifying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com