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/lit/ - Literature

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6746290 No.6746290 [Reply] [Original]

I wanted to read the brothers karamazov but gave up after realizing I can't identify any of the biblical allusions, and probably most other literary allusions. Should I read the bible? And what other books that aren't so chalk-full of allusions that they're written in the margins of other books should I read first?

>> No.6746295
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6746295

Yes, and then you should tip your crown of thorns

>> No.6746309

>tfw going to church for 16 years was actually just preparation for learning the stories for Brothers Karamazov

should have just skipped the church and sparknoted the bible tbh

>> No.6746312

Is this a meme or am I actually fucked for reading the brothers K without being a christfag?

It was to be the my end of summer book.

>> No.6746326

You guys do realize that you don't need to be a christfag to read the bible right? I mean do you only read books you agree with? If you're left-leaning politically do you just say "well shit I guess I can't read atlas shrugged".

>> No.6746333

>>6746312
>Is this a meme or am I actually fucked for reading the brothers K without being a christfag?
Nah, Dosto didn't even finish TBK, and you probably didn't read it Russian so didn't get that Alyosha was the killer:

"Most of the book was 3rd person, but it was told from a first person narrator. The clues are there as to who the sneaky unreliable narrator really was: Alyosha, the killer, talking about himself in third person.

Alyosha is the narrator, which is why his written account has him as the angel with no negative qualities. He had planed his fathers murder from the outset, which is why he attached himself to the clergy, and paraded around the village like some kind of saint. There are hints littered throughout the book, but Dostoevsky made them quite subtle so as they wouldn't be too obvious in the first installment.

There is a lot of hidden disdain, like when the Captain's son was throwing stones, or when he visits the Captain, or when he's dealing with dog incident, even at the beginning with Father Zosima and his brothers. His lust for Grushenka sneaks through too, but he hides this beneath his betrothal to the cripple girl. Dostoevsky didn't want to ruin it, so he placed numerous hints throughout the book that began to become more obvious as the book progressed. It's supposed to be the perfect murder. Alyosha's perfect murder. It's such a shame that it never got completed, and even more of a shame that that hack, Constance Garnett's translation is the most popular one, so English readers never even pick up on this."

>> No.6746340

>>6746326
>If you're left-leaning politically do you just say "well shit I guess I can't read atlas shrugged".
Yes, of course. Not only will I never read it, I will post about how bad Rand is on a forum for Thai Lakorns.

>> No.6746354

>>6746326
I would never bother reading anything by Rand. There are far too many great books out there. I can't waste my time on libertarian nonsense.

>>6746290
>>6746309
>>6746312
Maybe I'm a little naive, but I thought that almost all of the Gospel allusions were common knowledge. I did go to Catholic school for preschool-high school, though.

>> No.6746451

I thought I'd post this here, but I didn't read a novel for around 4 months this year and i've started reading again with great enjoyment. I bought a few books recently and Karamazovs is one of them. Should I read a few before tackling The Brothers K or just jump in and spend all summer reading it?

Other books I bought: A Kafka collection, Lolita, Blood Meridian, All You Need is Kill.