- Hardcover
- Publisher: William Heinemann (1950)
- ASIN: B001G1VEB6
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
The Eternal Husband and Other Stories
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
'The Eternal Husband' is justifiably regarded as Dostoevsky's most perfect work. Gone are all the rambling subplots and diversionary characters - here he focuses on one (albeit bizarre) tale, and tells it in a pure and focused way. The two protagonists are essentially locked in a duel, with neither of them fully comprehending the nature of the duel until the final denouement. We see how people can behave in entirely irrational ways, driven by their subconscious grievances and desires. It's a natural extension of Notes from Underground, FD's other short masterpiece, but transcends even that work in it's ability to subtly disturb the reader, and set him/her thinking deeply about the way in which human being behave and interact with each other.
The other stories in this volume are all excellent as well, especially the opener 'A Nasty Anecdote' which is marvellously amusing while at the same time quite horrible as the main character spirals helplessly into a cringingly embarassing situtaion of his own making.
The translation (as with all their other Dostoevsky translations) is spot on, and if you are at all interested in Dostoevsky's works then this is a must.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This bundle with tales of blindness, illusion and, on behalf of the author, disillusion is a perfect introduction to the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky. They expose splendidly the author's dreams, obsessions, psychological insights, passionate characterizations and frenzied style.
Blindness
In `The Eternal Husband', a man has no inkling of the unfaithfulness of his wife. He even admires her lover: `Eternal husbands are only husbands in life and nothing else. It is impossible for him not to wear horns.'
In `The Meek One', a man doesn't understand his own dumb selfishness.
Illusions and disillusion
In `A Nasty Anecdote', State councilor Pralinsky sees `humaneness with subordinates - they, too, are people' as `the cornerstone of the forthcoming reform.' But, his drunken behavior turns into something very nasty indeed.
In `The Dream of a Ridiculous Man', still one man believes in the main thing, `love others as yourself ... I will not and cannot believe that evil is the normal condition of people'.
But, in `Bobok', human evil goes even on after death, in the grave: `the depravity of flabby and rotting corpses - not even sparing the last moments of consciousness.'
Themes
A recurrent theme in Dostoevsky's work is the little girl; here, `Liza' in `The Eternal Husband' and one without a name in `The Dream of a Ridiculous Man.'
People are also falling into a sort of frenzy, become bedeviled (the lover in `The Eternal Husband') or can barely survive utter despair (the suicide temptation in `The Dream of a Ridiculous Man').
This typical Dostoyevskyan book with its universal themes is a must read for all lovers of world literature.
Blindness
In `The Eternal Husband', a man has no inkling of the unfaithfulness of his wife. He even admires her lover: `Eternal husbands are only husbands in life and nothing else. It is impossible for him not to wear horns.'
In `The Meek One', a man doesn't understand his own dumb selfishness.
Illusions and disillusion
In `A Nasty Anecdote', State councilor Pralinsky sees `humaneness with subordinates - they, too, are people' as `the cornerstone of the forthcoming reform.' But, his drunken behavior turns into something very nasty indeed.
In `The Dream of a Ridiculous Man', still one man believes in the main thing, `love others as yourself ... I will not and cannot believe that evil is the normal condition of people'.
But, in `Bobok', human evil goes even on after death, in the grave: `the depravity of flabby and rotting corpses - not even sparing the last moments of consciousness.'
Themes
A recurrent theme in Dostoevsky's work is the little girl; here, `Liza' in `The Eternal Husband' and one without a name in `The Dream of a Ridiculous Man.'
People are also falling into a sort of frenzy, become bedeviled (the lover in `The Eternal Husband') or can barely survive utter despair (the suicide temptation in `The Dream of a Ridiculous Man').
This typical Dostoyevskyan book with its universal themes is a must read for all lovers of world literature.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Although not the greatest collection of his work, this is quite good. The cover art--a Magritte reproduction--is the ideal visual counterpart to Dostoievski's text, for both artists were intent upon revealing what lay beneath the surface of the human psyche. This collection is an excellent representation of stories that have not been anthologized as frequently as Dostoievski's most famous works. However, not each of these new translations has been accomplished with the greatest skill. The text would also benefit from a more thorough introduction, more detailed notes, and perhaps a broader context for the individual stories. Despite these inadequacies, however, the work is Dostoievski's and therefore masterful. Selections such as "A Nasty Anecdote" remind us that he could write not only brilliant, tragic, serious novels but also witty, occasionally disturbing stories. If you like Gogol, Bulgakov, Kafka, or Borges, this collection is for you. If you like great writing, this collection is for you.
So read, open your mind to new worlds and learn.
So read, open your mind to new worlds and learn.
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