1. L.A. Smith says:

    Thank you for this. All of us have unique stories to tell, and unique ways of telling them. This comparison is an interesting one. I read The Brothers Karamazov this last year, and am still trying to digest it. I like what you said here about how these authors both ground their stories in their particular societies, not just as backdrop but as part of the deeper meaning of the story. Excellent point! I certainly saw that in The Brothers Karamazov. I would like to tackle another one of his , perhaps Devils will be the one! I have to recover from Karamazov first, though. Heh. As for Austen, well, I hope to read more of hers as well. I also haven’t read Northanger Abbey, so maybe I’ll add that one to the ever-expanding list. Thanks again for this thoughtful post!

  2. notleia says:

    Henry James takes a similar stance, and he’s less depressing than the Russians.

    Now even more so I can’t commit to reading Russians. Anton Chekov’s plays are about the heaviest I managed to get through without ragequitting depressionquitting.

What do you think?