Life goes better with Russian lit and magnets. To prove that point, on 2/18 a group of us are kicking off “The Brothers Karamazov Deathmarch.” And this, right here, is your personal exhortation to join in.
A bit of history
About four years ago, a gaggle of ‘marchers tackled Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow, a book I was so scared of, the sight of an actual rainbow could make me weep.
But we made it through. Dizzy from the experience, we followed up with Pale Fire, Don Quixote, To the Lighthouse, At Swim-Two-Birds, and Against the Day. Then we stopped for a bit, and not too long after that the economy tanked.
Now we’re switching the DM machine back on for a book that an inebriated friend recently promised “contains the answers to all life’s questions.” And that’s gotta be true. Because he promised.
How it works + FAQ
Starting 2/18, I’ll post here every Wednesday morning with the 50-60 page target for the week (digestible bites designed for rich-mulling). Comment on each week’s post and make it through, and you get a custom-designed “I Survived ‘The Brothers Karamazov Deathmarch'” magnet.
Which version? We picked the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation
OK to re-read? Sure — just be kind and avoid pre-commenting or taunting first-timers like me.
Should comments be well thought out theses or monosyllabic bleats? The machine gratefully accepts all kinds. Wisdom is swell, but not required. And no points allocated for character count.
What next? Pick the book up and hold off reading till the starting post on 2/18 shouts out the page target for Week 1….
We’d love to have you along — the more the marchier. If you plan on diving in, take a sec to shout out in the comments. Any questions, drop me a note. And please feel free to help spread the word via modern “tweet/blog/FB” technology.
Looking forward to the march. Seems like a great season to spend time with something a little bit timeless.
"…something like the supervisor of an entire team of political agents…"
I’m in and on my way – woo hoo!
in… and hoping to make it at least 100 pages further than the last time around 🙂
woop woop. i was just thinking i’d love to do another march and hopefully do better this time…
I AM WELL AND TRULY IN…
I’m in.
I’m in and hope to do better this time too!
Don’t tase me, bro Karamazov!
I’m in!
Got my copy this afternoon. Looks entirely marchable, except this really scary spread around page 256 that’s all one sentence. I may have to skip that one….
-Cecil
Oh wow! I’m in. Now I’ll finally have a reason to crack the copy my parents gave me for xmas in 1990.
I have my doubts here as to whether I can commit the time. I’ll borrow the words of Bart Simpsons – “I can’t promise I’ll tryu, but I’ll try to try.”
mmmm, monosyllabic bleats: yay!
sounds like a challenge: Reading a real book for once. It will do my brain some good. I’m in!
looking forward to my first march!
I know things are rough all over, but I couldnt help but notice that the proffered prize has been downsized from mug to magnet. This leaves me feeling uncertain, and scared. What next? Im in, depending on the size of the magnet.
Mr. Magoo,
(1) welcome! (2) it’s not the scale of the magnet, it’s the amount of ferromagnetic pull. And believe me, these puppies are packed with pull. One of them tipped over my fridge the other day.
-Cecil
Having reaped uncountable benefits from previous participation, I can’t hardly wait to do it again.
ok. i’m looking for that water-logged paperback, but i may have to breakdown and get another copy… now where did i put that gym bag…?…
I’m in. Brother’s Karamazov isn’t really deathmarch material. It’s good fun. I read it once before with nary a pain.
Count me in, Gary Lewis.
I’ve bought this book twice, the first time a yellowed, two-volume set, more recently a 1990 Vintage edition — oh, the one you’ve selected. Great. That must make me a brother.
You have to be really ready to read certain books. I think that I am for this one, finally. I’m not ashamed to say I need the group support.
I was just shined on to these DM’s, but I’m in. Should be great fun. I’ll have to dig through your archives and perhaps retroactively DM myself through a few of your earlier selections.
I am in! Thanks, RB! This was on my list! Hitchens referred to TBK quite often in God is not Great.
Hello,
This is the first I’ve heard of the literary Deathmarch, and I’m intrigued. Sign me up!
I read this book a long time ago and while most of the details are lost in mind fog, I remember it being well worthwhile. My recollection is that it was pretty readable as Big Huge Great Books go. There’s something very human about Dostoevsky (Fyodor to his friends) that makes his writing more approachable than a Tolstoy or a Melville while still making you think about the big questions of life, the universe, and everything. So if you’re looking for a relatively pleasant way to increase your literary classic quotient, I highly recommend this Deathmarch.
Cecil, dorogoy… da, I’m in. Lookin forward to it!
Wow, so many marchers! Glad to join in. What does it say that we all think we have this much time on our hands? Or do we just miss Cecil’s DM?
Count me in! I’ve already starting reading it, but I will float around and promise not to comment ahead.
Can “I’ll try to try” be our DM motto? I want to try!
Great to see this mix of familiar faces and first-timers — thanks to everyone for diving in.
For the first-timers, in case it was hazy, the way this’ll work is, each Wednesday morning I’ll post that week’s entry here on the site, with the target page count. That’ll also be the spot to drop that week’s comments.
Folks who’ve subscribed to the poem of the day list, you’ll get a reminder & link in there. Other folks, one easy way to go is to subscribe to the RSS feed at the top of the homepage. Or, just drop a note on the ole calendar…. 🙂
If you’re tempted to race ahead, consider trying to go slow the first few weeks to see what it’s like. One of the fun things about the DMs is spending 10 or 11 weeks with a great book — the opposite of the classic college experience. The hardercore readers in the bunch (not me) tend to read a second or third book while DMing — jogging with weights.
Looking forward to next Wednesday,
-Cecil
heartening interest in magnets!
Ordered my copy today, it’ll be here when I get back from a trip Monday. So I can’t peek ahead, and have to think of something else to drag along on the trip. Something to whet my reading palate for Da Brothers? hmm. My brand spanking new copy of Weird California? The collection of Irish stories, poetry, and folklore that Himself gave me for Christmas? man, so much stuff on the shelves… I know! The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. 966 pages, nothing longer than 40 pages at a time. It’ll be the reading equivalent of potato chips–just keep throwin’ ’em down.
Assuming I can find my copy, I’m in for this.
Just ordered my copy—I’m in, baby!
I’m in.
Forgive me if it’s already been mentioned, but can you pick the book up at any of the local bookstores, or is it only available at amazon?
I’m in, just ordered my copy using the link above.
ahoy to the new folks!
Erin, I betcha Wilmot’s has it, or can order it fast. Folks can also use the Constance Garrett translation that’s online if their copy’s delayed (or if they just dig courier): http://www.ccel.org/ccel/dostoevsky/karamozov/files/karamozov.html
March on. I will do it.
I’m in! Very timely since I just put this on my book list a couple of days ago!
I’ve got some killer monologues to memorize for my upcoming show, but I will try my darned tootinist to play with y’all. I’ve never read it, and it intrigues me, fo sho.
Of course I’m in…magnets are fun, educational, and potentially destructive, and I’ll gladly slog through any book, no matter how stupid it makes me feel, to get my hands on one. Also, I’m good at bleating.
I’m in. Nice that the book costs the exact amount to get to $25.00 at Amazon with my other book on order. Free shipping! (Yeah, I haven’t made it to kindle yet).
if this were really going to be a deathmarch i suggest reading this in the original russian text. transalations, typically american. i guess to be part of the group i’ll comply.
Cecil. Thank You So Much! I can’t wait to dig back into a real bonafide March.
FYI: just looked up the pronunciation of Karamazov, and discovered it’s ka-RAM-asof: soft ‘z’ and ‘v,’ em-PHA-sis on the middle syll-A-ble.
Also, none of the bookstores had this edition for less than $18. We ordered through amazon; they’ll get here by the 20th. In the meantime, we’ll use your online link, C. Thanks!
Why so much gravity around your rainbow? Why not the error of comedy to lighten up our Mortal February and our Death March? Regardless, call me a fool for Russians, willing to go where angels fear to tread. I’m in with the Brothers.
I’m game
I’m in!
If you’re really pressed for time &/or money, you can get the text version of the Constance Garnett translation here:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/dostoevsky/karamozov/files/karamozov.html
Will give this a try, sounds a great idea.
Count me in. I’ve avoided that book throughout my vast reading career and this sounds like a neat way to conquer it. Will go to Atlanta next Wednesday and get my book.
Lynn Barrett (Erin’s Mom and a rookie Facebooker)
Other Dan, I’ve read Mann and Goethe in German, Lady Murasaki Shikibu in Japanese, and Garcia Lorca in Tijuana. So I feel entitled to go easy on myself and read translations from here on out.
Raptor: I read a few books a couple of years back in the original Pokemon. Rough rough sledding.
-Cecil
I’m in. Embarrassed to say that I’ve never read any Dostoyevsky, but this format got me excited. Looking forward to next wednesday, hi y’all!
Yes, yes! Me, too, please!
I’m in too! Only heard about this from Sir Jeff Green – liking the site.
Have fun folks.
Stuart.
this sounds great! i hope to finish this book, i started the idiot and never finished it and always felt guilty.
Hmm–the introduction says the book is about “greed, lust, squalor, unredeemed suffering, and a sometimes terrifying darkness.”
Count me in!
Copied just arrived, can’t wait.
It’s winging its way to me from Amazon as I type this. I’m a virgin so go easy on me.
glub glub glup glup
eeeerahhhhhgerrreeblanderies
DO NOT go easy on reuben, this is a death march not a blimp and light parade
glub glub glup glup give me dried fish mr. shrinkage
hit me with birch mr. monk
brothers 3
glub glub glup glup
alright cecil!
Let’s go, let’s go!
Chompin’ at the bit,
E.
russia’s claim to the north pole-
(Tenuous!)
Look: dipoles will be be dipoles.
Cecil, what sort of magnet is this? I’ll take anything
Count me in
Don’t know what you want on “URL” (am not part of this generation), but will dig one out if you want.
I’m up for this one. Will be fun to read a new translation. And, to correct an earlier post, I believe the stress on Karamazov is on the second-to-last syllable. I took only one semester of Russian, but I believe I’ve got it right (with an “f” sound on the last consonant).
I found this website by Googling Ianthe Brautigan. I’m a fan of her father’s writing. So that’s how someone who originally planned to skip along the short path In Watermelon Sugar wound up on this deathmarch. Cheers!
Sanbu: rectangular!
Others: don’t forget to comment on the week 1 thread elsewhere on the blog (the latest post) by this Tuesday if you’re in. March with gusto!
-Cecil
Those poor orphans, forgotten by their dad and mothers are gone, what will happen next?
I’m in now — 4 weeks late, but I’m looking forward to it.