“I Hate Dostoevsky”: A Night Cap

I took some brownies up to landlady and landlord on my first Saturday night in my new house, and promptly sat down for some tea. The resultant conversation with my landlord simply cemented my opinion that I would be much happier here.

V: So what do you do with yourself when you are not at school?
Me: I like to read. I just finished my 70th book since moving to Azerbaijan.
V: *entirely unprompted* I hate Dostoevsky.
M: *laughing hysterically* I agree.
V: Seriously…Have you ever read the Brothers Karamazov?
M: No. Not Yet. (But I did bring it back with me from America with the intention of finally reading it.)
V: Don’t bother.

We spent two hours discussing the merits of Russian literature and the demerits of Dostie. Another highlight: V: Dostoevsky is only good for sleeping. Read two pages and you are snoring.

I know that I am in the minority among my friends for my intense dislike of Dostoevsky. But it made me extremely happy to find a kindred spirit living upstairs. Not to mention the fact that it is no longer weird to the people around me that I spend at least two hours a day reading. The villagers are still convinced I am ruining my eyes.

Also, Pushkin apparently mentions the city I live in by name in one of his epic poems. Does someone want to look into that for me?