Post from the Never Let Me Go forum
every time i reread this book im so in awe of how deep in kathy’s head we are. there’s no layer of separation; it literally feels like this all must be being delivered from a real person’s mouth. the cassette? i can’t even make myself think like that. it’s so impressive to me
wrongdeadgirl finished reading and wrote a review...
kind of the greatest book ever written. points deducted for some of the things lev tolstoy felt appropriate to say about the women he was writing about that made me feel irl nauseous but to be expected i suppose. i think it’s so crucial to read sofia tolstaya’s writings as well and i think my reading of this text was transformed in that regard by having that additional context this time around. likewise, i was thinking a lot about the generational gaps coming into play at tolstoy’s time and how that impacted the way he wrote about an earlier period, and i really enjoyed how the fascinating period that in 1860s russia shined through. its kind of funny; i thought about such different things reading this than i did when i originally read it at 16, but i think all of my favorite things are the same. i love the passage of time. and for this translation specifically — i am reading anthony briggs’ translation which was lovely except i could not get around that he did not add gendered suffixes to the character’s names!!!! it irritated me!!! who the hell is natasha rostov. but ough, tolstoy. i love and i hate you. as it should be.
wrongdeadgirl commented on wrongdeadgirl's update
Post from the War and Peace forum
one of the things i remember most clearly from when i originally read this years and years ago is how much the way tolstoy talked about natasha in the epilogue pissed me off and well!!! that stands true 🙃🙃🙃🙃
Post from the War and Peace forum
the section with denisov, dolokhov, and petya rostov is some of my favourite chapters of this whole book. just such a wonderful assortment of characters — denisov, who is pretty pleasant; dolokhov, who is a problem; and then petya, who is just such a ROSTOV. really no other way to describe it. anyway the moment when petya asks if he can go along to track down the french and denisov says firmly absolutely not so petya asks dolokhov’s whose response is basically “what the hell sure” is so fantastic and so funny. the most poorly paired people in the world are coparenting.
Post from the War and Peace forum
nothing makes me feel closer to tolstoy than when he launches into a section clearly born out of academic based grievances with someone else’s interpretation of historical events
wrongdeadgirl commented on wrongdeadgirl's update
wrongdeadgirl commented on a post
Having a bit of a struggle with the dialogue so far.
Very reminiscent of the type of conversations you make up in the shower with no intention of them existing long enough to need to be natural or having a realistic response/reaction from the other "participant."
Clinging desperately to my suspension of disbelief hat.
Post from the War and Peace forum