Book 107: The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (Art of the Novella Challenge).

When Frances first posted about her "Art of the Novella" reading challenge, I was completely shocked by her goal. I mean, 42 novellas in one month? Amazing. Then people started to join in, and I did as well.

I was aiming for three titles, but right now, I've only read one-The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy. I have been eying this one ever since the beginning of my little project. It was in the first big stack I had on a my nightstand, but reading it then (the fall of 2009-right before my wedding), just never seem to fit. I mean, death and weddings shouldn't really go together, right?

I am glad that I waited. After all, I have already tackled one of the big Tolstoy titles on my list (I am speaking of War and Peace of course), so a small foray into Tolstoy was perfect. I already knew a bit about this writing style, so I knew what i was getting myself into.

And I have to say, I really enjoyed the shorter version of Tolstoy. The Death of Ivan Ilych is about death, but also about redemption. Ivan Ilych is a man who has only lived for himself. He does things throughout his life to please what he enjoys and likes. He pays little attention to his wife, spends well beyond his means, and seems to form few lasting relationships with those around him.

He ends up banging his side as he is decorating, and soon falls ill. The doctors cannot fix him, and it soon becomes clear that Ivan is dying. As the reader sees Ivan on his death bed, it doesn't seem like he has learned anything. You would think that the knowledge of an imminent death would have some kind of profound impact on a person, but it doesn't. Instead, he rails and screams-rejecting the notion that his life will soon be over.

But it is really in the last few pages that the reader sees the truth in Ivan. Face to face with his end, he begins to feel. He realizes just what is being left behind and what the impact of his death will most certainly be to those around him. Ivan also begins to realize that one should not fear death if one has lived a great life. In the end, it almost seems as if he embraces death and what it brings him.

For such a short little piece, The Death of Ivan Ilych, packs a profound punch. Of course mortality has been addressed countless times in literature, but I enjoyed the intense focus on Ivan and his ordeal with death. And while I don't think Ivan is someone I necessarily sympathize with, I had to admire the grace he had at the end. I mean, I won't lie, I fear death. But as I write this, I am 26, happily married, and focused on achieving many more things in my lifetime. I hope, that by the time death comes for me, I will be able to face it with as much grace as I can. I don't want to fear death because my life was not what I wanted.

I definitely believe this is a title I will return to countless times in my life. It was emotionally stirring, passionate, and very real. I also think it was a great small chunk of Tolstoy's writing, and I would definitely recommend it if you are scared of conquering one of his larger works. This might be the small introduction you need!

What did you think of this one?

Final Thoughts on War and Peace.

Before I say anything else you should know that I finished this one way back in February. In fact, I finished it for the readalong I was hosting.

And because I am such a failure at everything these days, I never posted my final thoughts on the novel. I simply can't let another week go by without saying SOMETHING about one of the scariest books I have ever attempted.

Why?

Because after finishing I wasn't so sure what I was scared of. Of course there are lots of complicated names and characters, but I didn't find it any more challenging than the other Russian novels I have already tackled (Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and Fathers and Sons). I just read it in bits and chunks and in two months, one of the scariest books on my list was reduced to a "read" status on Goodreads.

There was also the matter of size. I commend myself for being able to read anywhere, but I struggled to hold this one up while lying in bed and was reduced to reading it at the table so it could flop open. Less comfortable, but I managed.

Beyond all of that silliness, let's talk about the story.

One of the things I have come to love in these big Russian masterpieces is the depth and strength of the story. By having so many characters and plotlines, these authors were able to create truly wonderful and inspiring depictions of humanity in Russia. I am in awe. I loved it. I love the conflict between East and West, and the depth Tolstoy gave to these issues. I also admire him for crafting Napoleon as a character and making him believable.

Most of all, I loved that he told the story he felt he was supposed to tell. He combined the images and pain of a battlefield to the society and life of numerous Russians. When I finished (not counting the second epilogue-more on that in a minute), I immediately wanted to pick it up and start it over again.

Which I have. You might think I am crazy, but a big part of me wanted to savor Tolstoy's work a little slower, so I am rereading it. I want to read it at a much slower pace so I can take it all in. I'm already about 200 pages in and I am pulling more from it this time around. I think Tolstoy is meant to be read a little slower, so I am enjoying it.

The only thing I won't be reading again is the second epilogue. There, Tolstoy seemed to rant a little on his philosophies of war and it just dragged on...and on...and on. I just don't think I can handle that again. I will probably be jumping in on Jillian's discussions as she is hosting a year-long readalong of the book. I just need to catch back up. :)

So for those of you who have been holding back, you don't need to be scared. At first the names are intimidating, but the chapters are short and the story is engaging. It captured my attention from the beginning and spurred me to pick it back up for an immediate reread.

For those of you who have read this, what did you think? Were you intimidated? Surprised? Did you love it, hate it? Let me know!

And for those of you who haven't read it, why haven't you picked it up yet? ;)

War and Peace Readalong Post 3: Volume 3.

Welcome to the third post for the readalong of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. We first posted nearly a month ago on the first volume, and just about two weeks ago on the second volume.

Today's post covers the third volume of Tolstoy's masterpiece and is also the longest section we were reading.

I kind of struggled through this volume. I don't think it was anything Tolstoy did, but merely my own inability to keep up with all of this reading. For the first few days I was trying to read this volume, I could only read a chapter or two before setting the book down. It eventually got better as I forced myself to keep going, but I think I had some kind of mental block going on. I say all that to let you know that some details are a little hazy on this section.

One of the things I did love in this section was how Tolstoy continued to add dimension to his characters. We were also shown glimpses of characters we hadn't seen in a little bit. Now I felt like I was beginning to understand some of these characters-their struggles and triumphs. I can see why they change their minds about things, or decide to marry someone else instead of who they said they were (not that I agree with that kind of flightiness). But I could understand the difficulties of loving in a time of war...and peace.

In addition to the depth he gave the characters, Tolstoy also adds depth to the Russian people as a whole. I know I have probably already said this in one of my earlier posts, but I know little about Russia in this time period. I mainly know Russia from the Bolshevik Revolution forward. So I am enjoying seeing Russian life and passion. It grabs me and I love the little details.

Napoleon really comes into the story as a main character. Tolstoy really develops the little details about him and I felt that like the other characters, I began to understand him. Again, my knowledge of history is a little rough here, so having these details really helped. I think that in the future I need to read a little more on this Napoleon fellow.

Lastly, there is a large battle in this third volume-the Battle of Borodino. Pierre goes to watch and we see his reactions to the death and destruction. War is not pretty. And I am glad that Tolstoy really seems to hammer home that point through Pierre's reactions.

By the end of the third volume, a few characters are supposedly dead (for some reason, i don't think they really are? Maybe they come back? Please?), and everyone else seems to be in chaos. Napoleon is marching on Moscow, and I am left wondering how Tolstoy is going to pull everyone else back together.

If you participated, please leave a link below so that I can link your post here. See you on the 28th for the last volume and epilogues!

Avid Reader
Carey
Selene
Kristi

War and Peace Readalong Post 1: Volume 1.

Welcome to the first post (of four) for Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace readalong hosted here at A Literary Odyssey. I have been excited to dive into this chunker of a book since I got my hands on my copy.

I think that I was always intimidated by this book by simply not trying it. I have found that through this process of reading classics, that the books I was most scared of become my favorites. They are far more accessible than I thought they would be and it is certainly the same for War and Peace.

I am not saying that this is an easy book to read. Like all of the Russian novels I have read so far, the names trip me up a little. It is an adjustment and I eventually get used to it, just like I have before. I did print out a character list I found online and while I referenced it a lot when I first started (I think more out of fright than anything else), but now I am fairly certain that I am keeping the characters straight in my own head.

And with that said, the book is surprisingly easy to get through. Granted, the volume I have is massive and if I really wanted to, I could knock myself out with it due to the weight. But, I find that I am reading more of it at a quicker pace than I thought I would. Tolstoy really draws his reader in to the spic grandeur of his tale and I am eating it up, eagerly turning pages to discover what else he has planned for me.

As for my translation, I am glad I chose to purchase the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation. Their translation of The Brothers Karamazov that I read last April was beautiful, and I am finding the same in this novel. I also love the fact that they left the original French in during the course of the novel. Reading the footnotes isn't too bad and I am making steady progress. I figure that Tolstoy intended that the French be left in, and since I have recently read another classic with a lot of French (Villette by Charlotte Bronte) I'm not bothered by it.

As for the story, I love how it is slowly unfolding. I never seem to caught up in the fact that hey, I'm reading War and Peace, but instead I'm treating it like any other story I am completely unfamiliar with. The introduction of the families and characters was interesting, and I am slowly getting to know them. I also find that I am not put off by any of the larger scenes-the battles and so forth. I think that for some readers, this is completely uninteresting, but since I read a lot of history books and science fiction in the past, I love battle scenes and can picture them vividly in my own mind.

From this point on, I can't wait to see where Tolstoy is going to take me. I can imagine that it will be to grand and wonderful things. I want to see where the characters wind up in this saga, and what their result will be. Only....1000 more pages to go to see what happens. :)

What do you think? Is it as hard as you always thought? Are you finding the length to be intimidating?

If you are participating, please leave a link here so I can link to your post! (If I happened to see your post and remembered, I linked up for you).

Kristi
Avid Reader
Carey

War and Peace Readalong Sign-ups:

I feel that the time is right to announce sign-ups for the two-month readalong of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy that I am hosting during January and February. I see a lot of posts in the blogosphere about reading goals and books to read in 2011, so this is the perfect time to make a pitch for a classic a lot of us dread.

I have never read anything by Tolstoy, but I felt this was a great place to start. I have had great reactions to the other Russian authors I have read so far, so I am sure of great things for this mammoth title.

I will be reading from the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation, but I have also heard great things about the translation by Anthony Briggs. My edition teeters in at 1273 pages, but some editions go up to 1500 pages.

For those of you who are debating whether you want to join in, here is a little blurb, taken from Goodreads.com:

"War and Peace centers broadly on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the best-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves behind his family to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman, who intrigues both men. As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy vividly follows characters from diverse backgrounds—peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers—as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving—and human—figures in world literature."

It sounds wonderfully epic and I am so excited to start on this journey. If you still aren't convinced, I advise you to head over to Roof Beam Reader's blog and read his wonderful review of War and Peace.

So, what is the plan for reading this monstrosity?

The goal is to finish the book by February 28, 2011. Realistically you should start in January, but if you want to get a jump start on this during 2010, I won't tell anyone. :)

We will have four posts covering the following:

• January 15, 2011: The first check-in will focus on volume 1. In my edition it is about 295 pages.
  
• January 31, 2011: The second check-in will focus on volume 2. In my edition it is about 306 pages.
  
• February 12, 2011: The third check-in will focus on volume 3. In my edition it is about 332 pages (the longest section).
  
• February 28, 2011: The fourth check-in will cover volume 4 and the 2-part epilogue. These sections are about 282 pages in my edition.

It may seem like a lot and it probably is, but we will be reading around 300 pages every two weeks. That is incredibly doable! There are 365 chapters in the novel, so the chapters are short (something I always love in long books).

On each check-in date I'll have a post up with my thoughts and to serve as home base for you to find other blogger's posts. I WILL NOT require that you go and comment on everyone's posts if you do not want to, but I will certainly encourage you to visit and read as many posts as you can. All I do ask is that you leave a comment here so I can link your post to home base so we can all visit.

And, for those of you who succeed, well, I have something in mind for you (yes, I am using extrinsic motivation to get you to read this chunker)!

If you are interested in joining, all you need to do is leave a comment here stating that you want in on the fun. I'll put a link up to your blog so we can cheer you on.

I would also be extremely grateful if you would post about the readalong somewhere on your blog. It is always more fun to have many participants, so the more we can get word out, the better.

On one last note, for those of you who think this is insanity, the lovely Jillian at A Room of One's Own is hosting a War and Peace readalong over the course of 2011 (basically reading 1 chapter/day).

Anyway, sign up and spread the word! I can't wait to start reading this with you all!

Participants:
Kristi
Edie
Carey
readerbuzz
Avid Reader
Amanda
Tahleen
Lori
Peggy Tryton
Selene

Weekly Wrap-up for October 17, 2010: The Great Toe Debacle.

Back in September I dropped a landscaping brick on my right "big" toe. I didn't do it on purpose, obviously, but now I almost wish I had for a better excuse. A week after I hurt it, my toe started to throb and um...not look so good. I was sent to city hall (I work for a city park as a seasonal park ranger right now) and they sent me to the local hospital's occupational medical center. The doctor (Dr. #1) took an x-ray, then gave me some antibiotics and sent me home, only to return two days later.

When I returned, I saw Dr. #2, who told me I needed to keep a bandaid with ointment on it at all times. No matter what. So I did.

A few days later, I returned and Dr. #1 told me my toe was on its way towards healing. I was to finish my antibiotics and keep the toe wrapped with ointment until it healed. That was on September 27th.

Over last weekend I started to notice that when I put new bandaids on, my toe began to itch something fierce. And then it got scary. I reported I needed to go back in on Tuesday where I talked with Dr. #3. He was a little more thorough, took more x-rays, and gave me stronger drugs. His theory is that my skin is either having a reaction to the ointment and bandaids, which caused a new infection to pop up, OR I have a lovely staph infection. I am oh so happy about this, let me tell you. To make matters worse, I'm not allowed to work until it clears up...and when you have an hourly job, that's not good.

So, I have been home and getting things done around the apartment. We went and found a new apartment in the town over that we put a deposit on Friday! As long as everything gets set, we'll be moving in sometime in the middle of next month. This means packing...and I am not looking forward to moving some of our heavy things. I'm going through my books and seeing if I can cull any. I found some that are in good condition that I might try to give away. We'll see if I can swing the shipping.

All I know is that I am glad to get away from our apartment complex and move somewhere a little safer. And the best news is there is more wall space for bookshelves, so perhaps I might be able to convince Matt to get some more in a few months. :)

In reading news, I finished A Separate Peace on Monday night. I forgot how much I loved that book! I am also in the middle of Madame Bovary and picked up Dracula the other night as well. I read Frankenstein last year for Halloween, so Stoker's novel is a good choice for this year.

Anyway, I plan on finishing both this week. And I really want to dive into something meaty, so I might be brave and try Anna Karenina...Not sure though. I haven't read any Tolstoy, but I have loved all the Russian literature I have read so far, so we'll see.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I usually pick from random on my list, but nothing else looks particularly exciting at the moment.

And, hopefully I'll be back to work because while sitting around is fun, I need to move around a bit and make some moola. :)

Happy Reading everyone!