Tag Archives: Dostoevsky

Kalganov and Karamazov (Notes on Book 9)

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Lee

Mitya says: I am guilty of murder. Not because I have killed; I have not. But because I am capable of killing. And we are all capable of cruelty. While there is any crime in the world, each and every … Continue reading →

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Henry Miller: Soul and Mind

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Lee

In Chapter Two of Nexus we see the limits of Henry Miller’s patience with abstract arguments. His friend, a lawyer called John Stymer, is, like Miller, fascinated by Dostoevsky, and thinks that a “new phase of existence” arrived for humanity … Continue reading →

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American Life Unlimited

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Lee

Chapter 1 of Henry Miller’s Nexus is about, among other things, the mystery of Dostoevsky and the monotony of New York City. He finds a line he’s scribbled in his notebook, which he thinks is “probably from Berdyaev.” It says: … Continue reading →

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The Greatest Gift

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Lee

Father Zossima tells his followers that the greatest torment is discovering the meaning of love too late to profit by it. You’re on your deathbed, in your dying brain you seem already at the gate of Paradise itself, and soft … Continue reading →

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Mitya’s Certainty (Karamazov pp. 438-9)

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Lee

“She may be there . . .” Mitya is jealous. He hides in the bushes in the dark outside the window, wondering whether his beloved is inside with the old man. He’s already peeked in through the window. He can’t … Continue reading →

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Dostoevsky, Death and Paradise

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Lee

Why write? Not to create original truths, but to remind ourselves of old truths. We need to be reminded: we are forgetful. Original stories to remind us of what we’ve always known. The history of humanity, and the duration of … Continue reading →

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First Encounters: Miller, Dostoevsky, Deleuze and Guattari

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Lee

“Such a day it may be when first you encounter Dostoevsky. You remember the smell of the tablecloth on which the book rests; you look at the clock and it is only five minutes from eternity; you count the objects … Continue reading →

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Alyosha Karamazov’s Laughter

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Lee

Alyosha’s sinful laugh after reading the love letter. And then the laugh is repeated, it isn’t sinful any longer. With the first laugh he seems to be laughing at the girl who is in love with him. With the second … Continue reading →

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