Reviews for Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction

The average rating for Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-12-18 00:00:00 Linda Chervenak Maze Very heavy lifting. However, if you like George Steiner (and I do), then you should like this. Rowan Williams (who is also the Archbishop of Canterbury), is a first-class literary critic. The only reason I didn't give this five stars, was that I found my interest wavering in the last third of the book. I've read most of Dostoevsky's works, but it's been many years, and Williams spends some considerable time discussing second tier characters and incidents that I just can't recall all that clearly anymore. Still, if you're looking for stimulating discussions of the major novels, or moments (like the Grand Inquisitor portion of the Brothers K), you should find this a rewarding read. The Dostoevsky that emerges from this book is a great and innovative thinker, both as a novelist and as a Christian. There was nothing static about Dostoevsky's faith, it was dynamic and immediate. And it is this immediacy, often displayed in the dialogue between characters, that jumps off the pages of his great books. In fact, dialogue in Dostoevsky, Williams notes, is key. It reveals the continually unfolding self to others, and in this lies the potential for love and the hope for salvation.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-22 00:00:00 Dominic Sindoni I am a huge fan of Dostoyevsky and I have appreciated the work of Rowan Williams in the past, so when i discovered this book, reading it was a no-brainer. But the other reviews I read here on Goodreads were correct - this is a difficult book. I was hoping for some insights on Dostoyevsky's work, which I got, but the book is really graduate-level literary criticism. Reading this demands a recollection of plot details from Dostoyevsky's four major works, so if you have not read them recently you may be hard-pressed to remember the scenes he is discussing. Honestly, early on I thought about giving up. But if you stick with it, even if you do not recall all the plot points Williams discusses, you do get some great insight into Dostoyevsky. I found most thought-provoking how Williams shows that Dostoyevsky does not tie off everything in great detail but instead leaves things open, demanding the reader to think. This is in contrast with the diabolical in his stories which seeks to control and bring an end to freedom. While the diabolical would shut down all conversation, the narrative drives us to keep it going, to give space to the other in their freedom and have continuing dialogue. So should you read it? If you are a fan of Dostoyevsky and have read his four major works, then sure, give it a shot. I gave it four stars because on merit it is worth four, maybe five stars. But I do wish there was a more accessible book for casual readers who want to see these themes in Dostoyevsky without reading a graduate level work of literary criticism. I assume there are such books, so i can't fault Williams for not writing one, I just am not familiar with them.