The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
ipb1's review against another edition
4.0
Genuinely much chirpier than I expected. I'm not suggesting it was the full Butlin's experience, but next to other Siberian prison narratives such as Solzhenitsyn's [b:One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich|852538|One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich|Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580834282l/852538._SX50_.jpg|838042] or Shalamov's [b:Kolyma Tales|109812|Kolyma Tales|Varlam Shalamov|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465777117l/109812._SY75_.jpg|105834] Dostoyevsky's experience at least sounds survivable. As ever, and even this early on in his writing career, his focus is more on the psychological trauma than the physical deprivation.
fefe__b's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shaychestnut's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fantastic novel. Dostoevsky writes with such detail making his experiences in a Russian prison very vivid and real. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because he often lost me with all of his long tangents and plethora of characters and their individual stories. But I would definitely read it again.
mcarch9's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
proffy's review against another edition
5.0
The House of the Dead is a semi-autobiographical accounting of his time in the Siberian prison. While many of the stories, experiences, and even the people are true-to-life, Dostoevsky created a fictional narrator, Alexandr Petrovich, who is serving ten years for murdering his wife. By creating a fictional character, Dostoevsky was able to insert biting political and social commentary into his writing; quite the brave thing to do after he had already been imprisoned for disagreeing with the government. Reading like a well-lived man recounting memories, The House of the Dead is a beauteous philosophical ramble that will stay with me for a long time.
ezulc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sgunther's review against another edition
3.0
The House of the Dead: ★★☆☆☆ (7/14/19)
For something that calls itself a work of fiction, this reads awfully like a memoir. And not even a polished, organized-narrative-arc kind of memoir—more like a series of conversations in which a friend tells you in great detail about his experience. This may sound good, but I'm trying to say that, on the whole, it's a bit boring. There is little character and less plot. (Well, there are a lot of vivid characters, but most pop up only once or twice in an anecdotal kind of way. And even the anecdotes have very little story to them.) I suppose it is an interesting look at Russian prisons, but as far as art or entertainment value, it's lacking.
Poor Folk: ★★★☆☆ (7/22/19)
This one's more engaging than The House of the Dead, but it still doesn't have a traditional beginning-middle-end plot. What's interesting here is the characters and their relationships—to their poverty, to society, and to each other—and how being thus oppressed can skew your view of reality and of the consequences of your actions.
For something that calls itself a work of fiction, this reads awfully like a memoir. And not even a polished, organized-narrative-arc kind of memoir—more like a series of conversations in which a friend tells you in great detail about his experience. This may sound good, but I'm trying to say that, on the whole, it's a bit boring. There is little character and less plot. (Well, there are a lot of vivid characters, but most pop up only once or twice in an anecdotal kind of way. And even the anecdotes have very little story to them.) I suppose it is an interesting look at Russian prisons, but as far as art or entertainment value, it's lacking.
Poor Folk: ★★★☆☆ (7/22/19)
This one's more engaging than The House of the Dead, but it still doesn't have a traditional beginning-middle-end plot. What's interesting here is the characters and their relationships—to their poverty, to society, and to each other—and how being thus oppressed can skew your view of reality and of the consequences of your actions.
satsoku's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
paperbooklover's review against another edition
2.0
This book is just not for me. I was looking to read a story and this is more a depiction of Siberian prison life that is both honest and probably accurate. It's just not a book I could immerse myself in.
milodatree's review against another edition
you can tell he was paid per page he wrote in this bookÂ