Letter 2 - White Nights
A week or so ago I read Dostoyevsky's White Nights, and I was infuriated by it's ending, not because I wanted it to continue but because of the decision Nastenka, the female protagonist made at the end. I might be biased because I am a male and read the whole story from a male's point of view, and that's the reason why I had an abundant amount of empathy for the narrator, i.e. the male protagonist.
But as time and entropy has run their course in this week or so, I am amazed as to realize the sprout of empathy growing inside of me for Nastenka. I cannot pin point if it's the way Dostoyevsky has written this story, which makes you empathetic towards her or my own conscious maturing and my horizons expanding or is my subconscious putting itself in the shoes of Nastenka and coming up with the same decision as she did. Perhaps a fusion of all that is mentioned.
My recent reads
Recently I have found myself gravitating towards collection of stories/essays. I love the concept of how these collections came into being. The author at different point of his/her life, wrote an essay and the next one at a totally different point. I like to believe how, the author had no intention of making the essays, into a book, I too don’t feel obliged to read all the essays at the same time in my life, I might read one today and the other some months later when I feel I am hitting a reading slump, as I believe for me essays are the best way to get out of a reading slump.
Here are some great essays I read this week.
It could be any book by Max Porter
In his essay Max acknowledges how he believes in the gift economy and how if we are giving words and images, ideas and stories then we should give, give and give. He talks about buying books, giving books or art, or going to the library and art shows keeps out culture alive.
It could be any book. Any book given with good reason from one person to other.
Giving books by Philip Pullman
In his essay, Pullman points out one of the best ways on how to be better at giving books. In his own words, he says, ‘If you tell someone that there’s this marvelous book, oh it’s so funny, you’ll laugh all day, I can’t tell you how amusing it is, there’s this story where……..You’ll hate it before you start. It hasn’t got a chance. Don’t say a word: just hand it over and hold your tongue.’
He covers some great points on how to gift books for children, for old friends and family and people below 45.
Profoundly deep quotes
“I know of no better aim of life than that of perishing in pursuit of the great and the impossible.” - Nietzsche
“By believing passionately in something that still doesn’t exist we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.” - Franz Kafka
“When death finds you, may it find you alive.” - Michael Meade