January 2009 Archives

We met for lunch over pizza and Cinnastix yesterday.  Conor had finished the book and a couple of other members were getting close to the end.  So we discussed several important parts of the book:  the discussion between Ivan and Alyosha about why God allows children to suffer; the Grand Inquisitor story where the priest is in league with the devil and plans to execute Jesus for giving man free will; the murder mystery and the question of whether Smerdyakov sets it up; and the ending of the book where Ivan dies and other momentous events happen (well, we didn't want to spoil it by telling everything!).

One character we didn't have much time to talk about is Kolya Krasotkin--the precocious schoolboy who becomes friends with Alyosha. He reminds me of an MUS student, even though he's from such a different culture and era.

I hope everyone will finish reading the book, particularly Alyosha's "speech at the stone" in the epilogue, which is a powerful tribute to boys and their friendships.  Here's part of it: 

"Let us agree here, by Ilyusha's stone, that we will never forget--first, Ilyushechka, and second, one another. And whatever may happen to us later in life, even if we do not meet for twenty years afterwards, let us always remember how we buried the poor boy, whom we once threw stones at--...and whom afterwards we all came to love so much. He was a nice boy, a kind and brave boy... and let us never forget how good we once felt here, all together, united by such good and kind feelings as made us, too, for the time that we loved the poor boy, perhaps better than we actually are.... And even if only one good memory remains with us in our hearts, that alone may serve some day for our salvation. Moreover, perhaps just this memory alone will keep [us] from great evil, and [we] will think better of it and say: 'Yes, I was kind, brave, and honest then.' ...Let us first of all and before all be kind, then honest, and then--let us never forget one another."

We met on January 12 and discussed The Lightning Thief.  Several guys had finished the book, and they liked it, not surprisingly, since it's one of the most popular books in our library and it's also nominated for the Volunteer State Book Award.