Matt, Matt, Matt. There's no question. Tolstoy is far superior to Dostoevsky.

UPDATE: Ever the contrarian, Gregory Djerejian disagrees with me. I don't see how he can believe that any of Fyodor's female characters can compare with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. But he and Matt and their commentators are putting some dusty old Dostoevsky novels I have not picked up since my Russian literature major undergrad days on my list for August re-reading. My honest memory of Dostoevsky is that it is like being accosted on the subway by a drunk lunatic type spewing his prophecies to all before him. You want to be polite...and get away as soon as possible. It's not they don't have something to say, or even access to some important truths. But it's so unpleasant to be around. Tolstoy is a completely more masterful experience, to my mind, with insights about human nature and society and life choices I have always found more meaningful to my own life.

Posted by Laura at July 8, 2004 09:30 AM