Last night, I had the privilege of exploring The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky with a group of curious, intelligent, and fascinating members of The Read Well Book Club. I walked into that meeting, like I always do each Tuesday, excited about the prospect of layers.
What do I mean by layers? Well, a good book (one like The Idiot), is stuffed full of symbolic concepts. After completing my reading for the week, I annotated my notes in preparation for the book club meeting – my thoughts representing a layer of the book.
But as the members shared their insight, more layers unfolded themselves. The hero of the story, Prince Myshkin, became more meaningful to me. The dangers of other characters became more apparent, and the insight into Dostoyevsky’s brilliance made us all wide-eyed in wonder. I discovered details to the plot I’d missed, motivations I hadn’t fully understood, and philosophical questions I hadn’t considered.
If you’re a member of the book club, I want to say thank you for coming each week, for bringing your love of literature, your insight, and your personality. It’s an honor to read with you.
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
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