I finished Resurrection the weekend before you were born. It was wonderful how that worked out. I know how it sounds, but really, it was as if I was being pushed to finish.
Here are my final comments on Resurrection.
Before I get to those, I’d like to state that I felt that this was a pretty d
ifficult book to get through. There really wasn’t much for me to hold onto – to keep me interested. The only reason I finished was to – well – finish.
As I sit here thinking about what to write – here is a shot of the bookmarks that I placed onto the pages that I want to comment on.
Just the idea of commenting on all of those marks places a huge mental wall before me. The book was just so…dull. Sure there were moments – and I suppose I marked those to comment on…but I wish there were 50 times those marks for me to comment on.
So – on with it.
From book II chapter XXXV
“But the boy with the long, thin neck, who looked at the procession of prisoners without taking his eyes off them, solved the question differently.
He still knew, firmly and without any doubt, for he had it from God, that these people were just the same kind of people as he was, and like all other people, and therefore some one had done these people some wrong, something that ought not to have been done, and he was sorry for them, and felt no horror either of those who were shaved and chained or of those who had shaved and chained them. And so the boy’s lips pouted more and more, and he made greater and greater efforts not to cry, thinking it a shame to cry in such a case.”
I remember as a young boy myself seeing people in unfortunate situations which then caused me to reflect upon the reasons why they were in the situations that they were in. I too felt sorry for them and felt tears of…
It all lies in the fact that men think there are circumstances in which one may deal with human beings without love; and there are no such circumstances. One may deal with things without love. one may cut down trees, make bricks, hammer iron without love; but you cannot deal with men without it, just as one cannot deal with bees without being careful. If you deal carelessly with bees you will injure them, and will yourself be injured. And so with men. It cannot be otherwise, because natural love is the fundamental law of human life. It is true that a man cannot force another to love him, as he can force him to work for him; but it does not follow that a man may deal with men without love, especially to demand anything from them. If you feel no love, sit still," Nekhludoff thought; "occupy yourself with things, with yourself, with anything you like, only not with men. You can only eat without injuring yourself when you feel inclined to eat, so you can only deal with men usefully when you love. Only let yourself deal with a man without love, as I did yesterday with my brother-in-law, and there are no limits to the suffering you will bring on yourself, as all my life proves. Yes, yes, it is so," thought Nekhludoff; "it is good; yes, it is good," he repeated, enjoying the freshness after the torturing heat, and conscious of having attained to the fullest clearness on a question that had long occupied him.
And at this point, I feel that I need to let Resurrection go.
I simply can’t devote anymore time to it. I’ve sat here staring at the screen wondering what I can say about the book that will leave a pleasant memory with you…with me.
I suppose though in doing so I realized that the best memory, gained from the reading of this book was and is the memory of my life before you were born.
Resurrection acted as a sort of placeholder in my life before you were born.
I read it and reflected on my life as it was. Now, everything that I take into account will be colored by you and our life together.
I really cannot go any further with this book.
