Hannah > Recent Status Updates

Harry is a masterclass antagonist to say the very least

This book spends so much time shitting on England I love it

I don’t think I’ve ever read two opening chapters and been quite so gagged in my life

I haven’t read Kant in like 4 years. Bothering to because A) I want to read Hegel B) Insane influence on philosophy even if he was in many ways, an awful man. I fear I get it. Best theoretical western phil read I’ve read in a WHILE. Doesn’t excuse anything but to understand the entire modern to post-modern to contemporary field, you need to read him.

I thought I was autistic until Kai told Juniper he loved her casually after meeting like 3 times. Maybe I just don’t have the balls to ignore social rules and possibility of rejection THAT much. Loving the character building so far because what the fuck is it to just not care like that

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“In Hollywood they’re not using your labor to turn iron into steel or whatever; they’re using your labor to turn you into something. They’re turning you into movie tickets or Netflix subscriptions. You’re not just the labor, you’re also the raw material.”

Rereading and this is so much worse than I remember it…

It’s early but I don’t think he fully sees women or jews as people

The concept of having to make a shorter version of your book because there was so much nonsensical yap. He needs to shut up, yet here I am, reading this. The things I do to read Hegel.

Oh to relate to Aloysha… I wouldn’t be reading Dostoevsky if I did though let’s be so real

I always thought it’d be kinda cool to write a book in the lens of just two people, and one framing their life in terms of the other. But doing that with a romance is so overdone. Doing it with some weird elusive friendship, now that’s awesome.

“I do not want your admiration now, because I do not want your insults in the future. I bear with my loneliness now, in order to avoid greater loneliness in the years ahead. You see, loneliness in the price we have to pay for being born in this modern age, so full of freedom, independence, and our own egotistical selves.”

Oh lord

Kinda funny that I started reading this on a beach and the book starts on one. This was not intentional, I knew only briefly what the story is about, but damn it majorly enhanced the experience.

I would call Levin far more spiritual than he is at all Orthodox Christian tbh

“Without knowing what I am and why I’m here, it is impossible for me to live. And I cannot know that, therefore I cannot live”

Real as fuck Levin. Something that fully could come out of my mouth any given time during summer.

“It’s like keeping a man condemned to death for months with a noose around his neck, promising him maybe death, maybe mercy.”

Stiva and Anna are masterclass complex characters.

“He wants to prove to me that his love for me shouldn’t hinder his freedom…. I can’t do anything, start anything, change anything. I restrain myself, wait, invent amusements for myself - the Englishman’s family, writing, reading - but it’s all only a deception, the same morphine again.”

Still not over Vronsky calling Levin a crack head hdhshshs

Alexi Karenina hasn’t been properly discussed in hundreds of pages at this point. I hope he gets some content before it happens

Over 800 pages read and it took this damn long for Anna and Levin to meet. Wow.

Levin telling Vronsky “I think the local court is an idiotic institution” 💅

“Vronsky had come to the elections because he was bored in the country and had to assert his right to freedom before Anna” This really is a cautionary tale of don’t EVER change your entire life trajectory for a man.

Tolstoy is really able to get into the little nuances that cause irritation and miscommunication. I worried the Levin Kitty plot would dry up with them getting their happy ending of sorts but in showing these normal relationship problems in such a perceptive way, it keeps my attention.

“‘And why not?’ he thought, ‘if it were a momentary flash or passion, if I experienced only this attraction (I may call it “mutual”) — but felt that it went against my whole mode of life, If i felt that in yielding to this attraction I would betray my calling and duty.”

I may have been wrong about Stiva

I feel a lot of pity for Karenin. He goes to show that it is so important to forge friendships because that’s really what you have to turn to when family and love lets you down. And of course the one friend he does have is in the perfect place to take advantage of him, and perhaps no better method of exploitation exists than religion.

I love you Stiva. Makes me wanna throw a fire dinner party. There’s the contrast of women being demonized for cheating and men being forgiven, yet they’re all technically Christian so isn’t forgiveness a principle? Only for men. Regardless of that you can’t help but admire the lengths Stiva goes to make it up to Dolly, as Anna tells herself Alexi is a machine to rid herself of any remorse.

Remember when a while back Kitty became way too into her faith? Even if she’s less devout now she clearly still holds it, and with Levin revealing he’s an atheist, I think that’s their biggest worldview clash. Curious to see how that plays out.

Also the discussion of painting of Christ by an atheist feeling like it’s missing something was interesting, and if atheists should paint religious figures or not

Cut from Vronsky gaining a new understanding of Anna from a stranger painting her to Levin struggling with separation of identity with Kitty because of their weird ability to understand each other.. to loved properly is to be understood and Vronsky just can’t understand Anna. She may be a pos (kinda understandable from circumstances), but she is complex and that’s more than he can say.

Something I really appreciate this book for is showing the importance of conversation, and the pairing of dialogue with insights to characters minds shows communication gaps. These people think about conversations long after, seeking out not only friends, but strangers and mutuals, often opening their minds or at the very least making them rethink their own opinion strengths.