Discovering Russian Literature discussion

There are some comments I want to make in regards to the ending, as I know there have been some talk and mixed feelings about the way in which the book ended.

In considering the time period in which the book was written, while Nekhylyudov does bring up some ideas that no doubt would have been rather controversial, and he is presented as a rather unconventional character considering his actions and his social class, and the great concern he has for the working classes and ideas about social justice. I do believe that it would have been far too scandalous if Nekhlyudov had been allowed to marry Maslova.

A member of the nobility marrying a servant, turned prostitute, and than criminal, arrested for murder (regardless of her innocence) I don't think Tolstoy's audience of the day would have accepted that.

I think for the sake of making the book publishable in its time, he had to find some way out of the marriage, while still preserving the good and just intentions of Nekhlyudov.

I really never expected the marriage to actually take place, and would have been rather surprised if it had been pulled off.

Since we're discussing the last part, spoilers are fair game, right? Just in case, I'll put my thoughts under a cut for now:

(view spoiler)[Good point about the ending - I didn't think about the fact that that Nekhlyudov's marrying Maslova wouldn't have been well accepted in that time and environment. I had just figured that if it had ended that way, it might have been too tidy and happy an ending to be quite plausible.

The ending in general left me underwhelmed somehow. The book seem to lose steam in the last section for me. I think part of it is that Nekhlyudov's revelation at the end didn't seem to have much impact on the reader since his spiritual awakening seems to have happened toward the beginning, and he'd been acting in accordance with it throughout the book. Did anyone else get that impression? (hide spoiler)]

Yes, spoilers are fair game here. You can dicuss anything that happens at any point within the book.

Sarah wrote: "Since we're discussing the last part, spoilers are fair game, right? Just in case, I'll put my thoughts under a cut for now:

Good point about the ending - I didn't think about the fact that that..."

It was my same thought. I liked how everything developed through the book and the last chapter was...I don't know how to say it...it was "too much all together"; it seemed a concentration of religious teachings. I liked the spirituality (the brotherhood, the non-violence, the help for the needy, the accusation of injustices and so on) I perceived through the book and the end was for my taste "too religious".

My issue wasn't the non-marriage (although you make an excellent point about marketability to the 19th century audience, Silver! I agree.) I was more "ho hum" about the religious ponderings. Along with ye olde "but that's another tale to follow"-type of ending. I know that was a convention--I just didn't care for its use in this novel, which was unconventional in so many ways. Still, the book was memorable and I am glad for the experience.

I really enjoyed this book. I think Tolstoy used the final chapter to show Nekhlyudov's end of his spiritual awakening. "Now he knew the cause of all the horrors he had seen, and what ought to be done to put an end to them. The answer he had been unable to find was the same that Christ gave to Peter: to forgive everyone always, forgive an endless number of times, because there was no man living who was guiltless and therefore able to punish or reform".

Mary wrote: "I really enjoyed this book. I think Tolstoy used the final chapter to show Nekhlyudov's end of his spiritual awakening. "Now he knew the cause of all the horrors he had seen, and what ought to be ..."

I enjoyed this book, too.