So far in "Memoirs" we're dealing with Alexander Petrovich's initial impressions of life in the camp, and the people he encounters (up to "First Impressions III"). The way I see it, Dostoevsky is trying to illustrate an atmosphere of spiritual deadness (hence the title, I suppose). The tone of voice seems more matter-of-fact than shocking, despite the kind of people being described (for instance, a criminal who really enjoys killing little children). Is it supposed to convey a deeper message, or is this just Fyodor's own catharsis at work?
Dr. Jackson says "Memoirs" is nothing like the rest of Dostoevsky's work--being rather unfamiliar with it, I'm interested to see where this goes.
The thing I'm having trouble with is the setting. I've read a lot of concentration camp narratives, but this seems like in entirely different kettle of fish. I've gotten, kind of, a better idea of what daily life in the camp was like from reading about the life of Father Arseny (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Arseny), but as that's a good eighty years away, I'm still trying to find common ground. I might need to read up on the life and times, so to speak.
Anyone else started this yet? Thoughts?
