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22 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 1877
鈥�I was so utterly indifferent to everything that I was anxious to wait for the moment when I would not be so indifferent and then kill myself.鈥�
鈥�if I had really decided to do away with myself that night, everything in the world should have been more indifferent to me than ever鈥t was clear to me that so long as I was still a human being and not a meaningless zero, and till I became a zero, I was alive, and consequently able to suffer, be angry, and feel shame at my actions. Very well. But if, on the other hand, I were going to kill myself in, say, two hours, what did that little girl matter to me and what did I care for shame or anything else in the world?鈥�
鈥�They began to struggle for separation, for isolation, for individuality, for mine and thine. They began to talk in different languages. They became acquainted with sorrow and loved sorrow; they thirsted for suffering, and said that truth could only be attained through suffering. Then science appeared. As they became wicked they began talking of brotherhood and humanitarianism, and understood those ideas. As they became criminal, they invented justice and drew up whole legal codes in order to observe it, and to ensure their being kept, set up a guillotine. They hardly remembered what they had lost, in fact refused to believe that they had ever been happy and innocent. They even laughed at the possibility of this happiness in the past, and called it a dream.鈥�
In old days I used to be miserable at seeming ridiculous. Not seeming, but being. I have always been ridiculous, and I have known it, perhaps, from the hour I was born. Perhaps from the time I was seven years old I knew I was ridiculous. Afterwards I went to school, studied at the university, and, do you know, the more I learned, the more thoroughly I understood that I was ridiculous.
And at last I saw and knew the people of this happy land. That came to me of themselves, they surrounded me, kissed me. The children of the sun, the children of their sun 鈥� oh, how beautiful they were! Never had I seen on our own earth such beauty in mankind. Only perhaps in our children, in their earliest years, one might find, some remote faint reflection of this beauty. The eyes of these happy people shone with a clear brightness. Their faces were radiant with the light of reason and fullness of a serenity that comes of perfect understanding, but those faces were gay; in their words and voices there was a note of childlike joy. Oh, from the first moment, from the first glance at them, I understood it all! It was the earth untarnished by the Fall; on it lived people who had not sinned.
They began to struggle for separation, for isolation, for individuality, for mine and thine. They began to talk in different languages. They became acquainted with sorrow and loved sorrow; they thirsted for suffering, and said that truth could only be attained through suffering. Then science appeared. As they became wicked they began talking of brotherhood and humanitarianism, and understood those ideas. As they became criminal, they invented justice and drew up whole legal codes in order to observe it, and to ensure their being kept, set up a guillotine. They hardly remembered what they had lost, in fact refused to believe that they had ever been happy and innocent. They even laughed at the possibility of this happiness in the past, and called it a dream.
賯賱鬲購: 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱丨亘購 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟. 賱賰賳賴 賱賲 賷賰賳!
賯賱鬲購: 賮賱賷匕賴亘 丕賱賳賴乇購 賮賶 丕賱亘丨乇購. 賵丕賱亘丨乇 賮賶 丕賱爻丨亘賽.
賵丕賱爻丨亘 賮賶 丕賱噩丿亘賽. 賵丕賱噩丿亘購 賮賶 丕賱禺氐亘賽. 賷賳亘鬲
禺亘夭丕賸 賱賷爻賳丿賻 賯賱亘 丕賱噩賷丕毓. 賵毓卮亘丕賸 賱賲丕卮賷丞
丕賱兀乇囟. 馗賱丕 賱賲賳 賷鬲睾乇亘購 賮賶 氐丨乇丕亍 丕賱卮噩賳賿.
賵乇兀賷鬲購 丕亘賳 丌丿賲 鈥� 賷賳氐亘 兀爻賵丕乇賴 丨賵賱 賲夭乇毓丞
丕賱賱賴. 賷亘鬲丕毓 賲賳 丨賵賱賴 丨乇爻丕. 賵賷亘賷毓 賱廿禺賵鬲賴
丕賱禺亘夭 賵丕賱賲丕亍. 賷丨鬲賱亘購 丕賱亘賯乇丕鬲賽 丕賱毓噩丕賮 賱鬲毓胤賶 丕賱賱亘賳.
* * *
賯賱鬲購 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱丨亘 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟. 賱賰賳賴 賱賲 賷賰賳.
兀氐亘丨 丕賱丨亘 賲賱賰丕賸 賱賲賳 賷賲賱賰賵賳 丕賱孬賲賳!
.. .. .. .. ..
賵乇兀賶 丕賱乇亘購賾 匕賱賰 睾賷乇 丨爻賳賿!
***
賯賱鬲: 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱毓丿賱購 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟貨 毓賷賳 亘毓賷賳 賵爻賳 亘爻賳.
賯賱鬲: 賴賱 賷兀賰賱 丕賱匕卅亘 匕卅亘丕賸. 兀賵 丕賱卮丕賴 卮丕丞責
賵賱丕 鬲囟毓 丕賱爻賷賮 賮賶 毓賳賯 丕孬賳賷賳: 胤賮賱.. 賵卮賷禺 賲爻賳.
賵乇兀賷鬲購 丕亘賳 丌丿賲 賷乇丿賶 丕亘賳 丌丿賲. 賷卮毓賱 賮賶
丕賱賲丿賳 丕賱賳丕乇賻. 賷睾乇爻購 禺賳噩乇賴購 賮賶 亘胤賵賳 丕賱丨賵丕賲賱賽.
賷賱賯賶 兀氐丕亘毓 兀胤賮丕賱賴 毓賱賮丕 賱賱禺賷賵賱. 賷賯氐 丕賱卮賮丕賴
賵乇賵丿丕賸 鬲夭賷賳 賲丕卅丿丞 丕賱賳氐乇.. 賵賴賶 鬲卅賳.
兀氐亘丨 丕賱毓丿賱 賲賵鬲丕賸. 賵賲賷夭丕賳賴 丕賱亘賳丿賯賷丞. 兀亘賳丕丐賴購
氐賱亘賵丕 賮賶 丕賱賲賷丕丿賷賳. 兀賵 卮賳賯賵丕 賮賶 夭賵丕賷丕 丕賱賲丿賳.
賯賱鬲: 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱毓丿賱 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟.. 賱賰賳賴 賱賲 賷賰賳.
兀氐亘丨 丕賱毓丿賱 賲賱賰丕賸 賱賲賳 噩賱爻賵丕 賮賵賯 毓乇卮 丕賱噩賲丕噩賲 亘丕賱胤賷賱爻丕賳 鈥�
丕賱賰賮賳!
鈥� 鈥� 鈥�
賵乇兀賶 丕賱乇亘 匕賱賰 睾賷乇 丨爻賳賿!
* * *
賯賱鬲: 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱毓賯賱 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟..
鬲氐睾賶 廿賱賶 氐賵鬲賴 丕賱賲鬲夭賳.
賯賱鬲: 賴賱 賷亘鬲賳賶 丕賱胤賷乇 兀毓卮丕卮賴 賮賶 賮賲 丕賱兀賮毓賵丕賳.
賴賱 丕賱丿賵丿 賷爻賰賳 賮賶 賱賴亘 丕賱賳丕乇. 賵丕賱亘賵賲 賴賱
賷囟毓 丕賱賰丨賱 賮賶 賴丿亘 毓賷賳賷賴. 賴賱 賷亘匕乇 丕賱賲賱丨
賲賳 賷乇鬲噩賶 丕賱賯賲丨 丨賷賳 賷丿賵乇 锟斤拷賱夭賲賳責
* * *
賵乇兀賷鬲 丕亘賳 丌丿賲 賵賴賵 賷噩賳. 賮賷賯鬲賱毓 丕賱卮噩乇 丕賱賲鬲胤丕賵賱.
賷亘氐賯 賮賶 丕賱亘卅乇 賷賱賯賶 毓賱賶 氐賮丨丞 丕賱賳賴乇 亘丕賱夭賷鬲.
賷爻賰賳 賮賶 丕賱亘賷鬲貨 孬賲 賷禺亘卅 賮賶 兀爻賮賱 丕賱亘丕亘
賯賳亘賱丞 丕賱賲賵鬲. 賷丐賵賶 丕賱毓賯丕乇亘 賮賶 丿賮亍 兀囟賱丕毓賴.
賵賷賵乇孬 兀亘賳丕亍賴 丿賷賳賴.. 賵丕爻賲賴.. 賵賯賲賷氐 丕賱賮鬲賳.
兀氐亘丨 丕賱毓賯賱 賲睾鬲乇亘丕賸 賷鬲爻賵賱. 賷賯匕賮賴 氐亘賷丞
亘丕賱丨噩丕乇丞. 賷賵賯賮賴 丕賱噩賳丿 毓賳丿 丕賱丨丿賵丿. 賵鬲爻丨亘
賲賳賴 丕賱丨賰賵賲丕鬲 噩賳爻賷丞 丕賱賵胤賳賶.. 賵鬲丿乇噩賴 賮賶
賯賵丕卅賲 賲賳 賷賰乇賴賵賳 丕賱賵胤賳.
賯賱鬲: 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱毓賯賱 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟. 賱賰賳賴 賱賲 賷賰賳.
爻賯胤 丕賱毓賯賱 賮賶 丿賵乇丞 丕賱賳賮賶 賵丕賱爻噩賳.. 丨鬲賶 賷噩賳
鈥� 鈥� 鈥� 鈥�
賵乇兀賶 丕賱乇亘 匕賱賰 睾賷乇 丨爻賳!
(丕賱廿氐丨丕丨 丕賱乇丕亘毓)
賯賱鬲: 賮賱鬲賰賳 丕賱乇賷丨 賮賶 丕賱兀乇囟貨 鬲賰賳爻 賴匕丕 丕賱毓賮賳
賯賱鬲: 賮賱鬲賰賳 丕賱乇賷丨 賵丕賱丿賲鈥� 鬲賯鬲賱毓 丕賱乇賷丨 賴爻賴爻丞責
丕賱賵乇賯 丕賱匕丕亘賱 丕賱賲鬲卮亘孬. 賷賳丿賱毓 丕賱丿賲 丨鬲賶
丕賱噩匕賵乇 賮賷夭賴乇賴丕 賵賷胤賴乇賴丕. 孬賲 賷氐毓丿 賮賶
丕賱爻賵賯.. 賵丕賱賵乇賯 丕賱賲鬲卮丕亘賰. 賵丕賱孬賲乇 丕賱賲鬲丿賱賶貨
賮賷毓氐乇賴 丕賱毓丕氐乇賵賳 賳亘賷匕丕賸 賷夭睾乇丿 賮賶 賰賱 丿賳.
賯賱鬲: 賮賱賷賰賳 丕賱丿賲 賳賴乇丕賸 賲賳 丕賱卮賴丿 賷賳爻丕亘 鬲丨鬲 賮乇丕丿賷爻 毓丿賳.
賴匕賴 丕賱兀乇囟 丨爻賳丕亍. 夭賷賳鬲賴丕 丕賱賮賯乇丕亍 賱賴賲 鬲鬲胤賷亘.
賷毓胤賵賳賴丕 丕賱丨亘. 鬲毓胤賷賴賲 丕賱賳爻賱 賵丕賱賰亘乇賷丕亍.
賯賱鬲: 賱丕 賷爻賰賳 丕賱兀睾賳賷丕亍 亘賴丕. 丕賱兀睾賳賷丕亍 丕賱匕賷賳
賷氐賵睾賵賳 賲賳 毓乇賯 丕賱兀噩乇丕亍 賳賯賵丿 夭賳丕.. 賵賱丌賱卅
鬲丕噩. 賵兀賯乇丕胤 毓丕噩.. 賵賲爻亘丨丞 賱賱乇賷丕亍.
廿賳賳賶 兀賵賱 丕賱賮賯乇丕亍 丕賱匕賷賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 賲睾鬲乇亘賷賳貨
賷賲賵鬲賵賳 賲丨鬲爻亘賷賳 賱丿賶 丕賱毓夭丕亍.
賯賱鬲: 賮賱鬲賰賳 丕賱兀乇囟 賱賶.. 賵賱賴賲!
(賵兀賳丕 亘賷賳賴賲)
丨賷賳 兀禺賱毓 毓賳賶 孬賷丕亘 丕賱爻賲丕亍.
賮兀賳丕 兀鬲賯丿爻 鈥� 賮賶 氐乇禺丞 丕賱噩賵毓 鈥� 賮賵賯 丕賱賮乇丕卮 丕賱禺卮賳!
(丕賱廿氐丨丕丨 丕賱禺丕賲爻)
丨丿賯鬲 賮賶 丕賱氐禺乇貨 賵賮賶 丕賱賷賳亘賵毓
乇兀賷鬲 賵噩賴賶 賮賶 爻賲丕鬲 丕賱噩賵毓!
丨丿賯鬲 賮賶 噩亘賷賳賶 丕賱賲賯賱賵亘
乇兀賷鬲賳賶 : 丕賱氐賱賷亘 賵丕賱賲氐賱賵亘
氐乇禺鬲 鈥� 賰賳鬲 禺丕乇噩丕賸 賲賳 乇丨賲 丕賱賴賳丕亍丞
氐乇禺鬲貨 兀胤賱亘 丕賱亘乇丕亍丞
賰賷賳賵賳鬲賶: 賲卮賳賯鬲賶
賵丨亘賱賶 丕賱爻乇賶:
丨亘賱赖丕
丕賱賲賯胤賵毓!
鈥榊ou鈥檙e not Dostoevsky,鈥� said the citizeness, who was getting muddled by Koroviev.
鈥榃ell, who knows, who knows,鈥� he replied.
鈥楧ostoevsky鈥檚 dead,鈥� said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.
鈥業 protest!鈥� Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 鈥楧ostoevsky is immortal!鈥�
鈥� Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
When they became wicked, they began to talk of brotherhood and humaneness and understood these ideas. When they became criminal, they invented justice and prescribed whole codices for themselves in order to maintain it, and to ensure the codices they set up the guillotine. (12)
鈥淥nly perhaps in our children, in their earliest years, one might find, some remote faint reflection of this beauty."
"They hardly remembered what they had lost, in fact refused to believe that they had ever been happy and innocent. They even laughed at the possibility of this happiness in the past, and called it a dream."
"Oh, at first perhaps it began innocently, with a jest, coquetry, with amorous play, perhaps indeed with a germ, but that germ of falsity made its way into their hearts and pleased them. Then sensuality was soon begotten, sensuality begot jealousy, jealousy 鈥� cruelty听鈥� Oh, I don't know, I don't remember; but soon, very soon the first blood was shed."
鈥淏ut since I grew to manhood, I have for some unknown reason become calmer, though I realized my awful characteristic more fully every year. I say 'unknown', for to this day I cannot tell why it was. Perhaps it was owing to the terrible misery that was growing in my soul through something which was of more consequence than anything else about me: that something was the conviction that had come upon me that nothing in the world mattered.鈥�
"You see, though nothing mattered to me, I could feel pain, for instance. If anyone had stuck me it would have hurt me. It was the same morally: if anything very pathetic happened, I should have felt pity just as I used to do in old days when there were things in life that did matter to me. I had felt pity that evening. I should have certainly helped a child. Why, then, had I not helped the little girl? Because of an idea that occurred to me at the time: when she was calling and pulling at me, a question suddenly arose before me and I could not settle it. The question was an idle one, but I was vexed. I was vexed at the reflection that if I were going to make an end of myself that night, nothing in life ought to have mattered to me. Why was it that all at once I did not feel a strange pang, quite incongruous in my position."
鈥淒reams seem to be spurred on not by reason but by desire, not by the head but by the heart, and yet what complicated tricks my reason has played sometimes in dreams, what utterly incomprehensible things happen to it!
"As they became wicked they began talking of brotherhood and humanitarianism, and understood those ideas. As they became criminal, they invented justice and drew up whole legal codes in order to observe it, and to ensure their being kept, set up a guillotine."
鈥淎nd yet how simple it is: in one day, in one hour everything could be arranged at once! The chief thing is to love others like yourself, that鈥檚 the chief thing, and that鈥檚 everything; nothing else is wanted 鈥� you will find out at once how to arrange it all.鈥�
Ha! Throughout the entire story of extremely small print pages, my first thought was, this guy is writing at 100 miles per hour like his thoughts were just exploding from his mind....or that's how it felt to me. His writing so intense, the story so deep that it was almost as if FD was the Ridiculous Man and the dream had happened to him.
At first, I didn't like the character or his pathetic view of the world, especially after his treatment of the desperate little girl, but I knew he too was desperate and troubled as we learn early on of his suicidal plan (no spoiler here) so did feel empathy for him.
Then, after the spiritual dream and his reflection of having seen the truth, his turnabout kind of reminded me of Scrooge and his awakening with a total new outlook on life and the world. Simplistic comparison, but how I will remember this complex character and philosophic read with its religious undertones.
The message here, for me, is love others as you love yourself and enjoy every day above ground to the fullest.
Was so glad for the last line in the novella.