The Past is the Future Now

I've always liked Russian literature. Maybe it's because people in college used to say I look Russian. Maybe it's because I took a semester of Russian in night school when I was a senior in high school. Maybe it's just because of that whole thing where, being born into the excesses of the 80's, I'm intrigued by the rigid order of Communism (Hipsters have embraced this irony).



I noticed it first when I read a few short stories by Chekhov, then picked up a copy of "First Love" by Turgenev. It was reading that novella that I put it together. First of all, in old Russian lit, everyone is a Prince, Princess, Duke, etc. This echoes in modern times, where everywhere you look there's a new celebrity with their parabolic fame. Just think of the former Real World stars now doing everything from bar events to hosting Girls Gone Wild videos to appearing in reunion shows. In Russian literature, it always seems like someone famous is passing through town to a great hubub. When Jessica Alba came to town to film a movie, it seemed as though everyone had gotten a glimpse of her, or had been near her at some point during the day.



There's something else, though. Both the Russian Revolution's coming and its aftermath show a country in a time of disarray. The USA right now is dealing with war, terrorism, global warming, energy crises, education problems, religious problems, and on and on.

I recently started reading The Brothers Karamazov- a book about the relationship of morality and religion, first and foremost. And it just shows how the debate of the effect of religion on human interaction will take place as long as man can speak. Just look at this:



Thanks for making me want to read the book, Bill O'Reilly!