Takahiro Ueda, "Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love" - A journey that traces a once-in-a-lifetime journey with his wife that changed the destiny of a great writer.

Takahiro Ueda, "Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love" - - A journey to trace a once-in-a-lifetime journey with his wife that changed the destiny of a great writer.

From early November to late December 2022, I traveled in Europe.

Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

I visited these countries because they are associated with the great Russian writer Dostoevsky.

For the past three and a half years I have been studying the theme of "Shinran and Dostoevsky". I planned this trip as the culmination of my studies.

Originally, it would make sense to tell you here why I began to study and love Dostoevsky.

But that has been mentioned before on this blog. So here is the(general) list articleWe will only introduce the following.

I would like to recommend one of the articles in this list.The Impact of the Grand Inquisitor in "The Brothers Karamazov! What exactly is religion? My Encounter with Dostoevsky (⑵)"andThe surprising similarities between Shinran and Dostoevsky: Echigo exile and Siberian exile.article. The article makes it clear why I am studying the subject of Shinran and Dostoevsky.

However, as the author of this article, I would be most grateful if you could read the entire article. I am sorry to say this, but I strongly recommend that you read the entire article from the beginning.

Well, that is why I am planning this trip as the culmination of this "Shinran and Dostoevsky" study.

But many of you may have thought this.

If you want to study the great Russian writer Dostoevsky, why not go to Russia?"

Yes. That's exactly what it is.

In fact, I thought so too until just a year ago. I thought that I had to go to Russia to finish my research on Dostoevsky.

But the world situation did not allow it. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia changed the world.

The invasion by Russia is nothing short of outrageous. I have been studying Russian history and culture because of Dostoevsky. And I am still learning. However, I cannot accept that this invasion is justified in any way. Russia's literature and art are a history spun by people opposed to oppression and violence. But as in the case of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, they have been overthrown by violence...

Studying the history of the Soviet Union and modern Russia, one can really sense that the same thing is repeating itself (albeit, of course, in different forms).

In such a world situation, I began to think about another plan that I originally had in mind to be the main focus of the project.

In fact, in parallel with my plan to visit Dostoevsky-related sites in Russia, I had a strong desire to visit Dostoevsky-related sites in Europe.

In this world situation, if I could do it, it would definitely be this way. Moreover, as my study of Dostoevsky was entering its final stages, the weight of my interest had shifted to the theme of "Europe and Dostoevsky.

The reason why I became so interested in Dostoevsky's European roots is because of the biography of Dostoevsky by his wife, Mrs. Anna, "The Dostoevskys of Europe.Dostoevsky in Recollection."It was.

What made me want to study Dostoevsky?The Brothers Karamazov.It was.

But it was this "Dostoevsky in Recollection" that made me fall in love with Dostoevsky from the bottom of my heart.

And then there is Dostoevsky and his wife Anna's trip to Western Europe, which is preached in the book. This is what struck me. As soon as they were newlyweds, they left Russia and traveled to Europe. Their destiny would change dramatically during their four-year stay in Western Europe. Without this tripThe Moron.The major works since then, i.e.Evil Spirits."be beyond one's controlMinors."be beyond one's controlThe Brothers Karamazov.Dostoevsky would never have been born. This is how significant this trip was for Dostoevsky.

Above all, through this trip, the two were strongly connected, and Dostoevsky was able to enjoy a happy family life that was completely different from the life he had spent suffering through the first half of his life. Dostoevsky may have a heavy and gloomy image, but in his later years, he was happy. This was a fact that helped me a great deal.

And now that I have been studying Dostoevsky for more than three years already, I feel strongly about it.I like Dostoevsky with his wife Anna."And.

It was this trip to Europe that brought the two together, and it should not be overlooked that it was during this trip that "Evil Spirits," "The Minor," and "The Brothers Karamazov" were born.

In this light, one can see how enormous the significance of this trip was for Dostoevsky.

In the process of studying Dostoevsky, I also learned about European history and culture.Les Miserables.I have studied across a variety of regions and genres, from French literature such as the French, to the history of the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, Vermeer, Mendelssohn, and many others. They may seem to be completely different genres at first glance, but to me they are important because they lead straight to the theme of "Shinran and Dostoevsky. Everything is connected.

It would surely mean a lot to me to learn about the history and culture of Europe, and then to relive the journey of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky. With this in mind, I decided to make this trip.

And at the same time, if you get to know Dostoevsky's personality through this trip, I am sure that your image of him will change. I like Dostoevsky. I like Dostoevsky because of his personality and the happy married life he spent with his wife Anna. I would be more than happy if you could get to know the real Dostoevsky, not the dark and severe Dostoevsky.

Of course, as I mentioned in the title, Dostoevsky was a crazy writer. Frankly, he was also the worst of the worst. I can't tell you how much trouble he got himself into with his gambling addiction during his travels. He was also jealous and had a temper tantrum. He was also a sick man who suffered from epilepsy.

But despite this, Dostoevsky and his wife Anna had a strong bond and loved each other. This is nothing short of astonishing. It is unbelievable what happened.

This trip will also see Dostoevsky's resurrection from his former state of no return. He has truly come back from a hopeless state of mind on this trip. We will also be amazed at the growth of his wife, Anna. After all, Anna was only 20 years old when she embarked on this journey. Four years later, she had matured so much that Dostoevsky had complete confidence in her. To follow their miraculous journey is as much of an adventure as to read a first-rate novel.

From now on, I will be writing a hybrid biography/travelogue article titled "Dostoevsky's Fateful Journey with His Wife: A Journey of Madness and Love in Western Europe. Basically, I will introduce their journey based on "Dostoevsky's Recollections" introduced above, and also share my impressions from my actual visit to the region.

First, in the following article, we will take a quick look back at the first half of Dostoevsky's life before he met his wife, Mrs. Anna. It is quite difficult to summarize his tumultuous life in short, but let us try first. Once you know how difficult Dostoevsky's life was, it will become clear how fortunate he was to meet his wife Anna.

be unbroken

Next Article.

Click here to read the previous article.

Click here for a list of Dostoevsky's recommended books.

List of recommended Dostoevsky biographies."
List of recommended Dostoevsky commentaries.
A list of recommended commentaries on "Dostoevsky and Christianity."

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