Germany

Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(26) Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky return to Japan after a four-year absence! What is the growth of Dostoevsky and his wife Anna, who has become more rounded after the trip?

Four years ago, their journey began in Dresden.

Dresden as a newlywed, the nightmare of Baden-Baden, heaven and hell in Geneva, days in Florence, and homesickness in Dresden. Many things happened. Too many things. The couple overcame these unimaginable days together.

The two people who started the trip are no longer with us.

Dostoevsky overcame his own darkness and insanity and came back a much bigger writer. And his wife, Anna, will continue to play an outstanding role as a great manager to support Dostoevsky.

These four years were truly a destiny-changing journey for Dostoevsky.
Shakespeare, a treasure trove of masterpieces

Tatsuji Iwabuchi, Brecht: Person and Thought 64 - We can change Shakespeare. If we can change Shakespeare

This book is recommended for a compact introduction to the life, historical background, and ideas of the German playwright Brecht.

Shakespeare was the reason I picked up this book, but I think it was a great way to think about "theater and historical background".

I highly recommend this book to get an idea of the atmosphere of the theater world at that time. I read it page by page with great interest. Why not pick up a copy?
Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(25) Dostoevsky's gambling addiction disappears in Wiesbaden, the city of casinos! What a miracle happened to him at the end of his trip!

The events in Wiesbaden, free from gambling fever, are some of the most significant incidents in Dostoevsky's travels. It may be said to be the event that restored his pride as a writer.

Protect your family with your own brush and your own work! I will no longer depend on gambling fortunes! declared Dostoevsky. This time it is not a lie. History bears witness to that. He really was reborn.

And it was still Mrs. Anna who brought about this rebirth. After all, Mrs. Anna was Dostoevsky's guardian angel. She was his destiny. When I think of this, I cannot help but congratulate them both.
Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(24) Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky wanted to stay in Prague - a near miss with that Smetana! They went to Dresden in tears. Their trip comes to an end.

Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky traveled from Florence to Prague for the birth of their daughter.

Prague had a community of Slavic intellectuals, and Dostoevsky hoped to interact with them. Above all, he and his wife were looking forward to staying in beautiful Prague.

However, they were not able to stay in Prague and had to move to Dresden.

History is a "what if" game, but if the couple had been able to stay here, Dostoevsky might have had a connection with Smetana and Dvořák.
FlorenceThe Italian Renaissance and the Revolution of Knowledge

Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence - Visit the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo

At the end of 2022, I traveled to Europe. I have been updating this blog with a travelogue titled "Dostoevsky, My Fateful Journey with My Wife: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love" about my experiences. I also visited Florence on that trip.

In this article, we will introduce the Basilica of Santa Croce, one of the most impressive cathedrals in Florence.

In this cathedral are the graves of eminent figures. I came to this cathedral to visit the graves of these great men. I visited the tombs of Michelangelo and Machiavelli with a strong desire to visit their graves.
Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(23) Visit to Venice, the City of Arts: What did Dostoevsky think of this beautiful water city?

This article introduces Venice, which the Dostoevsky couple visited, and Bologna, where they stopped along the way.

Venice is the city of water that everyone longs to visit. Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky spent only a few days in Venice, but it seems that they had a pleasant time. I also walked around Venice, where they spent their time, and visited places associated with the city, thinking about their stay.

It was a marvelous city that produced beautiful photos wherever it was photographed.
Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(22) Dostoevsky's days in Florence - places associated with him and his favorite art!

The couple saw rock bottom at Baden-Baden Geneva Vvay. They have nothing to fear anymore. They have no choice but to climb up.

They have shared their sorrows and sufferings, and now they are bound together by a strong bond. Their resurrection finally begins here. Their life in Florence, where they liken themselves to Mr. and Mrs. Micawber, must have been a major point of this trip.

Ah, beautiful Florence! If I could, I would have stayed longer and longer too! Florence is indeed the city of flowers. I was in awe of the art in this city.

I would like to believe that for Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky, their stay in this city was an irreplaceable one.
Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(20) Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky's stay in Vouvei: A summer in which they left Geneva in sorrow and mourned the death of their beloved daughter.

Their beloved daughter Sonya died when she was only three months old. Their grief is so great that they can no longer stay in Geneva, where Sonya's face remains.

This article is about the city of Vvei, where they spent their summer.

After the hellish days of Baden-Baden, they shared happiness and sorrow in Geneva and Vouvey.

I believe that this period in the marriage of Dostoevsky and his wife Anna is decisive in their relationship.
Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

(19) Touring Sites Associated with Dostoevsky in Geneva, the City of Reformation - Thoughts on the City that Became a Turning Point in the Couple's Journey

In the previous article, "The Birth and Premature Death of Sonya, the Long-Awaited First Child of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky - Heaven and Hell in Geneva," we saw the extremes of Dostoevsky's joy and sorrow.

It was during his stay in Geneva that he saw a completely different kind of rock bottom than the gambling hell of Baden-Baden.

We, too, will now walk in this city where Dostoevsky walked.