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I like this passage about 10 pages from the end of the book on Russia Larry Send a noteboard - 17/05/2010 02:56:49 PM
"You know," I said, "if history teaches us anything, then it is that everybody who has tried to sort things out in Russia has ended up being sorted out by Russia instead."

"That's right," said the gentleman. "That's precisely why we have to think about how to sort things out here - so that it won't happen again."

"As far as I am concerned, I have no need to think about it," I replied. "I know perfectly well how to sort things out in Russia."

"Oh yes? And how's that?"

"It is all quite simple. Every time the concept and the image of Russia appears in your conscious mind, you have to let it dissolve away in its own inner nature. And since the concept and the image of Russia has no inner nature of its own, the result is that everything is sorted out most satisfactorily." (p. 326)


I think this ties together some of the comments on Russia and on Zen Buddhism that appear elsewhere in the novel. Do have another quote to share later, but I think there's some grounds for discussion based on this quote. What do you think?
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
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Russian Book Club: Chapaev and Pustota or Buddha's Little Finger Tom - 16/05/2010 03:42:07 PM 966 Views
I'll have my full thoughts up in a few hours Larry - 16/05/2010 04:33:54 PM 624 Views
Could you give me a better reference as to where that was in the book? Tom - 17/05/2010 03:09:16 AM 604 Views
It's about halfway into Chapter 5 in my edition *NM* Larry - 17/05/2010 03:12:43 AM 307 Views
Chapter 5, just before Kocurkin appears for the first time. *NM* wahooka - 17/05/2010 02:34:30 PM 279 Views
In Russian it says "succubus" became the Russian "suka" or "bitch" *NM* Tom - 17/05/2010 02:49:03 PM 356 Views
Ahh, so the English version is closer. wahooka - 17/05/2010 07:38:35 PM 642 Views
Does Czech have a word similar to "suka"? *NM* Tom - 19/05/2010 03:11:10 PM 339 Views
Well, sort of. wahooka - 19/05/2010 07:30:38 PM 528 Views
This reply is mostly empty of thoughts. wahooka - 16/05/2010 05:37:54 PM 620 Views
I'll wait until it is substantially empty but nominally full, then. *NM* Tom - 17/05/2010 03:09:52 AM 320 Views
OK, here's what I wrote for the OF Blog on this book Larry - 17/05/2010 02:22:18 AM 646 Views
I like the way your review is an un-review. Tom - 17/05/2010 03:08:20 AM 569 Views
That's what I wanted to convey, since it's hard to be definitive with such a work Larry - 17/05/2010 03:16:19 AM 673 Views
I wouldn't term it "fantasy". Tom - 18/05/2010 02:24:40 PM 600 Views
Perhaps Larry - 18/05/2010 02:36:13 PM 660 Views
Psychedelic fiction suits it well. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:12:10 PM 660 Views
By the way, I just finished The Sacred Book of the Werewolf Larry - 18/07/2010 09:14:33 PM 895 Views
My thoughts. wahooka - 17/05/2010 02:16:11 PM 645 Views
Pelevin isn't a real Buddhist, he's a superficial pop-culture Buddhist. Tom - 18/05/2010 02:33:37 PM 665 Views
Re: Pelevin isn't a real Buddhist, he's a superficial pop-culture Buddhist. wahooka - 18/05/2010 10:37:36 PM 592 Views
Russian TV spits out soap operas almost daily now. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:19:22 PM 631 Views
Re: Russian TV spits out soap operas almost daily now. wahooka - 19/05/2010 07:59:05 PM 1057 Views
It is apparently called Clay Machine Gun in the UK. Rebekah - 17/05/2010 02:41:41 PM 619 Views
It's Čapajev a Prázdnota (Chapaev and Emptiness) in Czech wahooka - 17/05/2010 07:46:14 PM 659 Views
In Russian prazdny or prazdnost' would mean "lazy, inactive" *NM* Tom - 18/05/2010 02:21:42 PM 301 Views
And pustota means barrenness or desolateness in Czech. wahooka - 18/05/2010 10:51:22 PM 702 Views
Passion used to mean suffering in English, now it means lust. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:21:47 PM 817 Views
Bah. No bookshop in Edinburgh has it. Amazon will have to be my saviour. Rebekah - 18/05/2010 12:56:28 PM 518 Views
Sure, as long as we're not reading Gogol by then. *NM* Tom - 19/05/2010 03:22:13 PM 291 Views
I like this passage about 10 pages from the end of the book on Russia Larry - 17/05/2010 02:56:49 PM 644 Views
I think the pseudo-Buddhist bit is not as good as the Russian vodka psychology. Tom - 18/05/2010 02:35:07 PM 608 Views
Perhaps Larry - 18/05/2010 02:38:24 PM 560 Views
All and none. Russia is a paradox, but one that can be explained. Tom - 19/05/2010 03:30:58 PM 613 Views
Re: I think the pseudo-Buddhist bit is not as good as the Russian vodka psychology. wahooka - 18/05/2010 11:12:10 PM 662 Views
I'll drink to that! Tom - 19/05/2010 03:34:40 PM 476 Views
Heh, yeah, but I still think there's something to it. *NM* wahooka - 19/05/2010 08:04:51 PM 326 Views
And I still don't have a copy of this book! The Shrike - 17/05/2010 07:37:35 PM 667 Views
I'll bet you could find a Russian version online if you searched rambler.ru. *NM* Tom - 18/05/2010 02:35:49 PM 316 Views
Re: I know a weird "lending library" sort of site that can give you the English version. Danae al'Thor - 20/05/2010 12:48:57 PM 758 Views
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