Classics Considered

The “R-guy”

Stumbled across this and I felt SO called out.

One of the difficulties in reading Crime and Punishment is keeping track of the names of the characters. Not only are the names difficult to pronounce, but a character is often referred to by more than one version of his or her name. As you read, try to pronounce the names of the characters (even if your pronunciation is not correct). Think of the main character as Raskolnikov not the “R-guy.”

(source)

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Marian

Responses

  1. mudpuddle Avatar
    mudpuddle

    LOL… i remember having trouble with Russian cognomens early on… but familiarity breeds… familiarity! i’ve had trouble with Polish names in the past…

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    1. Marian Avatar
      Marian

      Thankfully I can remember Raskolnikov’s name, but it’s true that my “inner reading voice” tends to gloss over long names. 😛

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  2. Cyberkitten Avatar
    Cyberkitten

    Russian literature – or just literature BASED in Russia is SO like that. It’s pretty confusing when you have maybe 3 names for the same person – plus PET names. SO confusing!!

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    1. Marian Avatar
      Marian

      Yes!
      Japanese literature can also be confusing, in that I’m still learning which names are feminine and which ones are masculine. Fortunately they tend to have a smaller cast of characters to memorize.

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