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Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov | Book Discussion
Surrounded by literary giants like Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov, Ivan Goncharov's masterpiece Oblomov can easily be forgotten. An intriguing, fairly comical novel that provokes questions on the ideal life, happiness, and changing one's nature.
Oblomov was a delightful, enlightening read and deserves a place among the other great Russian novels of the 19th century. Goncharov intertwines timeless questions of happiness, work-life balance, and love all into a tale following life of our uninspiring, affable hero Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. What on the surface appears to be a repetitive cycle of a man failing to change his ways turns out to be quite a complex story packed with lively characters.
What's your favorite Russian novel? Comment below!
My Written Review: brockcovington.substack.com/p/oblomov-by-ivan-goncharov
Timecodes:
0:00 - Forgotten Russian Masterpiece
0:59 - Ivan Goncharov
1:53 - Superfluous Man
3:25 - Plot Summary
8:04 - Why You Should Read It
10:11 - Key Themes
10:30 - Fate & Nature vs. Nurture
15:47 - Can People Really Change?
20:13 - Is One Way of Life Better?
23:22 - The Ideal Life
27:05 - Existing vs. Striving
30:30 - Love
31:08 - “I Can Change Him!”
32:37 - Love is Risky
34:57 - Enduring Happiness
39:07 - Wrap Up
My Substack: brockcovington.substack.com
My Instagram: brockwrites
My Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/155034970-brock-c
#bookreview #bookrecommendations
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Komentáře

  • @SteveTTTT
    @SteveTTTT Před dnem

    I hope to read this soon. I have it on audio. It’s sorta Southern (deals with South’s legacy). Big you want an excellent Southern book to read that doesn’t fall into Southern Gothic territory (like 90% of Southern works past and present), read ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’. The story of how the book ever made it to a publisher is as interesting as the book is. It will catch and hold your attention from page one.

  • @themuchachos4168
    @themuchachos4168 Před dnem

    I just got my copy this week you made me want to read it even more

  • @juliaa4031
    @juliaa4031 Před 2 dny

    I read 'Oblomov' at school (we study it at Literature classes in Russia), it was one my favs back then. Your video made me want to reread it. Gonna grab my dusty copy)) Thank you for your inspiring videos, you are doing amazing ☺️ Wish you all the best with the channel!:))

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 2 dny

      Спасибо! Я надеюсь тебе понравится читать это снова!

  • @nowie4007
    @nowie4007 Před 2 dny

    Good video, i am subscribing ❤❤

  • @mjmadis
    @mjmadis Před 3 dny

    Off topic, way off topic lol….what do you do to whiten you’re teeth?

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 3 dny

      Hahaha I don't do or use any specific. Just Crest toothpaste and brush 2x per day

  • @kuraga9147
    @kuraga9147 Před 3 dny

    As a russian, "Oblomov" is written with ridiculously funny language.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 3 dny

      I was cracking up at sections in the English so I can only imagine how comical it is in Russian

  • @bdnnijs192
    @bdnnijs192 Před 3 dny

    To answer the question in the title. Depends on who is asking. If it's asked as a critiscism of philosophy then philosophy is enormously usefull. if it's posited in favor of philosophy then it's uselessness makes it deep and profound. Philosophers are very good at post hock rationalisations.

  • @bdnnijs192
    @bdnnijs192 Před 3 dny

    0:30 "A route to personal (philosophical) discovery, and an atempt to answer (philosophical) questions." Basically the value of philosophy is doing philosophy. Some would call that circular reasoning. If you feel philosophy makes you a more rounded person in general, fair enough, but this deserves a little more explanation not strictly grouned in philosophy. (If philosophy solves problems created by philosophy in the first place this raises some questions.) For the more concrete part of your example. People haven't figured out murder is destructive before (modern) philosophy? Really? Isn;t it more likelyu philosophy is the post hoc rationalisation for our earlier discovery murder is destructive? Serious question: Why have we as a society decided 'ethics or morals' are the domain of philosophy?

  • @BandicootLava
    @BandicootLava Před 3 dny

    I haven't read my copy of Oblomov yet but just wanted to comment and say I'm looking forward to watching this when I do!

  • @albertwastaken
    @albertwastaken Před 3 dny

    Oblomov - amazing, read it at the start of the year. glad to see it being recognized

  • @meganorr8436
    @meganorr8436 Před 3 dny

    I haven't read Emma yet but I really enjoyed Persuasion, as a fan of classics and Pridr & Prejudice

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 3 dny

      I’ve heard great things about Persuasion so maybe that’s what I should go to next!

  • @Cteabis
    @Cteabis Před 3 dny

    Been planning to read Oblomov for a while, but got distracted by studies. Great to have you review it, especially since it reminds me to get to it 😂

  • @Johanna_reads
    @Johanna_reads Před 5 dny

    What an excellent haul! I love learning about Russian literature on your channel. I think I already commented about how much I love Stoner. It was my favorite book of 2022 and remains one of my favorite books of all time. I love that you noticed glimpses of hope and goodness in that story. Some readers miss the existential beauty Williams offered. I'm going to have to check out Hard Rain Falling!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 5 dny

      Thank you! I found it interesting Williams rejected the idea of Stoner's life being a sad one. I can see why for the hope that you and I derived from the story, but I do find Stoner's sorrow and regret to be a bit cautionary for readers on how they should avoid living

    • @Johanna_reads
      @Johanna_reads Před 5 dny

      @@TheActiveMind1 Yes, I agree! Have you read Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich? I'm sorry if that's a dumb question if you have read it, as you are so well-read in Russian literature. Someone pitched that to me as great for fans of Stoner, and it certainly fits the cautionary tale theme. I thought Tolstoy's story was much bleaker and sardonic, but I loved it!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 5 dny

      @@Johanna_reads Yes, I have! It's similar in a precautionary way except the character of Ivan and life is drastically different compared to Stoner. I'd agree that it's a bleak and depressing tale

  • @eddiepalmer5740
    @eddiepalmer5740 Před 5 dny

    Basically, this book says, "Don't worry, be happy, no matter what is happening."

  • @clairemitchell4602
    @clairemitchell4602 Před 5 dny

    Hum I fell in love

  • @jamgart6880
    @jamgart6880 Před 5 dny

    Do you think NYRB would send me a copy of Hard Rain Falling? Cos I’ve been looking for one for the past few months and can’t find one anywhere! (I know I can get it online but… I like bookshops! What can I say 🤷‍♀️😁)

  • @cosmicmusicreynolds3266

    she was mad

  • @hatethenewyou
    @hatethenewyou Před 7 dny

    Some very intriguing works and I believe NYRB sending them your way is certainly a testament to the success of the channel. Hard Rain Falling has been on my tbr list since I finished Stoner so i'll be interested in what you make of it.

    • @hatethenewyou
      @hatethenewyou Před 7 dny

      Off topic, but have you been able to get your hands on a copy of Blinding yet? I'm working my way through Solenoid now and I know I'm going to be seeking out a copy after I finish in a couple weeks.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 7 dny

      I’ll definitely make a discussion/review video once I finish it in the coming months!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 7 dny

      I have not seen Blinding in print :( but I will likely get a Kindle soon so I can get a digital copy

    • @hatethenewyou
      @hatethenewyou Před 7 dny

      @@TheActiveMind1 I think i'm going to end up having to do the same unfortunately. Luckily Nostalgia is easily found in print, but I'm more interesting in Blinding. I wish Archipelago would run a re-printing.

  • @jackwalter5970
    @jackwalter5970 Před 7 dny

    I don't think Hard Rain Falling is anything like Stoner. However, I think it's much better!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 7 dny

      I think what I heard wasn’t that they are similar but the vibes are similar. If you liked one, you’ll like the other kind of thing

  • @chadbailey7038
    @chadbailey7038 Před 7 dny

    I’ve been studying Russian for 4 ½ years. From home. I’m at the point now where I am reading A2 level graded readers 📚. Best of luck on your journey! 🙌🏾

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 7 dny

      Спасибо! That excites me but also makes me realize how far I am from reading even a Gogol or Pushkin short story in Russian 😅 just got to stay patient!

    • @SrGwynnbleid
      @SrGwynnbleid Před 6 dny

      @@TheActiveMind1 man I had been reading Pushkin couple months ago and I had to check the dictionary every few minutes. Not because I struggle with russian but because there are so many old words in his works that are not used today and therefore they are literally perceived as foreign. Quite a feeling. I am pretty sure this problem exists in most languages when you tackle some literature from 19 century and earlier

  • @UkumaOokami
    @UkumaOokami Před 7 dny

    Я уже лет 7-8 изучаю русский язык, и у меня есть хорошая новость для вас. Падежи станут простыми со временем. Я На самом деле считаю их одной из более лёгких частей языка. Но я до сих пор борюсь с глаголами СВ и НСВ и иногда с глаголами движения.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 7 dny

      Приятно это слышать! The verb variations are definitely tricky

  • @entekhobi-dw1pg
    @entekhobi-dw1pg Před 8 dny

    Я бразилец а тоже изучаю русский язык через четыре года. я ещё делаю много Грамачистики ошибок! Русский такой сложный язык!

    • @xxxyyy8779
      @xxxyyy8779 Před 7 dny

      Через четыре года - можно употребить, когда речь идёт о будущем. Вы же говорите о прошлом. Правильно было бы сказать: "после четырёх лет", "по прошествию четырёх лет", "за четыре года изучения" и т.д.

  • @anastasiayasova8578

    I'm Russian and I'm really impressed by your progress in just 5 months! Really incredible. I'm sure you'll be able to achieve fluency if you keep it up. Please don't feel demotivated because of how hard the language is, we natives also struggle with it A LOT on a daily basis :) Greetings from Saint Petersburg!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 8 dny

      Спасибо! Я надеюсь посетить Санкт-Петербург в будущем

  • @bananasplit3805
    @bananasplit3805 Před 8 dny

    Such beautiful hands!

  • @johnjabez6300
    @johnjabez6300 Před 8 dny

    Just ended it now

  • @jackwalter5970
    @jackwalter5970 Před 8 dny

    Hard Rain Falling is a five-star read. Enjoy it!

  • @paskodzaja
    @paskodzaja Před 8 dny

    Спасибо за этот видео

  • @Soyosan22
    @Soyosan22 Před 8 dny

    Learning Russian is very rewarding. Once you reach fluency, you will discover a whole different world. Keep up the good job :)

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 8 dny

      Спасибо 🙌🏼

    • @watermelon3679
      @watermelon3679 Před 8 dny

      Exactly but reaching fluency in languages especially such a difficult language like Russian s not easy but it s definitely worth the effort.

  • @DavidWChuck-qd1df
    @DavidWChuck-qd1df Před 8 dny

    As an Indonesian myself who's learning Russian as my 4th language for the last two years, sometimes I question my motive and my sanity for making the decision to start learning Russian. It's super hard and sometimes I don't feel like I made any significant progress. But I guess the most important thing of learning a foreign language is just keep going no matter how hard the process can be. I definitely need to be more discipline on learning the language and immerse myself more as I only have one class per week with a native speaker. Good luck with your plan to start learning Spanish in the fall. As an English native speaker, you have the advantage as there are lots of Spanish words are similar to english, especially those words at B2/C1 levels. Some grammatical rules can be so tricky, but if you manage to dominate Russian language, there is nothing you can't do :)

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 8 dny

      Thank you for the words of encouragement! I’ve inspired by your own polyglot journey

  • @ToReadersItMayConcern

    You're a champ for tackling such a challenge! Very inspiring.

  • @arabicmajd
    @arabicmajd Před 8 dny

    I am an arabian, fluent in english (maybe c1 or sth like that) and learning russian I have been learning russian for about one year and to be honest I liked it more than english although it is much harder The most difficult thing is an infinity loop where I don't practice the language because I am not that knowledgeable and I am not knowledgeable because I don't practice, I tried to find people near me who speak russian and it seems that no one care of this language So moved on to digital world where I teach russian spokers (especially in the Caucasus) arabic and they teach me russian

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 8 dny

      Hahah yes that is an easy loop to fall into. We’ll both feel more comfortable with enough consistent practice!

    • @xxxyyy8779
      @xxxyyy8779 Před 7 dny

      Unlike English speakers Arabs are excellent when it comes to Russian in my experience as well as Italians.

    • @arabicmajd
      @arabicmajd Před 7 dny

      @xxxyyy8779 That's ture! It is because arabic language has many pronouns and grammer, and we change the words endings very much, so you can say that we are used to sophisticated processing of languages

    • @xxxyyy8779
      @xxxyyy8779 Před 7 dny

      @@arabicmajd oh, it's not just grammar alone. Arabs also tend to have a good Russian pronunciation while I personally find English speakers' accent rather hard on ears. And it's not just a couple of gifted individuals! This seems to be consistent across all Arabic students of Russian. There must be something about our languages that makes them intrinsically similar on some level.

  • @serg.bichonfrise
    @serg.bichonfrise Před 9 dny

    Вы проделываете великолепную работу с изучением русского языка! Последние пару лет я живу в Соединённых Штатах, и мне достаточно тяжело даётся изучение английского, хотя он был у меня в школе в течение десяти лет и в университете пять лет. Тем не менее я приехал в Штаты с очень базовым языком. Примечательно, что вы интересуетесь русской культурой и литературой, мне же не по душе были Достоевский, Толстой и иже с ними, исключение составлял разве что Булгаков и поэты, во главе с Бродским. И, напротив, всегда интересовала американская культура, в частности литература. Я рос на произведениях Марка Твена, развивался под влиянием Сэлинджера, Ирвина Шоу, Хемингуэя, Фицджеральда, Буковски, Драйзера. На данный момент много путешествую по Америке, снимаю об этом видео для Ютуба и в ближайшее время планирую посетить города Лавкрафта и Эдгара Алана По - Провиденс и Балтимор. Кроме того, преступлением будет не упомянуть про комиксы Марвел, Человек-паук - главный пример для подражания на протяжении всей жизни.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 8 dny

      Спасибо! That doesn’t surprise me as I think a lot of native Russians get bored with Tolstoy/Dostoevsky from school as Americans become with our western writers. Я надеюсь тебе понравится здесь жить!

  • @jonathann5205
    @jonathann5205 Před 9 dny

    Amazing video- I also want to focus upon and master this language- only studied Latin (went as far as one can go- took both AP tests and even did a foreign program in Rome)- and the more I learn Russian, the more I see the striking similarities- it’s like a living, Slavic Latin! If you want, you may want to check out the cha. “How Janey Learned Russian”- best Russian learning language content on CZcams imo. “BeFluentInRussian” definitely the 2nd best I think… Good luck with all 😊 Thanks for the inspiration!!! Also: similar to “Tandem”::: amazing app: “HiNative”- lets you ask native speakers questions about 100+ languages & answer questions from people learning your native language- incredible community!!! P.S. “Inhale Russian” is an amazing channel.

  • @loann571
    @loann571 Před 9 dny

    I'm also learning Russian and German as well 😅. Keep up the good work bro

  • @Koboaa
    @Koboaa Před 9 dny

    I've been studying Russian for 4 years, it's full of ups & downs :)) I'm pretty fine with understanding by now, but I'm having a hard time speaking it.. Anyways, after reaching a good level of understanding, I recommend the show called Импровизаторы available on СТС CZcams channel, it's super funny thanks to the hosts, and even if you don't understand what's going on, people's laugh will make you laugh😂 Also, Russian with Max is a great channel, he's a fun guy who is also great at teaching and doesn't speak too fast :) Good luck with your studies!

  • @kuraga9147
    @kuraga9147 Před 9 dny

    Моё любимое русское слово, смысл которого непросто объяснить иностранцам, -- "кататься", то есть, ездить не для дела, а просто ради развлечения. ||| My favourite russian word that's difficult to explain to foreigners is 'кататься', which means 'to drive (go) not for some reason or business but just for fun and leisure' And ofc russian verbs of motion which became a meme for people studying russian a long time ago.

    • @SrGwynnbleid
      @SrGwynnbleid Před 6 dny

      В действительности зачастую в разных языках есть аналоги, просто нужно иметь обширный словарный запас и быть знакомым с народной версией языка. К примеру, кататься без конкретной цели это "cruise". Когда говорят "we were just cruising", это и значит, что просто катались с друзьями

  • @annasinilova611
    @annasinilova611 Před 9 dny

    Native Russian speaker is here) I have been struggling with English for all my life and it is still quite hard for me. Yes, I can understand 100% of your speech, but it is rather challenging to express myself in English. Russian language is crazy as well, and native speakers usually have troubles with it, believe me, as I have a degree in Russian philology (Russian language and literature). I really admire people like you, who have so much passion when it comes to learning new languages. Good luck with your Russian! Удачи в изучении русского! And as we say in Russian: "Терпение и труд все перетрут" :)

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 9 dny

      Спасибо! Это долгий и трудный путь, but I'm staying patient and enjoying the process)

    • @FrozenMermaid666
      @FrozenMermaid666 Před 8 dny

      I would highly recommend learning the prettiest languages ever created Norse / Gothic / Icelandic / Faroese / English / Dutch / Norwegian / Danish / Welsh / Breton / Cornish 2gether as they are way too pretty not to know, instead of Russian which has mostly non-pretty words, and, if one also wants to learn a Slavic language, I would recommend learning the pretty Slavic languages Slovene and Latvian which have mostly pretty words! Re learning methods, I recommend using the spaced repetition method and watching as many vocab videos as one can find at least thirty times over a period of two or three years and many videos on grammar etc multiple times on different days, and also memorizing many lyrics and analyzing / translating each new word that one doesn’t know yet, and always watching every video or movie with subtitles in the target languages, and typing a lot of sentences and words in the target languages to develop a muscle memory, and also, learning all the prettiest languages at the same time as it saves many years and is the most fun way to learn languages! I recommend learning at least thirty thousand base words in the prettiest languages ever created and at least ten thousand to fifteen thousand base words in the other pretty languages!

    • @FrozenMermaid666
      @FrozenMermaid666 Před 8 dny

      Some fun sentences / words in the heavenly languages Norse / Gothic / Icelandic / Dutch are... Ek heiti Freyja ok ek em at læra Norrænu því ek elski (elska) hana! (Norse) Hann ǫrninn vissi ekki hvaðan kemr Sólin... (Norse) Ek veit alt er þú veizt ekki! (Norse) Ég hef talað Ensku síðan þegar ég vas (var) tveggja eða triggja ára! En ég get líka talað Hollensku og Norsku og Spænsku og FornNorrænu! Ég get talað Íslensku reiprennandi og ég em (er) ekki með neina hreim! Ef ég gæti lært annað mál, hvað væri það? Það væri auðvitað Danska! Ég em (er) að hugsa að það er mikilvægt að læra að minnsta kosti eitt erlent tungumál, eða flest fallegu tungumálin! Svo ég valdi Íslensku og ég héld áfram að læra hana... Ég læri það í samhengi... (Icelandic) Hvíslaðu að svaninum! En ertu frá hinum hlutanum? Þegar ég segi Ísland, hvað er það fyrsta sem dettur þér í (hug) hugi? Als ik Ijsland zeg, wat is het eerste wat naar boven komt bij jou? (Dutch) Some of the prettiest words in Gothic are namo, þein, hunds, þatist, ik, weis, eis, qen, driusaima, wairþan, ains, sinteina, nist, imma, twais, eisarn, swikn, uhteigo, brunna, faíraþro etc! (The words in these heavenly languages are just so pretty and so poetic and so cool, they are true works of art, so I definitely wish I had learnt them in childhood, and I highly recommend learning them all together, as they are way too pretty not to know and so magical, as pretty as Danish and English and Norwegian and Faroese and Welsh and Breton and Cornish and Forn Svenska!)

    • @FrozenMermaid666
      @FrozenMermaid666 Před 8 dny

      Norse languages and English and Dutch have the best lyrics and the best literature etc with pretty words that are fun to read and learn, whereas Russian is very overrated and most of its words aren’t pretty and sound funny and is not easy to read, so I don’t understand why would one try to learn Russian or most other languages that exist, when there are truly heavenly languages like Norse and Gothic and Icelandic etc that truly dsv the attention - choosing wisely (only the pretty and easy languages) is key to being a successful polyglot, as pretty and poetic languages that are well-constructed with good letter combinations and pretty word endings and refined / modern / cool sound etc are naturally easy to learn (one naturally learns the prettier and more distinctive words faster) and fun, with Norse / Germanic languages and Celtic languages being the best, and, English is the easiest language ever created, so it’s easy to learn it if one uses the right learning techniques and if one uses it as the main language (more than the first language) and if one watches every video or movie with subtitles in English and always translates the new words that one doesn’t understand, and, the Wkp dictionary and G translate are two of the best tools for translating words and for learning all the meanings of a word etc, and the free dictionary is also great! (And also, all ppl are the exact opposite of wf / lord etc or possessive pronouns which only reflect me the only wf / bride / gf / maiden / girl / lass and the only Possessor / Leader etc and the pure protectors who are the lords etc, and, there should be a distance between all ppl at all times and no śįnńing, and ppl should never want that which was never meant for ppl, and should never learn a language to ‘get’ x or y, and, should only learn the pretty languages for their pretty and poetic words, which are a true work of art - things such as ręlationships are only meant for us pure beings / me and the pure protectors aka the alphas, and love only exists for me and is only meant for me the only lovable being aka the pure being!)

  • @Fallentree-hx7su
    @Fallentree-hx7su Před 9 dny

    Another interesting thing about language comes from the book 1984. That is when a character(name starts with S and I can’t remember it) who is specialized in newspeak explains to Winston that narrowing the vocabulary of the population will also narrow the range of thought of the population. This thoughtcrime will be nonexistent. This shows how much vocabulary and literary fluency affects how you think.

  • @changoviejo9575
    @changoviejo9575 Před 9 dny

    It's not named English alphabet, it's Latin alphabet

  • @shmoolicious
    @shmoolicious Před 10 dny

    As a lifelong language learner I would advise you against starting Spanish in the fall (unless you absolutely have to). Starting to learn two languages at the same time is never a good idea. It will just slow down your progress with Russian, and you'll eventually become frustrated and quit.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 10 dny

      I'm open minded to that but I've seen advocation for learning two languages at once. I assume it greatly depends on how much time you can devote to them and if one comes at a cost to the other, then frustration is inevitable. I'll likely dabble since I already have some familiarity from my adolescence and then will pursue it more once I get a solidified base in Russian. Do you think that would be a more appropriate approach?

    • @lucasm4299
      @lucasm4299 Před 9 dny

      @@TheActiveMind1 I disagree with the first guy. If you want to dabble in Spanish, do it! Yes your Russian might stagnate but you can always refocus on it when you decide to. It is important to separate and not mix the languages. Most important thing is that you’re enjoying learning and have goals

    • @user-ub1in4th9j
      @user-ub1in4th9j Před 8 dny

      I'm JLPT N1 (Close to C1 almost C2) in Japanese, HSK 4 in Chinese and dabble in Russian and German. It's never demotivated me. Just have fun with it. I do prioritize which language I focus in the most. I usually immerse/use Japanese throughout the day and immerse Chinese at least 15 mins a day of I can. Prioritizing which language might help 🍻

  • @jackwalter5970
    @jackwalter5970 Před 10 dny

    Thank you for this. I'm in the process of learning Welsh.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 10 dny

      I'm curious, what led you to start learning Welsh? What got you interested?

    • @jackwalter5970
      @jackwalter5970 Před 10 dny

      ​@@TheActiveMind1 I found out that my ancestry is part Welsh, even though I was never exposed to that culture growing up. I am 90% German, so that was all I knew. I am having fun exploring my Welsh ancestry.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 10 dny

      @@jackwalter5970 I figured that might've been the reason. Very neat!

  • @stan_loves_english
    @stan_loves_english Před 10 dny

    Hi! I'm very pleasantly surprised that you have been learning Russian. I'm a native and, from my point of view, there are some very quirky and funny things in that language. One of them is definitely the suffixes. I love them so much. Usually, Russian mothers add them to their sons' names to make their names sound more lovely and sweet. For example, with the name "Брок" it will be like: Брокчик. Брокуша. Брокушка. Брокунчик. Брокстик. Брокуня. Брокуся. Just look at that! So many ways to make just one name sound so different and fun. And there is one more thing. It is called the prefixes that Russians frequently add to the verbs in order to change the entire meaning of the message. For example, the verb "есть" - to eat. With the prefixes, that verb will be transform to, for example, "ПОесть" - when you feel like having a meal; "ЗАесть" when you have taked a shot of vodka and all of a sudden realize you have to eat something quickly in order to irradiate that awful agony in the mouth immediately. That is exatly word for it. "НАесть" - when you're eating too much in order to gain more weight in particular part of the body which we used for sitting. "ПЕРЕесть" when you have eaten too much, but it was just unplanned. Although the word "есть" can be used in a different meaning, not in the general meaning "to eat" (Я хочу есть - I want to eat), but there is another meaning - "to have" (У нас есть молоко в холодильнике - We have some milk in the fridge). I wish you a great time on your learning journey. Have fun and be patient. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Don't give up! You can do it! Good luck!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 10 dny

      Спасибо 🙌🏼 I’m grateful for the encouragement and the great example of how complex and descriptive Russian can be. It feels overwhelming but also rewarding as I’m making progress!

    • @cidehamete
      @cidehamete Před 8 dny

      I also study Russian language, I still can't differentiate the subtle nuances of some words, for example: a rather complex verb: "жарить" (I know it has a sexual connotation, that's not what I mean). Imperfect aspect: "жарить", "поджаривать(ся, only in the third person)" Perfect appearance: "поджарить"; "зажарить" "изжарить(ся, only in the third person)."

  • @SrGwynnbleid
    @SrGwynnbleid Před 10 dny

    I am russian and word stresses is one of the most difficult things for me as well. In my experience most russian people use incorrect stresses all the time, even educated ones.

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 10 dny

      That’s comforting to hear! I guess it just requires more practice and listening carefully for pronunciation

    • @SrGwynnbleid
      @SrGwynnbleid Před 10 dny

      @@TheActiveMind1 what you described in the video is about the most basic words in their initial form and I realize that it can be very challenging for those learning russian considering the fact that our grammar is probably more complex and there are so many new and strange things to learn and understand. What I meant about stresses is that as you already know every word in russian has so many forms and stress is very often shifting and changing its place and it is honestly almost impossible to memorize every case for every form of every word if you don't read all the time with the wikidictionary. So yeah, it is enough to memorize only the most common and basic words because when you use some complex word in its altered form incorrectly most native speakers might not even notice it.

  • @ev3261
    @ev3261 Před 10 dny

    Great video, I agree with every word. I was very happy to hear your thoughts about the fact that you can learn a language just for the sheer passion for a culture. I have been learning French for over 6 years now, and started for a similar reason as you (a French singer I found by chance, I don't know anyone who speaks French), and after deciding to commit to it, my goal, as an avid reader, was to read in French. I now read fluently, and I can't tell you what pleasure it was to read Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir in the original French. I also used Rocket Languages, and found them very useful. Thank you for this video!

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 10 dny

      That’s inspiring to hear! I hope 6 years from now I’m able to say the same and fluently read in Russian!

    • @FrozenMermaid666
      @FrozenMermaid666 Před 8 dny

      I would highly recommend learning the prettiest languages ever created Norse / Gothic / Icelandic / Faroese / English / Dutch / Norwegian / Danish / Welsh / Breton / Cornish 2gether as they are way too pretty not to know, instead of Russian which has mostly non-pretty words, and, if one also wants to learn a Slavic language, I would recommend learning the pretty Slavic languages Slovene and Latvian which have mostly pretty words! Re learning methods, I recommend using the spaced repetition method and watching as many vocab videos as one can find at least thirty times over a period of two or three years and many videos on grammar etc multiple times on different days, and also memorizing many lyrics and analyzing / translating each new word that one doesn’t know yet, and always watching every video or movie with subtitles in the target languages, and typing a lot of sentences and words in the target languages to develop a muscle memory, and also, learning all the prettiest languages at the same time as it saves many years and is the most fun way to learn languages! I recommend learning at least thirty thousand base words in the prettiest languages ever created and at least ten thousand to fifteen thousand base words in the other pretty languages!

    • @FrozenMermaid666
      @FrozenMermaid666 Před 8 dny

      Some fun sentences / words in the heavenly languages Norse / Gothic / Icelandic / Dutch are... Ek heiti Freyja ok ek em at læra Norrænu því ek elski (elska) hana! (Norse) Hann ǫrninn vissi ekki hvaðan kemr Sólin... (Norse) Ek veit alt er þú veizt ekki! (Norse) Ég hef talað Ensku síðan þegar ég vas (var) tveggja eða triggja ára! En ég get líka talað Hollensku og Norsku og Spænsku og FornNorrænu! Ég get talað Íslensku reiprennandi og ég em (er) ekki með neina hreim! Ef ég gæti lært annað mál, hvað væri það? Það væri auðvitað Danska! Ég em (er) að hugsa að það er mikilvægt að læra að minnsta kosti eitt erlent tungumál, eða flest fallegu tungumálin! Svo ég valdi Íslensku og ég héld áfram að læra hana... Ég læri það í samhengi... (Icelandic) Hvíslaðu að svaninum! En ertu frá hinum hlutanum? Þegar ég segi Ísland, hvað er það fyrsta sem dettur þér í (hug) hugi? Als ik Ijsland zeg, wat is het eerste wat naar boven komt bij jou? (Dutch) Some of the prettiest words in Gothic are namo, þein, hunds, þatist, ik, weis, eis, qen, driusaima, wairþan, ains, sinteina, nist, imma, twais, eisarn, swikn, uhteigo, brunna, faíraþro etc! (The words in these heavenly languages are just so pretty and so poetic and so cool, they are true works of art, so I definitely wish I had learnt them in childhood, and I highly recommend learning them all together, as they are way too pretty not to know and so magical, as pretty as Danish and English and Norwegian and Faroese and Welsh and Breton and Cornish and Forn Svenska!)

  • @emanueladadarlat3159
    @emanueladadarlat3159 Před 10 dny

    It's kinda funny, I'm Romanian and I haven't read Cartarescu. I think I did one of his famous books back in the day ("De ce iubim femeile"), but as I didn't remember it, tried to (re)read it now.....I just couldn't. Maybe I will try a different one, and you, a foreigner, will be my nudge into it.

  • @suzannebousquet2710
    @suzannebousquet2710 Před 12 dny

    I just put this book on my to read list!

  • @Fallentree-hx7su
    @Fallentree-hx7su Před 14 dny

    Can you start doing long form videos?😊

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 14 dny

      I’ve got a bunch of my channel that I hope you find interesting!

    • @Fallentree-hx7su
      @Fallentree-hx7su Před 14 dny

      @@TheActiveMind1 Oh, sorry. I’m a bit groggy today. I was confusing you with another guy that does shorts on classic literature. Sebastian Rothstein.

  • @casper_z1259
    @casper_z1259 Před 14 dny

    Most people don't know Arthur Schopenhauer period. Me included😂

  • @saksheepatel5881
    @saksheepatel5881 Před 14 dny

    You do a great job in analyzing the different works of the author, also loved your series on Nietzsche. Please do more of such in depth analysis. It would be better if you could talk about each prominent work by different authors in detail. Thank you for your hard work! 😊

    • @TheActiveMind1
      @TheActiveMind1 Před 14 dny

      Thank you for the kind words! I plan to do this with more authors but it will just take me time to read their works deeply and plan the videos out. I'll work at it!

  • @theodorearaujo971
    @theodorearaujo971 Před 14 dny

    All philosophy is fiction.