Fyodor Dostoyevsky - People I want to meet when I die - posted 8 months ago

"...way too much excessive detail..." is almost a definition of the 19th century novel. The narrative moved more slowly, built brick by brick, creating a world that could and would be thoroughly absorbing. It was a quieter world, with fewer diversions, distractions. It was easier to "get lost" in a book, and I'm sure many would have felt cheated in England (and America) if Dickens decided to cut "David Copperfield" by half, eliminating "excessive detail." Same goes for "C and P." Shall we cut the Malmeladov subplot? or have Porfiry Petrovich cut to the chase and arrest Raskolnikov earlier? In some ways, our world is much the poorer for the
"minimalist arts" we profess to prefer. I too have lost some of my ability to focus on a long narrative. However, I
recall, in my youth, reading "The Count of Monte Cristo" unabridged. It was delicious, and I wouldn't have wished it a syllable shorter!