Subject: Dostoevski's Quote -- Gotcha!
AntiUtopia@aol.com
Date: Thu Jan 27 2000 - 12:52:36 EST
In a message dated 1/27/00 2:17:30 AM Eastern Standard Time,
phm@midsouth.rr.com writes:
<< In "For Esme" in response to the Nazi lady's "Dear god, life is hell"
Sergeant X writes "Fathers and teachers, I ponder 'What is hell?' I maintain
that it is the suffering of being unable to love." Can anyone tell me which
book by Dostoevski this quote is from?
Paul M >>
Ok, The Brothers Karamazov. Book Six, Chapter 3, the paragraph right after
subheading (i). It's on page 292 of my paperback edition (an Airmont
Classic, intro written by Rudzik. It's the opening lines of the sixth
paragraph from the end of that chapter. The speaker is Father Zossima, good
old Eastern Orthodox monk spiritual kinda guy. Prefers this definition of
hell over more physical definitions of hell fire. It goes on:
"But that is just his torment, to rise up to the Lord without ever having
loved, to be brought close to those who have loved when he has despised their
love. . ." The fires of hell are actually identified with the burning thirst
of spiritual love which cannot be sated (once rejected).
Jim
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