And Quiet Flows The Don

This novel contains all elements essential for a good piece of literature but its strong points are characterization of Grigory Melekhov and the beautiful depiction of the events on which Grigory's character develops from a countryside youth to a man devastated by war .Character of Grigory Melekhov represents the highest form of contradiction possible in any human being. while reading novel we wonder whether he is a good person , a true lover or just a philanderer.But at these times Sholokhov is not to be blamed ,we all are blameworthy for our conditioned attitude of dichotomy of life into good or bad. I should accept candidly that I am still in dilemma over Grigory's character. If I can count the number of his heroic deeds ,there are innumerable instances showing his villainous face .Once he remarks to Aksinya 'why Should I be afraid of him ?You're his wife ,it is for you to be afraid of him'.And Sholokhov describes all this with his wonderful imagination.At the few places his depiction has become so vivid that it seemed to me that author is drawing an exact picture of scene with accurate words. You surely will find many beautiful paragraphs in the novel .Here is just one of my favourite .. ' A tear was trickling between her first and middle fingers. A broken sunray gleamed on the transparent drop ,and dried its damp trace on her skin.......... Grigory could not endure tears ,he fidgeted impatiently ,ruthlessly brushed a brown ant from his trousers.' Aksinya's death reminded me few lines from Oscar Wilde's famous 'The ballad of reading gaol' where he says 'Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each let this be heard ' It is very difficult for me to restrain my urge to write down more about novel yet I feel that will not be good for any one who wants to read novel for it'll spoil all the fun that comes with serendipity. Read all the four Parts.