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CrazyCatLady108 t1_itw33da wrote

Reply to comment by p_romer in Poverty descriptions in old books that doesn't seem poor in today's property market by p_romer

>but I still think it's interesting and underlines literature can be used for comparative studies of perceived poverty.

no argument there.

the point is you said he doesn't seem very poor by today's standards, but he is. he is essentially homeless, as the only reason he has not been kicked out is because the landlady cannot force him out.

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p_romer OP t1_itw409d wrote

I also wrote "based on his room" but, sure, I get your point. I Just remember these room descriptions vividly and I have seen ads for expensive rooms on various sites, where Dostojevskij's words could kinda fit.

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CrazyCatLady108 t1_itw5mp0 wrote

> I also wrote "based on his room" but

not his room, he rents. and i think it was originally a storage closet, as it is barely big enough to fit his couch. the descriptions lean heavy on it being coffin like with the slanted ceiling and cramped space. i would compare it more to those 'bed' rooms in China, where you get a bed worth of living space and that's it, than the tiny apartments in NYC, the ones that have a bed and toilet in the same room.

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p_romer OP t1_itw7ohe wrote

The sort of rooms I thought about in today's world would be some of these 600-900 dollar single rooms in cities like London or New York.

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