This reference to Christ is typical of Dostoevski; he was, in the most reverent sense of the term, “Christ-intoxicated.” His mind was shaped largely by a single book, the New Testament, and from it he drew his major literary themes and his deepest personal convictions. As a result, the Dostoevskean universe is at once more real and less real than the world which witnesses the daily struggle for “advantage” by both men and nations.

These included the adze, saws of different sizes with, very likely, different size teeth or cutting edges, axe, chisels of various sizes, drills with various size drill bits, a square, plumb line, hammer, maul, and awl, plus a sharpening stone of slate and an oxen horn used as an oil flask.

Emily had known Jill for so long that she could afford to astound her with her opinions. Jill was the ideally astoundable friend—she got astounded, but she stood her ground.

The Finnish monetary unit is the Finnish mark or markka (Fmk), which is divided into 100 pennis (p).