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По сравнению с прошлым месяцем я читаю чаще, и от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером.

По сравнению с прошлым месяцем я читаю чаще, и от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером.
Compared with last month, I read more often, and because of that I feel much calmer in the evening.
FromLesson 119inHardcore Russian

Questions & Answers about По сравнению с прошлым месяцем я читаю чаще, и от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером.

Why is it с прошлым месяцем and not something like с прошлый месяц?

Because the expression по сравнению с requires the noun after с to be in the instrumental case.

So:

  • прошлый месяц = nominative
  • с прошлым месяцем = instrumental

That is why both words change:

  • прошлый → прошлым
  • месяц → месяцем

The whole phrase по сравнению с прошлым месяцем means in comparison with last month.

What exactly does по сравнению с mean, and is it a fixed expression?

Yes, it is basically a fixed expression meaning:

  • compared with
  • in comparison with

It is very common in both spoken and written Russian.

Examples:

  • По сравнению с прошлым годом стало лучше.
    Compared with last year, it has become better.
  • По сравнению с братом он выше.
    Compared with his brother, he is taller.

So in your sentence, По сравнению с прошлым месяцем sets up the comparison: the speaker is comparing their current reading habits with last month.

Why is читаю in the present tense if the sentence compares this month with last month?

Russian often uses the present tense here because the speaker is describing their current ongoing habit:

  • я читаю чаще = I read more often / I am reading more often

The idea is: now, compared with last month, my reading happens more frequently.

This is not really about one completed action. It is about a pattern or habit, so the imperfective verb читать is the natural choice.

If you used a perfective verb, it would sound wrong here, because perfective verbs do not normally describe repeated ongoing habits in the present.

Why is чаще used here? What form is it?

Чаще is the comparative form of часто (often).

So:

  • часто = often
  • чаще = more often

In Russian, many adverbs form comparatives this way:

  • быстро → быстрее = more quickly
  • редко → реже = more rarely
  • часто → чаще = more often

So я читаю чаще means I read more often.

What does от этого mean here? Is it literally from this?

Literally, yes:

  • от = from
  • этого = this (genitive form)

But in this sentence, от этого means something more like:

  • because of that
  • as a result of that
  • from that

So the meaning is:

I read more often, and because of that I feel much calmer in the evening.

This is a very natural Russian way to link a cause to a result.

Examples:

  • Я много гуляю, и от этого мне лучше.
    I walk a lot, and because of that I feel better.
  • Он мало спит, и от этого устаёт.
    He sleeps little, and because of that he gets tired.
Why is it этого after от?

Because the preposition от requires the genitive case.

So это changes to этого.

Compare:

  • это = this (base form)
  • от этого = from this / because of this

This is just regular case government:

  • без этого = without this
  • для этого = for this
  • от этого = from this / because of this
Why does Russian say мне спокойнее instead of something like я спокойнее?

This is a very common Russian structure.

Russian often uses the dative case to express how a person feels or what state they are in:

  • мне хорошо = I feel good / it is good for me
  • мне плохо = I feel bad
  • мне спокойно = I feel calm
  • мне спокойнее = I feel calmer

So:

  • я спокойнее would mean I am calmer in a more direct, descriptive sense
  • мне спокойнее feels more like I feel calmer or it is calmer for me

In this sentence, мне куда спокойнее вечером is very natural because it describes the speaker’s internal state.

What does куда mean in куда спокойнее? It usually means where, doesn’t it?

Yes, куда often means where to, but here it has a completely different function.

In colloquial and neutral Russian, куда can be used with comparatives to mean:

  • much
  • far
  • noticeably

So:

  • куда лучше = much better
  • куда интереснее = much more interesting
  • куда спокойнее = much calmer

In your sentence, мне куда спокойнее вечером means I feel much calmer in the evening.

This use of куда is not about location at all.

Why is спокойнее used instead of более спокойно?

Both are possible in Russian, but спокойнее is much more natural here.

Russian often prefers the simple comparative form:

  • спокойный → спокойнее
  • интересный → интереснее
  • важный → важнее

For states and feelings, this shorter comparative is especially common:

  • мне лучше
  • мне хуже
  • мне спокойнее

Более спокойно is possible, but it sounds more formal, heavier, or less idiomatic in a sentence like this.

Why is вечером in the instrumental case?

Because Russian often uses the instrumental case to express time periods like in the morning, in the evening, at night, etc.

So:

  • вечер = evening
  • вечером = in the evening

Other common examples:

  • утром = in the morning
  • днём = in the daytime / during the day
  • ночью = at night

So мне куда спокойнее вечером means I feel much calmer in the evening.

Is there an omitted verb in мне куда спокойнее вечером?

In a way, yes. Russian often leaves out a verb like становится (becomes) or simply uses a verbless predicate when the meaning is clear.

So this part can be understood as something like:

  • мне куда спокойнее вечером
  • мне становится куда спокойнее вечером
  • вечером мне куда спокойнее

All of these point to the idea I feel much calmer in the evening.

Russian very often uses short, compact predicate structures like this:

  • Мне холодно.
  • Ему грустно.
  • Нам легче.

There does not have to be a separate verb like am or feel as English usually requires.

Could the word order be changed?

Yes. Russian word order is flexible, though different orders change emphasis slightly.

Original:

  • По сравнению с прошлым месяцем я читаю чаще, и от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером.

Possible variations:

  • Я по сравнению с прошлым месяцем читаю чаще, и от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером.
  • Вечером мне от этого куда спокойнее.
  • От этого вечером мне куда спокойнее.

The original sentence is very natural because it presents the ideas in a clear order:

  1. comparison with last month
  2. the new habit
  3. the result of that habit

So even though Russian allows other word orders, this version sounds smooth and logical.

Is the comma before и necessary?

Yes, because и is joining two separate clauses:

  1. я читаю чаще
  2. от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером

Each part has its own grammatical center, so the comma is standard.

A rough breakdown:

  • По сравнению с прошлым месяцем — introductory comparison phrase
  • я читаю чаще — first clause
  • и — and
  • от этого мне куда спокойнее вечером — second clause

So the comma is correct and expected here.

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