Showing results by author "Fyodor Dostoyevsky" in All Categories

In Raw Youth, follow the journey of Arkady Dolgoruky, a 19-year-old intellectual and the illegitimate son of a landowner who yearns for wealth and success. As he navigates the complexities of Russian society, Arkady encounters a diverse array of ideologies and influences that shape his understanding of the world. This compelling narrative offers a poignant reflection on ambition, identity, and the quest for meaning. - Summary by Stav Nisser and Wikipedia.

House of the Dead is a powerful novel penned by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky in 1861, offering a haunting glimpse into the harsh realities of life within a Siberian prison camp. Drawing from his own harrowing four-year exile in such a facility after his involvement with the Petrashevsky Circle, Dostoyevskys narrative resonates with authenticity and emotional depth. The story follows Aleksandr Petrovich Goryanchikov, a gentleman sentenced to ten years of grueling hard labor and penalty deportation. Facing the scorn of fellow inmates predominantly from the peasantry, Goryanchikov grapples ...

In this volume our authors explore the terrors of the mind rather than the horrors of reality, although with their pens the difference makes little difference. We twist this way and that as their talents shape our path towards endings of the nerve-shredding kind.

A young student is haunted by the murder he has committed. Overwhelmed afterwards by guilt and terror, he confesses and goes to prison. There he realizes that happiness and redemption can only be achieved through suffering.

First published in serial form between 1879 and 1880, The Brothers Karamazov stands as one of the most profound masterpieces in world literature. This final and most celebrated novel of Fyodor Dostoyevsky delves into the tumultuous relationships between a cantankerous father and his adult sons, who grapple not only with their familial conflicts but also with the existential dilemmas of truth, faith, doubt, free will, guilt, and responsibility. Dostoyevskys brilliant narrative technique highlights the complexities of attaining absolute knowledge, while the psychological and philosophical ...

Dive into the world of The Gambler, a compelling novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky that tells the story of a young tutor caught in the turbulent life of a once-wealthy Russian general. This gripping narrative draws from Dostoevskys own struggles with gambling addiction, as he penned the story under a tight deadline to settle his debts. Experience the intense emotions and psychological depth that make this work a classic exploration of fate and human desire.

Often regarded as Fyodor Dostoyevskis debut novel, Poor Folk offers a poignant exploration of the lives of the impoverished and the harsh realities of poverty. Unlike many of Dostoyevskis more extensive works, this novel is concise yet impactful, celebrated for its deep humanitarian insights. What makes it particularly intriguing is its unique structure, as the story unfolds through a series of heartfelt letters exchanged between the two main characters. - Summary by afutterer

Enter a quiet room of conscience and conflict, where every word presses against the soul. The Dostoyevsky Library offers unabridged readings of the great novels, not as mere stories, but as confessions whispered in the dark. Here, restless minds wander through guilt and grace, doubt and redemption, while the human heart stands exposed in all its fragile contradictions.Listen as each chapter unfolds slowly, like footsteps echoing through a winter street. These readings invite you to linger with princes and prisoners, dreamers and sinners, and to ask, as Dostoyevsky always asked: what does it ...

In its original English translation, Dostoyevskys novel was titled The Possessed, but scholars and later translations have embraced the titles The Devils or Demons. This politically charged work serves as a powerful testament to life in late 19th century Imperial Russia, a time when revolutionary democrats began to rise and clash with established ideologies. Dostoyevsky critically examines both the radical idealists, depicting their visions as demonic, and the conservative establishments failures to address the social upheaval. The intellectual conservatism linked to the Slavophile movement of...

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow on 11th November, 1821 to distinguished multi-ethnic parents from a Lithuanian background. His childhood years were at the family home in hospital grounds which also contained an orphanage, an insane asylum and a cemetery for criminals. The young Fyodor often disobeyed his father by talking to the ill in the hospital gardens. In 1846 he published his first novel ‘Poor Cow’ to great literary acclaim. As he began his next work he was arrested and incarcerated for treason and participation in the political and literary Petrashevsky Circle.

Dive into the profound parable of The Grand Inquisitor, a captivating dialogue between brothers Ivan and Alyosha from Fyodor Dostoevskys acclaimed novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition, this tale explores deep questions about faith, free will, and human nature. When Christ returns to earth, he is greeted with adoration but swiftly imprisoned by the Inquisitions leaders. The Grand Inquisitor confronts Him in his cell, articulating a chilling rationale for why the Church believes it no longer needs divine guidance. This thought-provoking narrative ...

Fyodor Dostoevskys The Crocodile, originally published in 1865 in the magazine Epoch, tells the intriguing tale of Ivan Matveitch, a young man who finds himself swallowed by a crocodile yet somehow survives the bizarre ordeal. What will his life be like inside the belly of this monstrous creature? And how will his marriage to Elena Ivanovna withstand the pressures of such an extraordinary circumstance? Join us as we delve into this captivating story that blends dark humor and existential reflection. (Summary by Phillip Cryan)

The Eternal Husband opens with a man who answers a late-night knock on the door to find himself in a tense and puzzling confrontation with the husband of a former lover—but it isn’t clear if the husband knows about the affair. What follows is one of the most beautiful and piercing considerations ever written about the dualities of love: a dazzling psychological duel between the two men over knowledge they may or may not share, bringing them both to a shattering conclusion.

When the aging Russian Prince Prince K. arrives in the town of Mordasov, Marya Alexandrovna Moskaleva, a doyenne of local society life, takes him under her protection with the aim of engineering his marriage with her 23-year-old daughter Zina. Yet with many rivals for the hands of both parties, events are not guaranteed to run smoothly. A rare foray into comedy by the giant of Russian literature, this tale still possesses all the hallmarks of Dostoevsky's psychological and philosophical writing.

Crime and Punishment, and Notes from Underground are two of the most famous novels written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian author widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. These three books, in particular, are often cited as among his greatest works.

The Gambler is a novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky and published in 1867. The book tells the story of Alexei Ivanovich, a tutor working for a wealthy family, who becomes addicted to gambling. As Alexei's gambling habit spirals out of control, he begins to borrow money and becomes involved with a group of shady characters, including the beautiful but manipulative Polina. The novel explores themes of addiction, obsession, and the destructive power of money. It is considered a semi-autobiographical work, as Dostoevsky himself was a compulsive gambler at the time of writing. "The Gambler" is ...

Crime and Punishment is the second of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his return from 5 years of exile in Siberia, and is considered the first great novel of his "mature" period of writing. The novel focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her cash.

A Christmas ball sets the plans in motion for the wealthy Julian Mastakovich, for an immensely wealthy business man has just announced that his daughter has a dowry of 300,000 rubles. First published in 1848, and adapted into a motion picture in 2000, Dostoyevsky shines a light on the business end of well-moneyed marriage. It begins when an 11-year-old girl gets an extravagant doll at a Christmas ball.

Considered to be one of the greatest novels of all time, Crime and Punishment focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her cash.

"The Christmas Tree and the Wedding Christmas Story" is a short Christmas-Story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: The other day I saw a wedding... But no! I would rather tell you about a Christmas tree. The wedding was superb. I liked it immensely. But the other incident was still finer. I don't know why it is that the sight of the wedding reminded me of the Christmas tree. This is the way it happened.