Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Список книг автора Fyodor DostoyevskyThe Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's final novel, considered to be the culmination of his life's work, «The Brothers Karamazov» is the story of the murder of Father Karamazov, whose four sons are all to some degree complicit in the crime. Within the context of this crime story evolves a brilliant philosophical debate of religion, reason, liberty, and the nature of guilt in society. Considered by Sigmund Freud as «The most magnificent novel ever written», the excellent translation of Constance Garnett is presented here in this edition of «The Brothers Karamazov».
The Double
First published in 1846, Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novella «The Double» is a classic doppelgänger and the second major work published by the author. It is the story of Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, a government clerk who believes that a fellow clerk has taken over his identity and is determined to bring about his ruin. Considered the most Gogolesque of Dostoyevsky's works, the novella brilliantly depicts Golyadkin's descent into madness in a way that is hauntingly poetic. «The Double» illustrates Dostoyevsky's uncanny ability at capturing the complexity of human emotion especially the darker side of the human psyche.
The Eternal Husband
After a brief military career, the illustrious Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky quickly turned to writing as a profession with the publication of his first novel, «Poor Folk,» in 1846. This novel sparked a literary career that would eventually cement Dostoyevsky's reputation as one of the greatest novelists of the nineteenth century. Early participation in a literary/political group landed the writer in exile in Siberia for nearly a decade, an experience which had a profound influence on Dostoyevsky's understanding of fate, the suffering of human beings, and resulted in a powerful religious conversion experience. Dostoyevsky's works are marked by his penetrating exploration of psychology and morality, which are today cited as highly 'existentialist.' The Eternal Husband is one of Dostoevsky's most refined works, and represents a lifelong meditation on the duality of human consciousness through the lives of the husband and the ex-lover of a recently deceased woman.
The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoyevsky
After a brief military career, the illustrious Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky quickly turned to writing as a profession with the publication of his first novel, «Poor Folk,» in 1846. This novel sparked a literary career that would eventually cement Dostoyevsky's reputation as one of the greatest novelists of the nineteenth century. Early participation in a literary/political group landed the writer in exile in Siberia for nearly a decade, an experience which had a profound influence on Dostoyevsky's understanding of fate, the suffering of human beings, and resulted in a powerful religious conversion experience. Dostoyevsky's works are marked by his penetrating exploration of psychology and morality, which are today cited as highly 'existentialist.' This definitive collection of Dostoyevsky's short stories includes: White Nights, An Honest Thief, A Christmas Tree and a Wedding, The Peasant Marey, Notes From Underground, A Faint Heart, and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man.
The Brothers Karamazov (Translated by Constance Garnett)
Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s final novel, considered to be the culmination of his life’s work, “The Brothers Karamazov” is the story of the murder of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, whose four sons are all to some degree complicit in the crime. Fyodor is a contemptible man who during his two marriages has three sons, Dmitri, Ivan, and Alexei. A fourth, Pavel, whom he employs as his servant, is suspected to be the illegitimate product of a union with “Reeking Lizaveta,” a mute woman of the street who died in childbirth. Fyodor takes little interest in the raising of his children and as a result finds himself in a contentious relationship with them. Within the context of this crime story evolves a brilliant philosophical debate of religion, reason, liberty, and the nature of guilt in a modernizing society. Considered by Sigmund Freud as “The most magnificent novel ever written,” Dostoyevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov,” remains to this day to be regarded as one of the finest accomplishments of literature in any language. Through the lives and loves of the Karamazovs, Dostoyevsky presents a compelling examination of Russian life in the 19th century. This edition follows the translation of Constance Garnett.
The House of the Dead
First published in 1862 after Dostoyevsky’s imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp, “The House of the Dead” is a collection of memoirs, related by themes, that portrays the horrific life of convicts. The author drew on his own experiences in prison to depict the squalor, destitution, and severity of a Siberian camp with remorseless detail. Dostoyevsky reveals the characters of many of the other convicts, which includes the depravity many have come to expect through their mental and physical suffering. The protagonist is Aleksandr Petrovich, a gentleman who additionally struggles with the malice of the largely peasant-populated prison. He gradually comes to accept his situation, experiencing a spiritual re-awakening in the unremitting strife of penal servitude. Though told with uncharacteristic detachment, “The House of the Dead” is a work of humanity, not without sympathy or admiration of those in Siberia, which proclaims the tragedy of those institutions, both for the inhabitants and for the country of Russia, and stands to this day as one of Dostoyevsky’s masterpieces. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Adolescent
“The Adolescent” is Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s 1875 novel which tells the story of the life of a 19-year-old intellectual, Arkady Dolgoruky, and his conflict with his father. Arkady is the illegitimate child of the controversial and womanizing landowner Versilov and was raised by one of Versilov’s serf, the pious Makar Dolgoruky. The novel’s primary tension arises between Arkady and Versilov, when Arkady becomes an adult and joins Versilov’s family in St. Petersburg. Arkady has been away at boarding school for many years and hardly knows this wealthy and dysfunctional family. As he comes to learn more about them, his dreams of an easy, wealthy life are tested and he becomes embroiled in the scandalous affairs of his father. Arkady rebels against his father’s expectations and soon becomes entangled with social agitators and a mysterious young lady. Rich with the depictions of the complex psychological, emotional, and moral conflicts that plague the human condition and are so common to the characters of Dostoyevsky’s work, “The Adolescent” is a classic and thought-provoking work by one of the world’s greatest authors. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Gambler
First published in Russian in 1866, “The Gambler”, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, is a gripping narrative of the dangers of gambling. As was common with Dostoyevsky’s other writings, he draws upon his own life in a semi-autobiographical way. Dostoyevksy himself suffered from a compulsion to gambling and had to complete “The Gambler” under a strict deadline to pay off his own debts. These first-hand experiences bring a depth of realism to the novel and to his portrayal of the main character, Alexei Ivanovitch, a young man who is working as a tutor to a Russian family living in a German hotel. This wealthy family has money troubles of their own and as a result of his association with them and their reckless attitude towards money, Alexei becomes addicted to the game of roulette. Alexei wins and loses vast sums of money in his pursuit of love, wealth, and acceptance by the aristocracy that he works for. Yet, like his winnings, these relationships are transitory, superficial, and ultimately sacrificed for his addiction. “The Gambler” is an insightful look at the compulsive nature of the gambling addict and the tragic consequences of such an addiction. This edition follows the translation of C. J. Hogarth and includes a biographical afterword.
The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoyevsky
After a brief military career, the illustrious Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky quickly turned to writing as a profession with the publication of his first novel, “Poor Folk” in 1846. This novel sparked a literary career that would eventually cement Dostoyevsky’s reputation as one of the greatest novelists of the nineteenth century. Early participation in a literary political group landed the writer in exile in Siberia for nearly a decade, an experience which had a profound influence on Dostoyevsky’s understanding of fate, the suffering of human beings, and resulted in a powerful religious conversion experience. Dostoyevsky’s works are marked by his penetrating exploration of psychology and morality and today he is considered one of the most important “existentialist” writers. This representative collection of Dostoyevsky’s short stories spans his impressive career and includes such classics as “White Nights”, a heartbreaking tale of loss; the famous “Notes from the Underground”, an important work of guilt and cynicism; and “The Honest Thief”, which centers on a sad criminal who cannot resist committing crimes. Also included in the this collection are “A Christmas Tree and a Wedding”, “The Peasant Marey”, “A Faint Heart”, and “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man”. This edition follows the translations of Constance Garnett and includes a biographical afterword.
The Idiot (Translated by Eva M. Martin)
First published serially between 1868 and 1869, “The Idiot” is Dostoevsky’s most deeply personal work, which he remarked was his own personal favorite. It follows the journey of the title character, Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, who is actually intelligent but is cynically referred to as an “idiot” by his fellow characters for his moralistic purity. Prince Myshkin is a young man from an ancient noble Russian family who is returning home after a two year stay at a Swiss clinic for treatment of his epilepsy, a condition that Dostoevsky himself suffered from. On his train journey home he meets the darkly passionate and reckless young man Rogozhin, and is drawn into a love triangle with the beautiful, but flawed and destructive, Nastasya Filippovna. Upon returning to Russia, Prince Myshkin stands out as the exact opposite of the society around him. He is thoughtful, deliberate, deeply compassionate, and selfless; while his contemporaries are greedy, impulsive, materialistic, manipulative, and self-absorbed. They cannot understand the Prince and mistakenly interpret his naivete as idiocy. “The Idiot” is a tragic, haunting, and deeply moving examination of a wholesome and idealistic man’s struggle to cope with the changes being brought on by a modernizing Russia during the second half of the 19th century. This edition follows the translation of Eva M. Martin and includes a biographical afterword.