The double is a novella written by the russian writer fyodor dostoevsky. As he looked back in later years, he rejoiced that as a child he was brought up in a home that knew christ. It was subsequently revised and republished by dostoevsky in 1866. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary. Returning to russia from a sanitarium in switzerland, the christlike. In a letter to the woman who had sent him the new testament, dostoyevsky wrote that he was a child of unbelief and doubt up to this moment, and i. The idiot, fyodor dostoyevsky 9781079892635 boeken.
Dostoyevsky is considered one of europes major novelists. A superb new translation of the idiot reveals some unexpected facets of dostoevskys hero, as byatt finds. Crime and punishment book center fyodor dostoevsky. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are prince myshkin, nastasya filippovna. In the idiot, prince myshkin possesses a childlike innocence and trusting nature that leaves him vulnerable to abuse by those around him. Fyodor dostoevsky primary author only author division. The idiot by fyodor dostoyevsky goodreads share book. Richard pevear and larissa volokhonskys masterful translation of the idiot is destined to stand with their versions of crime and punishment, the. Sometimes it is not possible to find the cover corresponding to the book whose edition is published. Fyodor dostoevsky 1821 1881 is a celebrated russian novelist, essayist and philosopher who wrote about the troubling political, social and spiritual experiences of russians in the 19th century. It appeared in 1846 his second published work and is by far the most significant of his early stories, not least for its successful, straightfaced treatment. The double, written in dostoevskys youth, was a sharp turn away from the realism of his first novel, poor folk. The idiot by fyodor dostoevsky, translated by david mcduff 732pp, penguin classics.
Early life and work dostoyevsky was born and raised in moscow by russian orthodox parents. His father, an army doctor attached to the staff of a public hospital, was a stern and selfrighteous man while his mother was the opposite passive, kindly, and generous and perhaps this fact accounts for dostoevskys filling his novels with characters who seem to possess opposite. Chapter i chapter i it was a little before eight oclock in the morning when yakov petrovitch golyadkin, a titular councillor, woke up from a long sleep. In the idiot, a saintly man, prince myshkin, is thrust into the heart of a society more concerned with wealth, power, and sexual conquest than the. Fyodor dostoyevsky, the idiot at once the idiot is a complicated, beautiful and yet ultimately a somewhat flawed novel. The most autobiographical novel by the author of crime and punishment and the brothers karamazovand the namesake of elif batumans. The double fyodor mikhailovich dostoyevsky feedbooks. The double is the first of many works by dostoyevsky to reveal his fascination with psychological doubles.
His problems begin when his exact double enters his life and begins to take over. Fyodor dostoevsky biography life, family, story, death. His father, an army doctor attached to the staff of a public hospital, was a stern and selfrighteous man while his mother was the opposite passive, kind, and generous and perhaps this fact accounts for dostoevskys filling his novels with characters who seem to. The double was fyodor dostoevskys second published work, appearing in the journal notes of the fatherland in february 1846, hot on the heels of the rapturously received poor people. The double by fyodor mikhailovich dostoevsky, fiction, classics. List of books and articles about fyodor dostoevsky. He wrote eleven novels, three novellas, and seventeen short stories.
A classic by a russian master prince myshkin, the idiot, is an almost comically innocent christ figure in a land of sinners, one whose faith in beauty contrasts. The idiot, novel by fyodor dostoyevsky, published in russian as idiot in 186869. It was an advantage for dostoyevsky to let his character. He died in 1881 having written some of the most celebrated works in the history of literature, including crime and punishment, the idiot, and the brothers karamazov. The double, novel by fyodor dostoyevsky, published in 1846 in russian as dvoynik. Annas diary revealed that dostoyevsky was fascinated with. The famous russian novelist and christian, fyodor dostoyevsky was born on this day, november 11, 1821. Fyodor dostoyevsky simple english wikipedia, the free. Discover book depositorys huge selection of fyodor dostoyevsky books online. Fyodor dostoyevsky seemed to write tandomly without a solution. His literary output explores human psychology in the troubled political, social and spiritual context of 19thcentury russian society.
The over night success of his debut story had already made the young man a celebrity, but he was convinced that the followup would seal his. The forms of 19thcentury european fictions, including the russian, have a powerful relation to older. Fyodor dostoyevsky books list of books by author fyodor. Prince myshkin, the idiot of the title, is as near to being a saint as is possible for a flesh and blood human being. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Considered the most gogolesque of dostoevskys works, the novella brilliantly depicts golyadkins descent into madness in a way that is hauntingly poetic. It was first published on january 30, 1846 in the fatherland notes. The chief thing is that they all need him thus dostoyevsky described prince myshkin, the hero of perhaps his most remarkable novel. Is the story simply the account of our heros stumbling journey into psychosis and the reaction of less than sympathetic st.
The idiot by fyodor dostoevsky i just finished reading it, and i honestly think it might be one of my favorite books of all time. The forms of 19thcentury european fictions, including. It was first published serially in the journal the russian messenger in 186869. Great short works of fyodor dostoevsky perennial classics by fyodor dostoevsky. Fyodor dostoevsky is currently considered a single author. Fyodor dostoyevsky, russian novelist and shortstory writer whose psychological penetration into the darkest recesses of the human heart, together with his unsurpassed moments of illumination, had an immense influence on 20thcentury fiction. Arme leute german fyodor dostoyevsky 127 downloads uncles dream. Learn more about dostoyevskys life and works in this article. Teatr telewizji tv series novel 3 episodes, 1997 2012 novel. Seduro, vladimir, dostoevsky in russian literary criticism, 1846 1956, columbia university press, 1957. Fyodor mikhaylovich dostoyevsky was a russian writer, essayist and philosopher, perhaps most recognized today for his novels crime and punishment and the brothers karamazov. The book was published in multiple languages including english language, consists of 667 pages and is available in paperback format.
Pdf the idiot book by fyodor dostoyevsky free download. The idiot is a novel by the 19thcentury russian author fyodor dostoevsky. Please, consider this image only as a reference, it will not always be the exact cover used in the edition of the published book. Then one day he meets his doublea man with the same name, face, and. Fyodor mikhailevich dostoevsky, russias greatest novelist, was born in moscows hospital for the poor on 30th october, 1821, as the second of 7 children of maria dostoevsky and mikhail andreevich. The body of the dead christ in the tomb, mentioned several times in this book. Fyodor dostoevsky was born in moscow, russia, on november 11, 1821, the son of a doctor.
His family being very religious, made dostoevsky lead a deeply religious life. Few authors have been as personally familiar with desperation as fyodor dostoevsky 18211881, and none have been so adept at describing it. The latter had a poor intrigue, had no real characters only types, was a wouldbe tearjerker and was pure expression of rather childish emotions without real impact on the reader. His family was very religious, and dostoevsky was deeply religious all his. An honest thief by fyodor dostoyevsky overdrive rakuten. Idiot is a novel by the 19thcentury russian author fyodor dostoevsky. Crime and punishment, the idiot, the possessed, and the brothers karamazov.
Written shortly after crime and punishment, it seems like dostoevsky wanted to invert raskolnikov. Then, of course, you can read and write quite correctly. Fyodor mikhailovich dostoevsky was born in 1821, the second of seven children, and lived until 1881. Dostoevsky has always been one of my favorite authors, and ive been reading through all of his works lately. Golyadkin, a minor government official, is a rather middling man.
The title is an ironic reference to the central character of the novel. Written by fyodor dostoevsky, richard pevear translator, larissa volokhonsky translator, audiobook narrated by michael page. The idiot is a novel by fyodor dostoevsky that was first published in in 1869. The morbidly sensitive and pretentious clerk golyadkin, already. The double, fyodor dostoevsky 9781094658407 boeken. While his literary reputation rests mainly on such celebrated novels as crime and punishment, the brothers karamazov, and the idiot, dostoye. Two versions, fyodor dostoyevsky the double is a novella written by fyodor dostoyevsky. It tells the tragic but comic tale of the polite and wellestablished titular councilor yakov petrovitch golyadkin. Buy a cheap copy of the idiot book by fyodor dostoyevsky. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. From earliest childhood dostoyevsky knew the gospels and learned bible stories from the deacon at the hospital where his father was a doctor. The double, notes from the underground, the eternal husband by fyodor dostoevsky. On the novels pages, st petersburg becomes an open book, and many accurate details of the characters lives make the city come to life, similar to the works of other writers of the 19th century. The russian 19th century novelist fyodor dostoyevsky deserves our attention for the austerity and pessimism of his vision from which we can nevertheless gain enlightenment and.
The double is one of the finest of his shorter works. While his literary reputation rests mainly on such celebrated novels as crime and punishment, the brothers karamazov, and the idiot, dostoyevsky also wrote much superb short fiction. The best books by fyodor dostoyevsky you should read. One of the most influential authors from russias golden age, fyodor dostoevsky left behind a vast collection of prized literary works, including crime and punishment and the brothers karamazov.
Child and man in his works, new york university press, 1968. He was the second of seven children of mikhail andreevich and maria dostoevsky. Unfortunately, with the idiot, i have to say after reading about half of it, i went over to spark notes for a finish and realized that there wasnt really much more that would happen. Notes from the underground, the double and other stories by fyodor dostoevsky. His father, a military surgeon and an alcoholic of harsh, despotic temperament, was brutally slain 1839 by his own serfs. I dont mean this as a bad thing or a criticism, in fact, his character, prince knyaz nikolayevich myshkin, the main player or actor, faced many obstacles of his opponents or antagonists. It deals with the internal psychological struggle of its main character, yakov petrovich golyadkin, who repeatedly encounters someone who is his exact double in appearance but confident, aggressive, and extroverted, characteristics that are the polar opposites to those of the toadying pushover protagonist. His harrowing experiences in russian prisons, combined with a profound religious philosophy, formed the basis for his greatest books. The double is not among my my favourite dostoevskys. The first edition of this novel was published in 1868, and was written by fyodor dostoyevsky. As dostoevsky examines the neurosis and paranoia that cripple a seemingly ordinary man, he produces a thoroughly modern nightmare, brilliantly foreshadowing the works of kafka and sartre. Fyodor dostoyevskys the idiot is an immaculate portrait of innocence tainted by the brutal reality of human greed.
The narrative concerns the unsettling effect of the primitive prince myshkin. Dostoevsky incorporated aspects of his own life into the book but it is not, in any way, a work of fictionalized autobiography. The double centers on a government clerk who goes mad. His father, a doctor, was a member of the russian nobility, owned serfs and had a considerable estate near moscow where he lived with his family. Fyodor mikhailovich dostoevsky was born on november 11, 1821, in moscow, russia. The idiot, by fyodor dostoyevsky project gutenberg. The double introduced the concept of the split personality or divided soul that would become a common psychological feature of the characters of dostoevskys later novels. Rozanov, vasily, dostoevsky and the legend of the grand inquisitor, cornell university press, 1972.