The Idiot

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Published as a serial novel in The Russian Messenger from 1868-1869, The Idiot is Fyodor Dostoevskys frustratingly beautiful masterpiece translated into modern and accessible English by Eva Martin.

Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, a positively good and beautiful man, has returned home to Russia after an extended stay at a sanitarium in Switzerland. Open-hearted, sincere, and somewhat simple, the young prince seems to leave an impression on everyone he meets and not always in the best of ways. Presumed to be an imbecile, the life Myshkin lives is good, but not easyand soon he finds himself torn between his desire for two morally bankrupt women.

Considered by many to be Dostoevskys most personal book, this lesser-known translation of The Idiot is a challenging work of philosophical fiction that blends the romance and social novel into a thorough examination of religion, mortality, and love.

Author Bio

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian novelist, short-story writer, and essayist. His work probed profound depths of human nature, with an indomitable insight into man's relationship with society, religion, and philosophical inquiry. Dostoevsky's first novel, Poor Folks (1846) immediately established his literary reputation. In 1849 he was arrested for his subversive political activities and spent eight months in imprisonment and four years in a labor camp. These experiences were the foundation for many of his works, including his masterpiece, Crime and Punishment(1866) His work and ideas had an enormous influence on 20th Century literature, psychological theory, and literary criticism.