The Idiot

by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

The Idiot <> Paperback <> FyodorMikhailovichDostoevsky <> VintageBooks

Paperback

Published July 31, 2003

About the author

see Fyodor Dostoevsky

Reviews

[John Danek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the author's most famous work, and not quite at the level of C&P and Bros.K. This is 600+ pages of lower and middle class 19th century Russian individual, familial and societal intrigues, interpersonal relationships, philosophical and religious influences. It is entertaining, but not a consistent page-turner, though it has its moments. Desultory diatribes tended to slow it down, but in these is where character studies of the individual speakers came alive.

Dostoevsky got deep into the psyches of the major subjects of these interwoven stories presented in four parts. That he had a psychologist's perception of the deeper workings of the mind is not to be disputed. In fact he had a remarkable level of insight into individual and familial behavior, interactions and frailties (dysfunctions). The reader is taken deep into each character’s head. That alone made it worth the read

He succeeded in exciting emotions in me. In fact, I developed some contempt, even antipathy, for almost all of the characters, the protagonist among them, at various points in the development of the main story line.

Idiot? Holy fool? Simply naive? Altered perceptions and perspectives secondary to an underlying medical condition?

A combination of all?

I won't write eight pages recapping details. Anyone who likes FD will probably like this offering. Worth the read.

[Mike Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second reading, Pevear translation this time.

[Jael · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars

The end…wow…I did not see that coming. I’ll be staring into a wall trying to process this book.