Greatest Short Stories of Dostoevsky

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Step into the psychological and philosophical world of Fyodor Dostoevsky with this compelling collection of his greatest short stories. Known for his deep exploration of the human psyche, morality, and existential conflict, Dostoevsky’s stories offer haunting reflections on guilt, free will, poverty, love, and the search for meaning. This edition presents some of his most powerful narratives―short in length but vast in emotional and intellectual depth. A perfect entry point into the mind of one of literature’s most profound thinkers.Stories that challenge the soul and stir the mind.

Explore timeless tales that confront the moral dilemmas of humanity.Delve into Dostoevsky’s unparalleled psychological insight through his shorter works.Reflect on powerful themes such as guilt, redemption, suffering, and faith.Discover the raw emotional intensity and philosophical richness of 19th-century Russian literature.Engage with thought-provoking narratives that continue to resonate with readers today.ThemesPsychological conflict and inner turmoilCrime, punishment, and justiceExistentialism and free willFaith, doubt, and redemptionClass struggle and human sufferingLove, obsession, and despair

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Russia, Classics

268 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2024

About the author

Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский (Russian)

Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.

Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .

Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.

See also:
Russian → Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
French → Fédor Dostoïevski
French → Fiodor Dostoïevski
Spanish → Fiódor Dostoyevski
Portuguese → Fiódor Dostoiévski

Reviews

[joe2436 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories, with some being better than others. While some are good, and all definitely have very 'Dostoevsky' themes, I don't think that short stories are his best medium. His dry writing style is much better suited to his longer novels. However, if you are a fan and have read his other books, I think you will enjoy this collection.

I'll review/rank in order of how good I thought they were:

Great/must read
- The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: Feels like a chapter straight out of "The Brothers Karamazov." Philosophical, existential, mystical, it deals with themes of depression, madness, society, hope, and human love. I read a quote that said this was Dostoevsky's philosophy in twenty pages. Maybe one of my favorite short stories ever.
- White Nights: A romantic classic from Dostoevsky's early days. It deserves the hype and is a great short story. It is a story of a lonely and idealistic young man who falls in love with a woman he meets on the street. It is sort of an anti-romance, which critiques romanticism while being romantic. While I liked it, it is quite different than Dostoevsky in his later period.
- The Heavenly Christmas Tree: A social commentary on child poverty. Feels very Dickensian. A touching and socially important story, it highlights Dostoevsky's attitude towards the plight of children.

Good/worth the read
- Mr. Prohartchin: An interesting story about a miserly old man who holds surprising secrets. I liked how it portrayed a marginalized person in society and showed how people's prejudices are often incorrect. A little rough around the edges and confusing in some moments.
- The Peasant Marey: A beautiful vignette about a child Dostoevsky's interaction with a kind peasant.
- A Christmas Treet and a Wedding: Social commentary about abuse and the messed-up situations that happen in society. Dostoevsky's psychological realism and concern for children are on display here.
- A Novel in Nine Letters: I think this one is actually pretty funny. A friendship falls apart in a darkly comedic way because of logistical miscommunication.

Didn't Like
- An Honest Thief: Sort of like Mr. Prohartchin, but the story didn't really work, in my opinion.
- Another Man's Wife and the Husband Under the Bed: Seemed like an attempt at slapstick comedy. I didn't really find it funny and was pretty confused most of the time.
- A Little Hero: Even though this one was pretty well written, I don't think the story worked. An eleven-year-old boy falls in love with an adult woman and goes on a quixotic quest to win her over. The themes and message are very similar to White Nights. However, the narrator isn't believable, and the story is kind of creepy.

If you're a Dostoevsky fan, this collection is worth your time. Don't go for these over his novels, which are his real achievement. Easy reads full of classic Dostoevsky themes.

[Haley T · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag, definitely worth a read for Dostoevsky fans. All the classic misery, with some surprisingly creative and at times funny twists. Glad I finished!

White Nights- 4
An Honest Thief-4
The Heavenly Christmas Tree-4
The Peasant Marey-3
A Christmas Tree and a Wedding-5
Another Man’s Wife…-1
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man-2
A Little Hero-2
A Novel in Nine Letters-4
Mr Prohartchin-3

[Esther Malers · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. White nights- 5 star.
2. An Honest Thief- 5 star.
3. The Heavenly Christmas Tree- 5 star.
4. The Peasant Marey- 5 star.
5. A Christmas Tree and a Wedding- 1 star.
6. Another Man's Wife- 1 star.
7. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man- 5 star.
8. A Little Hero- 2 star.
9. A Novel in Nine Letters- 1 star.
10. Mr. Prohartchin- 1 star.

[Danny Westerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fork found in kitchen: I liked "the dream of a ridiculous man" the best

[Soham Dubey · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are intense, unsettling, and deeply human. Dostoevsky doesn’t write plots so much as he dissects conscience, guilt, faith, and inner conflict, Each story feels like a moral confrontation rather than simple fiction. The characters are flawed, restless, and painfully honest, making the writing feel timeless.

[Arwa Ahmed]

I regard Dostoevsky as one of the best authors I have ever come across. Infact I have had trouble reading other books which compare to his works. In view of his masterpieces these short stories are mediocre but they still give off his aura of great writing skills and ideas and let's us have a taste of Russia as it was in his time.

[Simple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mix bag. Some good like the white nights, a novel in nine letters and Mr. Prohartchin. Some more convoluted then needed like A little hero, the dream of a ridiculous man , Another's man wife and husband. Others mediocre like the The heavenly christmas tree, the peasant mary.

Overall there was eccentricity,madness, loneliness, the common theme of most of the stories

[Arvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s writing is profound and steeped in existentialism. His works always leave me yearning for more, and his short stories only reinforce my belief that he is one of the greatest writers of all time.

[Silvana Barillaro Petraccione · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth the time to read these stories

These are definitely not the greatest short stories. The endings are flat , the story lines are boring.. A 'so what' type of book

[Aditi ~ readwaditi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve come to realise Dostoevsky’s short stories are not for me. I like his big ass books better ig

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone returned it to the library before I could finish. The style was too sentimental for my taste.

[Rishi Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of 9 short stories - A couple of them are very good..
A couple of them are quite ambiguous to understand.
Rest are worth reading.

[Patricia Ibarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors, but I prefer reading his novels over his stories. I could not relate to them.