The Idiot

by David Fishelson (Adaptor), Harry Hamlin (Narrator), Fyodor Dostoevsky (Source Material)

David Fishelson has transformed Dostoyevskys The Idiot into a spellbinding drama that illuminates the titanic novel. In The Idiot, meet the kindly, childlike Prince Myshkin, as he returns to the decadent social whirl of 1860s St. Petersburg. The two most beautiful, sought-after women in the town compete for his affections, in a duel that grows increasingly dangerous.

Genres: Fiction, Plays

1 pages, Audio CD

Published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ✨ I knew nothing of the story going into this production. Judging a book by its numerous covers of a lonely, haunted man, I was thinking the Prince was going to be something of a Christ figure. He isn’t, really, though I suppose that could be argued once we bring in the ending. But no, for the most part, we have a full blown love triangle, rife with rage and highly explosive drama. An exceptional live performance has been caught on tape for this audiobook. The acting 🎭 is astonishingly good.

✨Karamazov is the stronger of the two stories yet there is much to recommend The Idiot in terms of plot, characterization and philosophy.

[Ana-Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling dramatization of Dostoievsky’s classic, handled with surprising clarity. I approached the play with curiosity—wondering how the intricate moral dilemmas and dense philosophical dialogue would translate to the stage. For the most part, the adaptation manages to retain the psychological tension and narrative rhythm.

Still, I found the aftermath of the murder scene rather compressed—an episode that, in the novel, marks a deep internal unraveling, here reduced to a few fleeting moments. That said, the performance holds attention and invites reflection.

Would I recommend the play to someone unfamiliar with the novel? Not quite. It resonates more as a companion piece—something that deepens the reading rather than replacing it.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not yet read the book, but I certainly will.
This time (24 /25 march 2026) I heard the live recording of the LA Theatre Works play, and it is so good! The story is sad, the Prince is naive, sincere, sees all with a positive and trusting view, and for that he suffers with the malignant intents and destructive decisions of all other players of society. Natalia, who he truly believes has good and can be redeemed of all the evil done to her, does not believe in herself and to be deserving of such salvation, and sinks both of them and the others involved in a destructive loop. It is both interesting and frustrating.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I was getting an audiobook of the idiot but it was a play adaptation but gotta make that reading challenge goal whoopsie

[Lisa Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly not too sure how I felt about this very adapted version of the book. Considering I have never read the whole book and honestly I do not think I will. Never have had the desire to and after listening to this condensed version I really do not feel like a whole book would be something for me. I mean I think that most of the important parts might have been included and if they were I do not think this story really is all that entertaining. I mean maybe it is. Maybe I am just not really a classic type of reader because of the length and depth of the book for the story line that just seems bland to me. Who knows maybe one day I’ll give it a try but overall the adapted version was just alright. Nothing really all that wonderful but it was a fast adapted version of only about an hour and half.

[Adrianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not realize that this was NOT an unabridged version of this book. The book is over 600 pgs but this was a 1.5 hr dramatized rendition...... I do NOT recommend this - and not because I thought the story was bad. It just was done poorly for an audio version. It was done in front of a live audience, and with Russian names, it was just too confusing. Don't waste your time. I will try this again but in it's proper format.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept trying to decide which characters were "idiots" as I listened to the audiobook. In the end I decided that they all were. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and I'm still enjoying Russian literature. Or at least, classic Russian literature.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook (drama) seemed to be well-executed, and covered all the basics. I probably enjoyed it more than the actual book. (It isn't as quotable, but it's still impressive that he fit the main points of the book in such a short play.) 4* (Audiobook)