The Idiot (Cliffs Notes) [Paperback]

Gary Carey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 1968 | ISBN-10: 0822006278 | ISBN-13: 978-0822006275 | Edition: Cliff Notes

In The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, a saintly man, is thrust into the heart of a society obsessed with wealth, power, and sexual conquest. He soon finds himself at the center of a violent love triangle in which a notorious woman and a beautiful young girl become rivals for his affections. Extortion, scandal, and murder follow, as Dostoevsky's "positively good man" clashes with the emptiness of a society that cannot accommodate his moral idealism.

This wonderfully fresh and faithful translation—never before published—is sure to become the definitive edition in English.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; Cliff Notes edition (October 19, 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822006278
• ISBN-13: 978-0822006275
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,428,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection of Literature, Perfection of Soul, December 26, 1999

By 

Shirley Li (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Idiot (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

Shortly after the publishing of the critically acclaimed Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky once again showcases his talent as a versatile writer capturing the essense of the soul, plunging into the darkness of the human spirit, and manifests a trace of faltering light in his attempt to portray a Christ-figure, Prince Myshkin.

Selfless, innocent, truthful...our sickly hero fascinates the glamorous St. Petersburg society while blindly stumbling into an unseemly liason with a notorious "fallen angel". All the while claiming to love out of pity, the saintly antagonist grows to love a young beauty lurking behind a persona of nonchalance.

Love is selfish, and selflessness is of the characteristics that defines the Christ-figure Dostoyevsky tries to present here. The Christ-figure fails b/c perfection is suffering...like all idealism sprung from the pursuit of perfection as our world is a battleground where no extremeties thrive. Myshkin does love two women, but is ultimately lost in his pathos toward "sinners". After all, what would Christ choose between passion and compassion?

7 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Short Story of Morbid Fey Boy Drawn Out for 700 Extra Pages, June 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Idiot (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

This is the worst thing Dostoevsky ever wrote. Prince Myushkin was an adorable figure, but without a plot, who cares? This book was obviously written for serial publication with Dostoevsky being paid by the word.