The Idiot [Hardcover]

Fyodor M. Dostoevsky (Author), Eva Martin (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

Dostoevsky's THE IDIOT is a powerhouse novel of passion and spiritual purity. Prince Myshkin, a Christ-like figure, is the meek yet steadfast holy fool who changes the lives of desperate men, fallen women, and yet stands a helpless witness to their passionate self-destruction. THE IDIOT is possibly the only novel by Dostoevsky which does not merely dwell on the darkness but wrenches the reader's heart in an emotional and uplifting catharsis. A passionate masterpiece by one of Russia's classical masters of the intense psychological novel.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dostoyevsky was the second of six children born to Mikhail and Maria Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky's father Mikhail was a retired military surgeon and a violent alcoholic, who served as a doctor at the Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor in Moscow. The hospital was situated in one of the worst areas in Moscow. Local landmarks included a cemetery for criminals, a lunatic asylum, and an orphanage for abandoned infants. This urban landscape made a lasting impression on the young Dostoyevsky, whose interest in and compassion for the poor, oppressed, and tormented was apparent. Though his parents forbade it, Dostoyevsky liked to wander out to the hospital garden, where the suffering patients sat to catch a glimpse of sun. The young Dostoyevsky loved to spend time with these patients and hear their stories. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 580 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159224629X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592246298
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,049,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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