Inspired by an image of Christ's suffering, Fyodor Dostoyevsky set out to portray "a truly beautiful soul" colliding with the brutal reality of contemporary society. Returning to St. Petersburg from a Swiss sanatorium, the gentle and naive Prince Myshkin—known as "the idiot"—pays a visit to his distant relative General Yepanchin and proceeds to charm the General and his circle. But after becoming infatuated with the beautiful Nastasya Filippovna, Myshkin finds himself caught up in a love triangle and drawn into a web of blackmail, betrayal, and, ultimately, murder. This new translation by David McDuff is sensitive to the shifting registers of the original Russian, capturing the nervous, elliptic flow of the narrative for a new generation of readers.
The Idiot (Penguin Classics)
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About the Author
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881), one of nineteenth-century Russia’s greatest novelists, spent four years in a convict prison in Siberia, after which he was obliged to enlist in the army. In later years his penchant for gambling sent him deeply into debt. Most of his important works were written after 1864, including Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov, all available from Penguin Classics.
David McDuff was educated at the University of Edinburgh and has translated a number of works for Penguin Classics, including Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov.
William Mills Todd III is a professor of Slavic languages at Harvard.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Aristeros
Format:Paperback
Dostoevsky's "The Idiot" is a work with which the author himself was never truly satisfied, but even in its 'unrefined state' it is complete, masterful, and deeply moving. It vies with "The Brothers Karamazov" in my mind for the title of greatest novel ever written, and is in my mind a must-read. The depth and insight into the human soul is a fascinating product genius.
The pace of classics is different from contemporary novels and takes some getting used to, and Dostoevsky is no exception. For people who wonder whether they will find the work tedious, Dostoevsky's works are long, but very rewarding.
The Penguin Classics edition has a helpful introduction and is less expensive than most other editions.
The pace of classics is different from contemporary novels and takes some getting used to, and Dostoevsky is no exception. For people who wonder whether they will find the work tedious, Dostoevsky's works are long, but very rewarding.
The Penguin Classics edition has a helpful introduction and is less expensive than most other editions.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By thescalpel
Format:Paperback
I love this book, love it. Overall it's not as good as Crime and Punishment or Brothers Karamazov, but I think it offers something a little different, and worthwhile in it's own right.
C&P and Brothers, while dreary, have some sort of resolution to them, which leaves you feeling not cheerful, but if nothing else, a little satisfied. The Idiot on the other hand is straight up, unadulterated, depressing, tragedy. Prince Myshkin is so good, the women are so beautiful, and their lives are utterly twisted, ravaged, and destroyed. The end. I don't think another author has ever been so brutally cruel and merciless to his characters.
Only a God could save a world as terrible as the one that destroys Myshkin, and I think that's sort of the point of the book. This book is incredibly sad, and completely beautiful.
the four star rating is in comparison to other Dostoyevsky, but by other standards, this book would certainly be a five.
C&P and Brothers, while dreary, have some sort of resolution to them, which leaves you feeling not cheerful, but if nothing else, a little satisfied. The Idiot on the other hand is straight up, unadulterated, depressing, tragedy. Prince Myshkin is so good, the women are so beautiful, and their lives are utterly twisted, ravaged, and destroyed. The end. I don't think another author has ever been so brutally cruel and merciless to his characters.
Only a God could save a world as terrible as the one that destroys Myshkin, and I think that's sort of the point of the book. This book is incredibly sad, and completely beautiful.
the four star rating is in comparison to other Dostoyevsky, but by other standards, this book would certainly be a five.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a delightful read if you can last through it. Similar to a work out you must put a lot of effort to get results. The characters are delightful, and delightfully terrible depending on the character. The social interaction of 19th century Russia is exposed wonderfully in this book. The way people act, their cold secret desires, their quest for wealth and respect are all illustrated vividly.
Myshkin is a great man who is thrown into what we could today call "the real world". His kindness and polite behavior makes others think he is an idiot. I find this situation to be analogous to today's world. How often are we suspicious of people who are kind? How often are we conniving like Nastasya? I'm sure people have changed since the 19th century; however I am also sure they stayed the same. "The Idiot" is a vivid almost intoxicating portrayal of humanity with both its flaws and virtues. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who can last through the entire text. Also you may consider the Barnes and Noble classics edition which offers content that analyzes Dostoevsky's state of mind and motivations for writing certain passages in the novel.
Myshkin is a great man who is thrown into what we could today call "the real world". His kindness and polite behavior makes others think he is an idiot. I find this situation to be analogous to today's world. How often are we suspicious of people who are kind? How often are we conniving like Nastasya? I'm sure people have changed since the 19th century; however I am also sure they stayed the same. "The Idiot" is a vivid almost intoxicating portrayal of humanity with both its flaws and virtues. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who can last through the entire text. Also you may consider the Barnes and Noble classics edition which offers content that analyzes Dostoevsky's state of mind and motivations for writing certain passages in the novel.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Nineteenth Century Seinfeld
Like many other readers, I felt disappointed in the end - though I enjoyed as always Dostoyevsky's madcap style, the action seesawed back-and-forth for 718 pages with an... Read more
Published 1 month ago by ArtichokeBethesda
1.0 out of 5 stars
Incomprehensible tedium
The Brothers K was a masterpiece. The Idiot is a tedious Russian soap opera with a cast of thousands that
have three names for each member. Read more
have three names for each member. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mark Buckley
5.0 out of 5 stars
mcduff
Although I am usually enamored of Pevear for his translations of Dostoevsky, I have found the McDuff translation of the Idiot superior. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Conan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worst Novel I've Ever Read
I ordered this book based on my desire for a Russian novel and the positive reviews here. I am an avid reader and literature lover, but I regard this as perhaps the worst, most... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Michael R. Francis
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tedious, has lost relevance
I have read and enjoyed both "Crime and Punishment" and "Brothers Karamazov" some 20 years ago and would have rated them 4-5 stars easily had this system been in place then. Read more
Published 9 months ago by R. R. Costas Jr.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Who could deal with such a Christlike character?
The answer ,of course, is no one. Think of an innocent (the simple Prince Myshkin) sitting in the same compartment as the romantic wastrel, Roghozin on the Petersburg train. Read more
Published 12 months ago by chrisam
5.0 out of 5 stars
Touchstone of Goodness
r Dostoyevsky, The Idiot
Dostoyevsky wrote The Idiot during his sojourn in Europe (1867-71) where he had fled to escape his creditors. Read more
Dostoyevsky wrote The Idiot during his sojourn in Europe (1867-71) where he had fled to escape his creditors. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. D. James
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of literature's greatest creations.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 'The Idiot' is - even with such classics as 'Crime and Punishment' and 'The Brothers Karamazov' - a stand-out and major work from his oeuvre. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Jose Antonio Area Portaba
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty much the best book ever
This is an amazing work. I know The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment are considered his masterpieces, but on an emotional level this book is unmatched in what it evokes... Read more
Published 15 months ago by internationalcodes
4.0 out of 5 stars
Issues with the Kindle edition
I'm a couple chapters in to "The Idiot" and am enjoying the David McDuff translation. I spent some time comparing it to the Eva Martin (1915) translation, which is freely available... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Tim Meneely
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