A Writer's Diary [Volume 1: 1873-1876] [Paperback]

Fyodor Dostoevsky (Author), Kenneth Lantz (Editor, Translator), Gary Saul Morson (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 1997

The essential entries from Dostoevsky's complete Diary, called his boldest experiment in literary form, are now available in this abridged edition; it is a uniquely encyclopedic forum of fictional and nonfictional genres. A Writer's Diary began as a column in a literary journal, but by 1876 Dostoevsky was able to bring it out as a complete monthly publication with himself as an editor, publisher, and sole contributor, suspending work on The Brothers Karamazov to do so.

 

The Diary's radical format was matched by the extreme range of its contents. In a single frame it incorporated an astonishing variety of material: short stories; humorous sketches; reports on sensational crimes; historical predictions; portraits of famous people; autobiographical pieces; and plans for stories, some of which were never written while others appeared later in the Diary itself. A range of authorial and narrative voices and stances and an elaborate scheme of allusions and cross-references preserve and present Dostoevsky's conception of his work as a literary whole.

 

Selected from the two-volume set, this abridged edition of A Writer's Diary appears in a single paperback volume, along with a new condensed introduction by editor Gary Saul Morson.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Was Dostoevsky's A Writer's Diary "a daring experiment in form," an integral work of art, as Morson claims, or was this monthly periodical--with Dostoevsky its editor, publisher and sole contributor--a mere hodge-podge of articles, sketches, reportage and short stories? Readers pondering this question will gain uncanny insight into the inner conflicts that shaped Dostoevsky's character and thought as they confront a staggering diversity of genres--self-parody, utopian and anti-utopian sketches, autobiographical reminiscences, vignettes celebrating prosaic incidents in the lives of ordinary people, accounts of suicides and sensational trials, jingoistic polemics, essays on Tolstoy, Pushkin and George Sand. This forceful translation by Lantz, a Slavic professor at the University of Toronto, preserves the raw, rough edge of the Diary (whose last issue was in 1881). In his illuminating introduction, Morson, a Slavic professor at Northwestern, shows how the Diary embodies Dostoevsky's belief that salvation or social uplift can only occur gradually through individual self-betterment.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Dostoevsky's unorthodox work, which began as a series of columns in 1873, is a pastiche of genres--fiction, journalism, political and cultural criticism, and autobiography. Intended as a vehicle for his artistic ruminations about his times, it was first translated into English in 1949 (by Boris Brasol) and published under the title The Diary of a Writer ( LJ 5/15/49). An outstanding feature of this new translation is Gary Saul Morson's introduction. Morson masterfully places this groundbreaking work in its proper literary and historical context while acknowledging the unevenness of Dostoevsky's prose. The more memorable "entries" grapple with familial relationships; the best of these pieces form the basis for parts of The Brothers Karamazov. Though it is probably too long and disjointed for the general reader, this book provides fascinating insight into the workings of Dostoevsky's genius. Recommended for Russian literature collections.
- Diane Gardner Premo, SILS, SUNY-Buffalo
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 805 pages
• Publisher: Northwestern University Press (July 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810115166
• ISBN-13: 978-0810115163
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,010,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars deeply flawed yet deeply fascinating, August 5, 1999

By 

Russell Pittman "aging literary economist" (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Writer's Diary [Volume 1: 1873-1876] (Paperback)

This book and its companion volume present the contents of a journal written, edited, and published by Dostoevsky over a period of eight years. It is a fascinating collection. There are stories; there are literary discussions; there are commentaries on current events, especially court cases and international developments. There are jaw-drop-inducing vamps on the harmful effects of the Jews on decent Christian people. As time passes and Dostoevsky grows older and sicker, most other topics are abandoned in favor of eschatological Slavophile ruminations on the "Eastern Question" and the coming triumph of Russian Orthodoxy. All of this will be much more than the casual reader will want to wade through. Yet for the serious student or fan of Dostoevsky's novels, the diaries provide a unique and amazing window into the author's thinking. For the student of 19th century history, they are an unforgettable presentation of one side of the passionate arguments over the future of the Balkan countries. For the student of Russian history, they provide eyewitness commentary on the struggles that accompanied the introduction of Western-style legal reforms, such as trial by jury. They are unique and amazing volumes, enhanced by a superb editor's introduction and useful endnotes.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Dostoyevsky classic-not recommended for beginners, July 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Writer's Diary [Volume 1: 1873-1876] (Paperback)

I bought this just because it was Dostoyevsky; I had no clue what it would be like. I thought that perhaps it was actually Dostoyevksy's personal diary. In fact, it is a journal Dostoyevsky wrote entirely himself and put out on a monthly basis. He muses on variety of subjects such as social-political issues of Russia at the time and criminal cases that have attracted his interest. In addition, he includes a few skeletons of short stories he is working on. Highly recommended for Dostoyevsky fanatics; newcomers would be better off reading Crime and Punishment.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars FYODOR UNWRAPPED, August 22, 2006

By 

R. J. Fensterman (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Writer's Diary [Volume 1: 1873-1876] (Paperback)

This is a book (actually the first volume of a 2-volume set) for
Dostoevsky aficianados. There is some very interesting and varied material in this large volume -- essays, imaginings, journalism, polemic, short stories, propoganda, rants, etc.. A kind of 'Fyodor Unwrapped.' It helps to have read other books by this great Russian Master, particularly his 'Big 5': Crime & Punishment,The Idiot, The Devils, A Raw Youth, Brothers Karamavoz. The translation by Kenneth Lantz is excellently done; the extensive Introduction by Gary Saul Morsom, is helpful, but
definitely 'over kill.'
The book, in fact, is a microcosm of Dostoevsky himself: plenty of flaws and foolishness, but always worth plowing through. He is, after all, probably the world's greatest novelist, and I recommend this book highly to those who agree with that assessment.