Fyodor Dostoyevsky Books

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Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist, essayist, and journalist that wrote about the human condition. Best known for works like ‘Crime and Punishment,’ many critics have called him history’s greatest literary novelist.

Born in 1821 in Moscow, Dostoevsky grew up in a lower-class district. He discovered the written word at a young age. Dostoevsky was three when his nanny started reading him heroic sagas and fairy tales.

His mother showed him how to read and write using the Bible at four. He discovered Russian literary figures such as Pushkin and Karamzin along the way. His father was a harsh teacher. But the man’s strict teachings, not to mention the nightly readings, shaped Dostoevsky’s imagination.

By the time his mother died, the author and his brother (Mikhail) had gone to the Nikolayev Military Engineering Institute. Mikhail was rejected on health grounds but found a place at a Reval academy.

Dostoevsky hated the academy. He was too clumsy and disinterested in military engineering to thrive. Years later, his daughter revealed that Dostoevsky manifested signs of epilepsy when news of his father’s death reached him.

Despite the tragedy, the author finished his studies, graduating as an engineer cadet. By 1843, Dostoevsky was a lieutenant engineer living with Adolph Totleben. In 1845, Dostoevsky completed the manuscript for his first novel.

His roommate at the time (Dmitry Grigorovich) showed ‘Poor Folk’ to Nikolay Nekrasov. The manuscript left the poet’s hands and found its way to Vissarion Belinsky. The literary critic loved the book and wasn’t that surprised when ‘Poor Folk’ became a commercial success following its publication in 1846.

The author, who was still in his mid-20s, became a literary sensation practically overnight. Belinsky and Dostoevsky were initially close, at least professionally. Belinsky welcomed the author into his literary circle. But the critic’s cold response to Dostoevsky’s subsequent manuscripts rubbed the author the wrong way, and their relationship fractured.

His next major step led to imprisonment. Dostoevsky joined a group of young intellectuals that met regularly to discuss political issues at a time when the government had outlawed such groups. The so-called Petrashevsky circle was discovered, and many of its members received a death sentence.

But before a firing squad could claim their lives, the Czar stepped in and exiled them to Siberia. The Czar replaced their death sentence with a life of hard labor, an experience that changed Dostoevsky spiritually and philosophically.

Life for the author was fraught with misfortune even after his time in the prison camp ended. The authorities closed his journals because of Dostoevsky’s controversial social and political opinions.

His wife and brother died some years later, and a gambling addiction left his finances in ruin. The author hoped to start anew after running to Europe to avoid his creditors. But numerous personal and financial challenges continued to haunt him. However, he wrote some of his most important literary works during this period.

Fyodor Dostoevsky Books into Movies

Many people have adapted Dostoevsky’s work, including Akira Kurosawa (The Idiot), Sergei Prokofiev (The Gambler [Opera]), and Andrzej Wajda (The Possessed). ‘Crime and Punishment’ alone has received over a dozen adaptations over the decades.

Best Fyodor Dostoevsky Books

The author died in 1881 after suffering multiple pulmonary hemorrhages. Dostoevsky’s best books include:

Crime And Punishment: Raskolnikov did a bad thing. The destitute former student was wandering St. Petersburg’s slums when he committed the murder. It was a random act, and Raskolnikov felt no remorse because he was a great man with a higher purpose, or so he thought.

Initially, Raskolnikov thought the suspicious investigator dogging his footsteps was his only obstacle. But then Raskolnikov’s conscious came back to bite him.

The Brothers Karamazov: The Brothers Karamazov explores the consequences of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov’s murder on the lives of his sons. The corrupt landowner was a wealthy skirt chaser known for throwing opulent parties that devolved into full-fledged orgies. Fyodor’s life took an interesting turn when he fell for Grushenka, a young beauty.

Grushenka had also caught the eye of Dmitri, Fyodor’s oldest son. The pair’s attempts to win her hand had escalated to dangerous levels when Fyodor died under suspicious circumstances. Because of the animosity surrounding their relationship and the rivalry that had developed between the pair, Dmitri was accused of Fyodor’s murder.

When Does The Next Fyodor Dostoevsky book come out?

Fyodor Dostoevsky doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is A Bad Business and was released on March, 29th 2022. It is the newest book in the Fyodor Dostoyevsky Short Story Collections.

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