Product Description

Inspired by an image of Christ's suffering, Dostoyevsky set out to create a protagonist with "a truly beautiful soul" and to trace the fate of such an individual as he comes into contact with the brutal reality of contemporary society. The novel begins when the innocent epileptic Prince Myshkin - the 'idiot' - arrives in St Petersburg and finds himself drawn into a web of violent and passionate relationships that leads to blackmail, betrayal and eventually murder.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23703 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-27
• Original language: Russian
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 768 pages

About the Author
Moscow-born Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) served time in a convict prison for his political alliances, and in his later years his passion for gambling led him deeply into debt. His novels include The Devils and The Brothers Karamazov. David McDuff has translated widely from the Russian, including for Penguin Classics, Crime and Punishment and Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata. Introducer William Mills Todd III is Professor of Slavic Languages at Harvard.

Customer Reviews

The Saint and the sinners!!!
Reading about Prince Myshkin (the `idiot') and the characters orbiting his life felt like being imprisoned in some surreal reality game show, where the participants were infused with varying degrees of personality disorder, paranoid delusions, and fits of manic euphoria. Consequently the substance of the narrative is immersed in an oily sea of wilful gossip, self-interest and brinkmanship. For instance the birthday scene, culminating in a wrapped bundle of bank notes, nonchalantly discarded into a fire by the manipulative and power crazed Nastasya, is witnessed by a seething mass of guests itching and sweating in anxious excitement as the flames eat into the precious fortune. Along with the spectators I wanted to thrust my hand into the burning grate before all was lost. This example is one of many in the novel and Dostoevsky exhibits supreme control of the emotional forces that are thrust upon the Christ-like Prince. Indeed Myshkin often seems to be the victim yet it is his presence that dictates the destructive actions of the people around him. In this game there are no winners! An epileptic masterpiece that displays the cost of greed, uncontrollable passion and misdirected ambition.

Fun In St Petersburg - 1860's Style
Dostoyevsky's talent is unique in that he manages to convey all the subtleties and complexities of ordinary human behaviour and social interaction in stories that are peopled almost exclusively by psychotic or psychopathic characters whose behaviour is generally absurd and over the top. "The Idiot", perhaps the most accessible of his great novels, conforms to this paradigm, telling, as it does, the story of Prince Myshkin - an epileptic youth who finds himself suddenly immersed in all the vagaries of Petersburg social life, following his return from a long sojourn at a Swiss sanatorium. Myshkin, a likeable young man, soon finds himself caught up in various love triangles, and effortlessly becomes the centre of everyone's interest - both favourable and unfavourable. The novel contains all the Dostoyevsky motifs: domestic scenes that erupt in "scandal"; characters that suddenly "rush up" to each-other for various reasons; headlong dashes from rooms where some "disgraceful" incident has just taken place; emotional outbursts that occur God knows why - it's all here. The whole thing is exceedingly entertaining, engaging and - not least - funny. Dostoyevsky is so outstandingly good a writer that it really is rather difficult to convey the wonder of it all in a mere few words. Take the plunge - you won't be disappointed.

A revealing classic

The Idiot is one of the finest novels in history, perhaps the finest. In this novel, the enigma that is often referred to as "THE RUSSIAN SOUL" is variously dissected through the different characters and more so by the hero of the story Prince Myshkin. In its simplest explanation, it is a soul with good intentions but faulty in executing the intentions. It is a soul in conflict, driven by the zest for life and a search of its meaning. Certainly the most Christian of Dostoyevsky's novels, THE IDIOT portrays how disastrous a good life can be. Rich in characters, this classic centers mostly on the good Prince Myshkin, a recovering epileptic with a rich soul who is easily perceived as an 'idiot' by the casual observer who focuses on his childlike manners especially in expressing himself and his naivety in dealing with people. But then a closer look reveals that his manners are the reflections of his honest soul, the wealth of his big heart and the broadness of his mind.
And only in deeper engagements does it become evident that Myshkin however has superior understanding and expression, which makes him modest and intelligent rather than stupid. His simple, honest and decent life is succinctly conveyed in his interactions, generating both love and resentment. The saintly Myshkin however struggles to deal with a materialistic world which has no place for the virtuous, and to reconcile his passionate and compassionate love for two women. But the love of the women corrupt and drives men out of their minds. Nastasia Filipovna whom Myshkin has compassionate love for is a tormented soul that can only love Christ and in Myshkin she found that Christ-like figure. Her rival Aglia has Myshkin's heart but failed to understand Myshkin's serene love for her and abandons him to the destructive love of Nastasia.

This is great intellectual work that we should to take seriously in general, a book to read with a serious mindset. Then you will understand the unique nature of Russia which our western minds have difficulties to comprehend. This strange land called Russia that has a bigger soul than any other is explored here in this story in a way that only Dostoyevsky unveils. Read it and you will finish it enriched. The Idiot is a thoroughly enjoyable novel of ideas that explores the nature of man and society and gives you a better idea of man and his actions. You shouldn't find it strange that the characters are philosophical, impulsive, introspective, energetic, colorful, and extreme in their passions. That is Russia, a land of extremes. This book is likely to impact you. It is one of the few of our times. I highly recommend it along with THE UNION MOUJIK.Also recommended: THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV,THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT