This was my first book of Dostoevsky and Russian literature and I’m glad that I picked this up. This book sets the ground for the Dostoevskian way of thinking and themes that you may discover in his proclaimed works. From what I have read and saw in those Instagram reels, I little knew the depressing yet hopeful narrative that Dostoevsky tries to compel in his work but I was unsure if I were to find those proclaimed works of his to be boring, Me having smaller attention span doesn’t wanted to pick those 500-600 pages novel, it felt too much. For a person like me, this book was a gem, it compiles seven of his short stories he wrote in different points of his life.

The book starts with a preface introduction by David Magarshack that outlines the timeline in when Dostoevsky wrote these stories. That It is important, knowing this information helps the reader to see how much Dostoevsky have evolved and the themes in his books are changing as he grow.

Following are the stories that are in the book (all of them are of 100 or less pages) with my ratings-

The White nights (5/5)
Honest Thief (3/5)
The Christmas tree and A wedding (2/5)
The peasant Marey (3.5/5)
Notes from Underground (3.5/5)
A gentle creature (4/5)
The dream of Ridiculous man (4/5)

If you are someone who wants to get into Dostoevsky’s work or want a book to read before bed, I think this is book does it’s job very well.

chamomiledaydreams's review

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3.0

I started with the shortest pieces in this collection, thinking that I would ease my way into Dostoevsky's writing style. But, surprisingly, it wasn't until I got to his longer works that I found myself really enjoying his stories. If I had to single out a couple of favorites, it would be, "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" on top, followed by "White Nights." They have the most sympathetic protagonists, in my opinion, and while I understand the purpose of writing from a more controversial perspective, I found the stories with kinder protagonists to be much more enjoyable. And since I'm not reading Dostoevsky for any class, those are the stories I'd like to fixate on! Regardless, this collection is a great way to sample Dostoevsky's work and to form an idea of what to expect from one of his longer novels.

cheynshah's review

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4.0

Highlights are "Dream of a Ridiculous Man" and "Notes From Underground."

"Gentle Creature" is marred by a timid translation. Here is a literal translation of the one of the best moments, when the pawnbroker eavesdrops on his young wife:

"What happened was this. I listened for a whole hour and for that whole hour I witnessed a duel between a woman of the most exalted nobility and a worldly, dim-witted creature with the soul of a reptile."

This end-of-sentence zinger--"soul of a reptile"--injects a perverse humor into the proceedings, yet Magarshack inexplicably refuses the gift he's been given:

"This is what happened. I listened for a whole hour, and for that whole hour I was present at a battle of wits between a woman, a most honorable and high-principled woman, and a man about town with no principles, a dissolute and dull creature with a cringing, grovelling soul."

Still very much worth reading, but Garnett or Pevear/Volokhonsky may be better translations.

guarinous's review

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5.0

“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”

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