The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1821–1881 · Russia
Originally The Idiot (Russian)
Why it matters
Dostoevsky's experiment: set a 'perfectly beautiful man' loose in society and watch the world destroy him. Prince Myshkin's goodness proves as catastrophic as any vice: the novel's most heartbreaking thought experiment.
At a glance
psychological noveltragedy
Difficulty 7/10slow pace656 pagesSprawling cast, digressive scenes of hysteria, and a deliberately unstable narrative center.
Where to go next
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1864Notes from UndergroundLvl 7Slow burn
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1866Crime and PunishmentLvl 6Fast paced
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1867The GamblerLvl 4Fast paced
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1872DemonsLvl 8Medium pace
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1880The Brothers KaramazovLvl 8Slow burn
Nikolai Gogol · 1842Dead SoulsLvl 5Medium pace