<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A goldmine for the Dostoyevsky reader
Review: This great paperback omnibus collects Fyodor Dostoyevsky's two most famous short novels, Notes From the Underground and The Double, as well as three short stories: White Nights, The Meek One, and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. All five are essential reads for fans of the great Russian author. This book also serves as a good starting point for the neophyte who is just looking to jump into Dostoyevsky: it contains an array of short works that serve to introduce the unfamiliar reader to the author's writing style. This is very valuable, because, after all, one would not be wise to jump into the author's immense novels unprepared. All of these stories introduce themes that Dostoyevsky would develop more fully in his great novels -- suicide, madness, nihilism, the existence of God. The author always was one to deal with life's Big Things, and he does not hesitate to do so even in his shorter works. All of the stories exhibit the vivid psychological realism that was Dostoyevsky's trademark. Never one for beautiful prose, Dostoyevsky much preferred to get down and dirty with the inner working of the human mind, never afraid to back away from all of the dark and terrible things that he found there. Notes From the Underground, one of the greatest short novels of all-time, portrays one man in the depths of despair. A vivid depiction of the dark side of human nature, Notes is a great classic that perfectly evokes the feelings of isolation, despair, narcissism, and paranoia that continue to afflict the mass of men. The Double is another interesting story. Though an early work and not as well-crafted, it manages to put a new spin on the doppelganger phenomenon. In it, Dostoyevsky very skillfully portrays one man's lonely descent into madness -- and manages to be screamingly funny while doing so. White Nights is a brilliant short work, beautifully written, a testament to the eternal, if occasionally capricious, nature of love. The Meek One is a very dark story that examines the roots of suicide. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man offers a unique take on the nature of evil. I should take time out here to note how wonderful these Barnes & Noble Classics Editions are. They offer a wide range of supplementary materials to the readings, of interest to both the general reader and the Dostoyevsky reader, not to mention the literary scholar. These include: a short profile of the author, a timeline of his life, a substantial critical introduction, effective but not overlong notes, an offering of critical opinion and commentary on the text, and even a list of discussion questions. Not least of all, they are extremely affordable. I highly recommend this volume to anyone looking to get into the author, and also to dedicated fans looking to have all of these stories in one place.
Rating:
Summary: A goldmine for the Dostoyevsky reader
Review: This great paperback omnibus collects Fyodor Dostoyevsky's two most famous short novels, Notes From the Underground and The Double, as well as three short stories: White Nights, The Meek One, and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. All five are essential reads for fans of the great Russian author. This book also serves as a good starting point for the neophyte who is just looking to jump into Dostoyevsky: it contains an array of short works that serve to introduce the unfamiliar reader to the author's writing style. This is very valuable, because, after all, one would not be wise to jump into the author's immense novels unprepared. All of these stories introduce themes that Dostoyevsky would develop more fully in his great novels -- suicide, madness, nihilism, the existence of God. The author always was one to deal with life's Big Things, and he does not hesitate to do so even in his shorter works. All of the stories exhibit the vivid psychological realism that was Dostoyevsky's trademark. Never one for beautiful prose, Dostoyevsky much preferred to get down and dirty with the inner working of the human mind, never afraid to back away from all of the dark and terrible things that he found there. Notes From the Underground, one of the greatest short novels of all-time, portrays one man in the depths of despair. A vivid depiction of the dark side of human nature, Notes is a great classic that perfectly evokes the feelings of isolation, despair, narcissism, and paranoia that continue to afflict the mass of men. The Double is another interesting story. Though an early work and not as well-crafted, it manages to put a new spin on the doppelganger phenomenon. In it, Dostoyevsky very skillfully portrays one man's lonely descent into madness -- and manages to be screamingly funny while doing so. White Nights is a brilliant short work, beautifully written, a testament to the eternal, if occasionally capricious, nature of love. The Meek One is a very dark story that examines the roots of suicide. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man offers a unique take on the nature of evil. I should take time out here to note how wonderful these Barnes & Noble Classics Editions are. They offer a wide range of supplementary materials to the readings, of interest to both the general reader and the Dostoyevsky reader, not to mention the literary scholar. These include: a short profile of the author, a timeline of his life, a substantial critical introduction, effective but not overlong notes, an offering of critical opinion and commentary on the text, and even a list of discussion questions. Not least of all, they are extremely affordable. I highly recommend this volume to anyone looking to get into the author, and also to dedicated fans looking to have all of these stories in one place.
<< 1 >>
|
