- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Classic (May 31 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0140445056
- ISBN-13: 978-0140445053
- Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 1.7 x 19.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 281 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #329,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
With their penetrating psychological insight and their emphasis on human dignity, respect and forgiveness, Dostoyevsky's early short stories contain the seeds of the themes that came to his major novels. "Poor Folk", the author's first great literary triumph, is the story of a tragic relationship between an impoverished copy clerk and a young seamstress, told through their passionate letters to each other. In "The Landlady", Dostoyevsky portrays a dreamer hero who is captivated by a curious couple and becomes their lodger. Mr. Prokharchin, inspired by a true story, is a sly comedy centring on an eccentric miser, and Polzunkov is a powerful character sketch which, in common with the other tales in this volume, questions the very nature of existence.
From the Inside Flap
This is the first new translation of Dostoevsky's first novel since Constance Garnett's. Mr. Dessaix is not only more accurate than Garnett, but also makes an effort to deal with the sharply different styles in the epistolary novel in a consistent way. Dostoevsky made a point of saying that the style of the work was not his, but that of his letter writers--Devushkin and Varvara--and the reader will now be able to get some idea of these different styles. The translator's introduction focuses on the history of styles which Dostoevsky used in his very selfconsciously literary debut.
Written in 1845 and publised in 1846, Poor Folk is the natural beginning point for anyone who reads Dostoevsky. The novel occupies a position of particular interest and importance in both the history of Russian literature and Dostoevsky's work as a whole. Several lines of development in Russian prose intersect: sentimentalism, naturalism, the physiological sketch, and the phenomenon of Gogol, with whom Dostoevsky maintains a dialogue throughout the novel.
Robert Dessaix is the translator of The Mysterious Tales of Ivan Turgenev. He is Professor of Russian literature at the University of New South Wales. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Yesterday I was happy-inordinately, impossibly happy! Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Yesterday I was happy-inordinately, impossibly happy! Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Star Crossed Lovers...Or Not,
By Molon Labe "Molon Labe" (Chesterfield, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Penguin Classics Poor Folks And Other Stories (Paperback)
As my introduction to Dostoyevsky, I chose his first novel, written at age 24, as the logical starting place. Poor Folk is a very compact, easy-to-read volume and is a fascinating work. Dostoyevsky tantalizes the reader with his format. The entire book is a series of letters between 47 year-old Makar Alexievitch and the subject of his infatuation, a much younger Barbara Alexievna. As the two live within sight of each other and meet often, the letters leave an impression akin to that of seeing a series of snapshots from a movie rather than watching the entire production. Many details of their lives and particularly their pasts are alluded to but never fully divulged. The most powerful result is that the reader is left to grapple with the true nature of the relationship between the two fantastically poor correspondents. The author does a wonderful job of relating the harsh reality of life in 19th-century St. Petersburg slums and the depersonalized, marginalized and tenuous existence of the working poor. This stark setting and the desperate circumstances of the protagonists provide the stage for one of the overarching themes of the book-the foundational source of self-esteem. When money, social stature and career success are completely lacking, is love from another the final refuge for salvaging a sense of self worth? To what lengths will one go to preserve this refuge and to where may one turn when abandoned by it are central questions weaved by Dostoyevsky. The other subtle theme behind the story is the circumstances necessary for true character revelation. Irony abounds in Poor Folk, with Barbara's character being it primary vehicle. One might expect that harsh circumstances, bitter privation and abject poverty would shed the social covering to reveal one's disposition, but Barbara's unexpected financial good fortune reveals her true nature. Her reaction to sudden affluence reveals her relationship with Makar to have been driven wholly by a desperate need for a patron rather than genuine love and affection. This is a great read and whets the appetite to tackle Dostoyevsky's more famous works.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent intro to Dostoevsky: a glimpse into a poor soul,
This review is from: Penguin Classics Poor Folks And Other Stories (Paperback)
"Poor Folk" is a brilliant piece, especially considering that it was written by a 22-year-old Dostoevsky. I don't know how he came up with such characters (none of them resemble himself, except, perhaps, Pokrovsky) or how such a young writer could possibly fathom the depths of the suffering souls he himself created. One will immediately sympathize with Makar Andreich Devushkin in his striving to please and serve his beloved Varenka and ... well I'd rather not tell you the end. The other heart-wrenching little story inside "Poor Folk" is Varenka writing about her past (it impressed me more than any other works by Dostoevsky, I have read almost all of them). Again, I won't go into details, but this very short story about Pokrovsky and his poor father will forever be embedded in my heart! I honestly couldn't contain my tears while reading it. It probably just reminded me so much of myself and my own father! But.. you will definitely enjoy the book and will become a better person, at least for a while! Also recommended: "C&P" and "The Brothers Karamazov" (both transalted by R.Pevear & L.Volokhonsky, NOT by C. Garnett!) by Dostoevsky and Lev Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina", "Master and Man", "Forged Coupon" and, of course, "War and Peace" (trnsl. by A. Maude or Leo Wiener, again, NOT by C. Garnett).
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews) 17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent intro to Dostoevsky: a glimpse into a poor soul,
By Igor Otshelnik - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Penguin Classics Poor Folks And Other Stories (Paperback)
"Poor Folk" is a brilliant piece, especially considering that it was written by a 22-year-old Dostoevsky. I don't know how he came up with such characters (none of them resemble himself, except, perhaps, Pokrovsky) or how such a young writer could possibly fathom the depths of the suffering souls he himself created. One will immediately sympathize with Makar Andreich Devushkin in his striving to please and serve his beloved Varenka and ... well I'd rather not tell you the end. The other heart-wrenching little story inside "Poor Folk" is Varenka writing about her past (it impressed me more than any other works by Dostoevsky, I have read almost all of them). Again, I won't go into details, but this very short story about Pokrovsky and his poor father will forever be embedded in my heart! I honestly couldn't contain my tears while reading it. It probably just reminded me so much of myself and my own father! But.. you will definitely enjoy the book and will become a better person, at least for a while! Also recommended: "C&P" and "The Brothers Karamazov" (both transalted by R.Pevear & L.Volokhonsky, NOT by C. Garnett!) by Dostoevsky and Lev Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina", "Master and Man", "Forged Coupon" and, of course, "War and Peace" (trnsl. by A. Maude or Leo Wiener, again, NOT by C. Garnett).
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Folk,
By Bill Churchhill - Published on Amazon.com
_Poor Folk_ is Dost.'s first novel and it was a real success. On the basis ofthis short novel (under 150 pp) a leading Russian literary critic at the time (Belinsky) prophesied that Dost. would become a famous literary star. He was certainly correct. _Poor Folk_ is written in the form of letters between a middle aged man and read. Add to that Dost. high literary skill and you have a real classic. There Here are a few quotes to whet your appetite: "How we wept together, he and I. We thought about you. He's a very nice "You and your sad thoughts make me so despondent, my dearest. I pray to "Yesterday I repented before the Lord God with tears in my eyes, begging 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not a conventional love story,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Poor Folk (Paperback)
This moving story is presented as a series of letters between two fantastically poor Russian lovers. I have never before been confronted with the reality of such poverty as was faced by the down-trodden copywriter and gracious seamstress of pre-revelutionary St Petersburg. Dostoyevsky's intimate portrait of devotion despite the constant battle of poverty charts the everyday battle for survival and dignity. He conveys with particular profundity the humiliation faced by those at the bottom of the social pile - the characters are respected by no one, and worst of all, not even by themselves. A terrible, brilliant read.
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > Russian
- Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Criticism & Theory
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories > British
- Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Eastern European
- Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Russian
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > World Literature > European
- Books > Nonfiction > Education > Language Instruction
- Books > Reference > Foreign Languages
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
