The Idiot Paperback – Dec 12 2003

I read the Constance Garnett translation of “The Idiot” in a Dover Thrift Edition. The last words of the novel as she translated are:
“We’ve had enough of following our whims; it is time to be reasonable. And all of this, all this life abroad’ and this Europe of yours us all a fantasy, and all of us abroad are only a fantasy … remember my words’ you’ll see it for yourself!” she concluded almost wrathfully as she parted from Yevegny Pavlovitch.
These were Lizveta Prokofyevna’s words to express her longing to get back to Russia from the foreign trip that her family undertook in the aftermath of Myshkin’s breakdown. When I first read these, I was puzzled. Why had Dostoyevsky chosen them and the ideas they expressed to end his novel. I had read that the novel was the story of a Christ-like man whose almost holy innocence affected those he encountered. What had these words that expressed a rejection of Europe for a life in Russia to do with that. It came to me then that Myshkin was a Christ-like figure but as he expressed in his rant at the Epanchin’s party, there was a Christ that was specific to Russia and that Christ was opposed to the false Christ expressed in Europe and particularly the Roman Catholic Christ.
“The Idiot” is a political novel in that it is a novel that is a about the redemptive power of Russian culture. In eh novel, it is a culture based an traditions and religion that are being threatened those who fall way from it into a life of passion and to those who are attracted to modernity in the form of nihilism and European culture. Various characters within the novel personify these. In particular, the two women in Myshkin’s life personify the attraction of passion (Natysha) and European modernity (Aglaia). Both reject and run away from him and in the end, both are destroyed for this rejection.
I don’t know if this interpretation of “The Idiot” as an assertion of the validity and superiority of a Russian culture that is felt to be under threat is one that will be seen as valid by scholars. I’m reading this as a layman to try gain enough knowledge to not feel entirely at sea when hearing discussions of literature on the radio and elsewhere. I saw a similar political aspect in “The Brothers Karamazov” and the question occurs to me if Dostoyevsky is seen as a political novelist. He did ask a rather political question in “Crime and Punishment”. Why is the killer of two people considered to be a vile criminal when while political leaders such as Napoleon who have caused the death of millions are considered to be heroes? I put this view out to see if anyone finds it interesting. Perhaps a scholar glancing at these words will find the idea od a political Dostoyevsky entirely unsupported or maybe so tired and obvious as to be trite. I’m reading in retirement the books that I was supposed to have read as a student but didn’t. Maybe now I’ll be able to learn what I know I should have and have felt missing from my life

This book was my first ever that was over 500 pages long. It was a big step, but after deciphering the various names it was a decent read. I find the English used to be appropriate and may have had to translate a dozen words to get their meaning.

The story is rather broad, I enjoyed it, but I felt a bit worn down at the end. Some parts suddenly bring the reader to understand things such as the human condition, Russian politics and history. I found them interesting and they bring a different dimension to the main plot. I can't said that I really felt like I could identify myself with most of the characters depicted who seemed to portray very strong traits in specific attitudes.

good book, very classic. slow old fashioned story that takes a long time to get through and doesint have a fast paced story more of a collection of life stories for one character, highly recommended.

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Given as gift

Great read.

Well written. Interesting, easy to read.

Great book and Quick shipping